Why aerobic exercise helps some older African American adults' brains more than others
Official title: Determinants of Individual Differences in the Efficacy of Aerobic Exercise to Improve Brain Health and Reduce Alzheimer Disease Risk in Older African Americans
Funded at Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark · NIH-11176803 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether genetic risk and fitness explain why aerobic exercise improves brain health and lowers Alzheimer's risk for some older African American adults but not others.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,805,506 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1AG078211-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176803 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older African American adults without a diagnosis of dementia who can safely participate in moderate aerobic exercise and attend regular visits at the research site.
✕Less likely to help
People with advanced Alzheimer's or other medical conditions that prevent safe participation in aerobic exercise, or those who cannot travel to the study site, may not benefit from or be eligible for this project.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll take part in an aerobic exercise program (for example, twice-weekly cardio-dance classes) and attend regular visits for brain scans, fitness tests, and thinking tests. Researchers will collect blood to look at genes linked to Alzheimer's, including ABCA7, and measure how brain networks in the medial temporal lobe change with exercise. The team will compare who shows improved neural flexibility and generalization of learning to see which factors predict benefit. The goal is to understand why some people gain more brain protection from exercise so future recommendations can be tailored.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to personalized exercise recommendations that better protect older African Americans from Alzheimer's disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous small trials showed aerobic programs can improve medial temporal lobe network flexibility and certain cognitive skills, but using genetic risk to predict individual response is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
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Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gluck, Mark a — Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark
- Study coordinator: Gluck, Mark a
Related research
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How exercise affects brain health and Alzheimer's risk in older African Americans
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Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s in African and admixed African-American communities
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Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease in African and African-American Ancestries
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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.