Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Aging awarded The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York $390,122 on March 15, 2026, under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) to develop a novel group independent component analysis (GTFICA) algorithm that incorporates time-frequency information for longitudinal brain network analysis. The primary deliverable is a validated computational methodology capable of capturing temporal dynamics of functional networks in longitudinal neuroimaging studies. The research will utilize data from 1,000 cognitively normal participants aged 18-85 from the Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample study, with up to three years of follow-up imaging data acquired using both single- and multi-band resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging protocols.

Under Aim 1, the research team will develop and evaluate the GTFICA algorithm using extensive numerical experiments and identify age-related changes in dynamic functional networks while assessing replicability across different fMRI acquisition sequences using baseline data. Aim 2 extends the methodology to harmonize longitudinal data collected with different acquisition protocols, quantify longitudinal changes independent of sequence variations, and evaluate test-retest reliability across multi-band and single-band data. The project is scheduled for completion by February 29, 2028, and will advance understanding of functional brain network organization across the adult lifespan while addressing methodological challenges inherent in long-term longitudinal neuroimaging studies that employ multiple imaging protocols.