Using medical records and AI to detect early memory problems in older adults

Leveraging Electronic Health Records and artificial IntelligeNce to improve Dementia Screening and early Detection in primary care (LEARN-DSD)

NIH-funded research New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11144927

This project uses your medical records and computer tools to help primary care doctors spot early memory problems in people aged 65 and older.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNew York University School of Medicine NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11144927 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would receive care in your usual primary care clinic where an AI tool will use information from your electronic health record to flag patients who might have mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. Researchers will work with patients, family members, and primary care providers to refine how screening is offered and how results and links to heart‑health prevention are explained. The project runs as an embedded pragmatic clinical trial within NYU‑affiliated clinics and measures whether more people get screened and diagnosed and whether cardiovascular preventive care improves. The AI decision support is based on previously validated machine‑learning methods and is integrated into clinicians' workflows to prompt appropriate screening.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 65 and older who receive primary care at participating NYU‑affiliated clinics, along with their family members or caregivers who help with care decisions.

Not a fit: People younger than 65, those without regular primary care at participating clinics, or patients whose conditions are not captured well by the AI tool may not see direct benefit from this effort.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to earlier detection of memory problems and better prevention of heart‑related risks for older adults.

How similar studies have performed: Smaller EHR‑ and AI‑based dementia screening efforts have shown promise, but large pragmatic trials embedded in primary care remain limited.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.