Enhancing alzheimer's-related research in rural south africa with portable MRI

Active Cooperative Agreement Awarded Last action

Award ID
UG3AG090558
Recipient
Awarding agency
Obligated
$1,490,623

Award facts

Assistance listing
93.866 Aging Research
Completion date 58% complete
Place of performance
New York, NY 10032, USA

Award details come from USAspending.gov.

Description

As the agency reported it.

Abstract
This project will incorporate portable, low-field brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into a population- representative study of alzheimer's disease (ad) and related dementias (adrd) in rural south africa, transforming the ability to assess adrd-related brain atrophy and cerebrovascular disease in low- and middle- income country (lmic) settings. Increasing incidence and prevalence of adrd represent a global health crisis that disproportionately affects lmics, including south africa. The study of adrd risk, pathogenesis, and course has been revolutionized by the development of accessible fluidic biomarkers that capture the amyloid and TAU components of ad-related pathophysiology, but direct measurement of neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular disease - - primary drivers of cognitive outcomes and clinical progression - - is limited in rural areas and lmics because of the cost, infrastructure, technological access, and expertise required to conduct MRI research. Newly developed portable MRI scanners coupled with advances in data post-processing now provide the possibility to conduct high-fidelity, high-throughput brain imaging studies in rural settings. The proposed study will enhance the research infrastructure and resources for studies of adrd neuroscience relevant to africa by being the first to establish and incorporate portable brain MRI for the study of adrd in rural south africa. The proposed work leverages the robust infrastructure, cohort, and resources available through the health, aging and dementia in south africa: a longitudinal study (haalsi; P01 AG041710), an ongoing population-representative study that addresses core issues in dementia epidemiology in older south africans. Haalsi has completed three waves of longitudinal dementia survey data in over 5,000 participants over aged 40 within a population-representative cohort in agincourt ("haalsi agincourt"). Two additional waves of intensive dementia data collection have been completed under the harmonized cognitive assessment protocol (hcap) among more than 600 haalsi participants over age 50 ("haalsi agincourt-hcap"; R01 AG054066). Over 300 structural MRI scans at 1.5T field strength have been acquired in these participants. During the UG3 phase of the proposed study, we will install a low-field portable MRI scanner in a community health facility in agincourt; establish acquisition, data transfer, and analytic pipelines; and collect portable MRI data among 350 agincourt-hcap participants with available 1.5T MRI scans, biomarker, and clinical data. During the UH3 phase, we will conduct the largest portable MRI adrd study in a lmic to date, acquiring 3500 MRI scans (including 300 repeat scans) in haalsi agincourt participants to examine associations of atrophy and cerebrovascular disease with adrd fluidic biomarkers, cognition, vascular factors, and social determinants. Consistent with RFA-AG-24-027, we will transform collaborations between US and african scientists; enhance research infrastructure and resources to study adrd in south africa; and conduct preliminary studies that will inform future adrd research in africa.

Transactions

Action Obligated Date
Amendment -$258,256
Amendment $25,827
Amendment $282,498
Amendment $232,429
Amendment $232,429
Amendment $218,172
Amendment $218,172
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Original award $539,352
Show all 11

Subawards

Subrecipient Amount Awarded
Wits Health Consortium (Pty) LTD Wits University Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt) will be the field site for the project “Enhancing Alzheimer’s-related… $258,256
President And Fellows Of Harvard College Dr. Gaziano will assist the investigators to integrate the work of this grant into the work of the overall HAALSI study, ensuring that there is no overlap… $28,753
Wits Health Consortium (Pty) LTD Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Ltd, through the MRC/Wits University Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit in Agincourt, South Africa, will… $252,359
President And Fellows Of Harvard College Tom Gaziano Dr. Gaziano will assist the investigators to integrate the work of this grant into the work of the overall HAALSI study, ensuring that there is no… $34,336

Quick answers

Who received award UG3AG090558?

UG3AG090558 was awarded to The Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York by National Institute on Aging (National Institutes of Health) on February 1, 2025.

How much is award UG3AG090558 worth?

$1,490,623 has been obligated on UG3AG090558.

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