R01AG070897

The Study of the Environment and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (SEAD) - Project Summary

The rising prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) is a major public health and clinical challenge in the United States. Identification of ADRD causes to inform prevention and policy is the most efficient way to address these challenges.

Most research to date has focused on identifying genetic causes of ADRD. However, recent population-scale studies have shown that environmental exposures, such as lead and cadmium, also contribute to ADRD risk and etiology. Initial findings on environmental factors linked to ADRD risk are promising, but human evidence is limited.

A wide range of environmental exposures (exposome) have never been evaluated systematically in relation to incident ADRD. While there is a growing demand to predict future risk for ADRD more precisely, the role of exposomic data in improving ADRD risk prediction has never been evaluated.

To address these gaps, we propose a prospective cohort study by capitalizing on existing large-scale, United States nationally representative, multi-ethnic population-based data. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, from 1998-2010, N>15,000) has a variety of environmental chemical exposure measurements, behavioral risk factors, and clinical phenotypes. When linked to Medicare data, it provides up to 25 years of incident ADRD.

We aim to:
1. Conduct a biologic hypothesis-based approach to test the associations of chronic exposure to lead and cadmium with incident ADRD.
2. Conduct a data-driven environment-wide association study to systematically evaluate a wide range of environmental toxicants with incident ADRD.
3. Develop and validate an exposome-based risk prediction model for ADRD using machine learning methods.

The proposed study will advance scientific understanding on how modifiable and currently ubiquitous environmental neurotoxicants can lead to the development of ADRD. This study assesses the exposome to improve prediction of future disease risk and define vulnerable populations more precisely.

This research will highlight individual-level and population-level interventions (i.e. precision health) to effectively prevent or reduce the risk of ADRD in the US population.

Regents Of The University Of Michigan

TO ENCOURAGE BIOMEDICAL, SOCIAL, AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING DIRECTED TOWARD GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGING PROCESS AND THE DISEASES, SPECIAL PROBLEMS, AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE AS THEY AGE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING HAS ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS TO PURSUE THESE GOALS. THE DIVISION OF AGING BIOLOGY EMPHASIZES UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF AGING. THE DIVISION OF GERIATRICS AND CLINICAL GERONTOLOGY SUPPORTS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE ABILITIES OF HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS TO RESPOND TO THE DISEASES AND OTHER CLINICAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER PEOPLE. THE DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS RESEARCH THAT WILL LEAD TO GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT BOTH THE PROCESS OF GROWING OLD AND THE PLACE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SOCIETY. THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE FOSTERS RESEARCH CONCERNED WITH THE AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RELATED SENSORY, PERCEPTUAL, AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING AND HAS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.866 - Aging Research

National Institute on Aging (NIA) [HHS - NIH]

Ann Arbor, Michigan 481091276 United States

Single Zip Code

Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-19-070)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 392% from $692,598 to $3,410,581.