Researchers from NIMHANS and the University of Southern California (USC), USA, have come together for the ‘India ENIGMA Initiative for Global Aging and Mental Health’ research project. The five-year project aims at bridging the knowledge gap around the various factors influencing the acceleration in brain aging.
The project’s launch meeting is scheduled on February 9 at NIMHANS. It is aimed at studying the factors contributing to brain aging in the Indian population that can lead to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s dementia and other related disorders, according to a statement from NIMHANS.
Funded by a competitive research grant of ₹21 crore from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, the project has been approved by the Union Health Ministry and the NIMHANS Institutional Ethics Committee. The Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium, headed by Paul M. Thompson, director, Imaging Genetics Centre (IGC), USC, has brought together researchers who study major brain diseases, from around 40 countries.
Researchers from NIMHANS John. P. John, professor of Psychiatry and Faculty in charge, Multimodal Brain Image Analysis Laboratory, G. Venkatasubramanian, professor of Psychiatry and Faculty in charge, Translational Psychiatry Laborator, P.T. Sivakumar, professor of Psychiatry and Head, Geriatric Psychiatry Unit, will be a part of this initiative.
According to a recent nationwide study, an estimated 88 lakh people live with dementia in India. In a person with dementia, the brain age (an estimate of the person’s age computed from brain imaging measures using MRI) may be ahead of their actual age (chronological age). This research will attempt to understand the multiple factors – psychosocial, lifestyle-related, genetic, amongst others, that can contribute to this ‘brain age gap’, the statement said.
To be conducted at NIMHANS, Bengaluru, the study will involve 400 participants (including healthy older adults and persons with memory impairment) who can volunteer to participate. This study includes comprehensive assessment of risk and protective factors through clinical interview, memory and cognitive tests, blood investigations and brain imaging (MRI scan). The researchers will follow up with the participants over two years to understand the contribution of these factors to the risk of developing dementia, the statement added.
Published - February 07, 2023 09:53 pm IST
