Why some people stay mentally sharp into their 90s
Official title: Cognitively Healthy Nonagenarians in the Cross Cohort Collaboration (CCC)
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Science Center · NIH-11470429 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project brings together many long-running studies to find what helps people stay mentally healthy past age 85 and why dementia often appears so late in life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Science Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2018 |
| Project end | January 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $154,789 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG059421-02S5 |
| Project ID | NIH-11470429 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults, especially people aged 85+ or individuals from long-term cohort studies who can share medical records, cognitive testing results, and permission for use of blood or imaging data.
✕Less likely to help
People without long-term health records, those under about 70 with no follow-up, or anyone unwilling to allow use of their past medical or research data are unlikely to be included or benefit directly.
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers combine decades of health, test, and brain-data from many groups of people who were followed from middle age into very old age. They harmonize records so they can compare medical history, genes (like APOE), blood markers (including amyloid measures), lifestyle, and brain imaging across studies. The team looks for patterns that explain who stays cognitively normal into their 90s and what kinds of brain or body problems lead to dementia after 85. This work uses existing participants and data from multiple cohort studies rather than recruiting everyone anew.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could reveal factors that protect thinking skills into very old age and guide prevention or care tailored for people 85 and older.
How similar studies have gone: Prior long-term cohort studies have linked genes, vascular health, and biomarkers to dementia risk, but combining many cohorts to focus on survival and cognitive resilience into the 90s is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Hlth Science Center
San Antonio, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seshadri, Sudha — University of Texas Hlth Science Center
- Study coordinator: Seshadri, Sudha
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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.