Understanding how stimulating the trigeminal nerve could help mood and thinking in dementia
Official title: Mechanistic Underpinnings of Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for Enhancing Neuropsychological Function in Dementia
Funded at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research · NIH-11453761 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A noninvasive brain-stimulation approach aims to boost serotonin signaling to ease mood and cognitive symptoms in people with dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Feinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhasset, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $460,625 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AG098778-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11453761 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with Alzheimer’s disease dementia or vascular cognitive impairment/dementia who experience neuropsychiatric symptoms.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without significant neuropsychiatric symptoms or those not suitable for noninvasive brain stimulation may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project explores whether electrically stimulating the trigeminal nerve can enhance brain serotonin pathways to improve neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive function in vascular and Alzheimer-related dementias. The study will rely on existing noninvasive stimulation methods to probe mechanisms and potential benefits in affected adults. Researchers will examine how trigeminal stimulation influences brain networks involved in emotion, behavior, and cognition, with an emphasis on safety and biological signals. If the approach shows promise, it could guide future therapies to help patients manage anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new non-drug methods to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms and slow cognitive decline in dementia.
How similar studies have gone: Noninvasive trigeminal stimulation has shown safety and some benefits in other neuropsychiatric conditions, but its mechanisms in dementia are still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Manhasset, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Chunyan — Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Li, Chunyan
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.