# Cholinergic functions and modulation of the cingulo-opercular alertness network in LBD

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $429,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Fluctuating cognition are very common in patients with Alzheimer-related Lewy body
dementias (LBD). Such fluctuations in attention and alertness are a major source of
disability in the patients and a marked stressor for caregivers. Our preliminary data point
to cholinergic topographic vulnerability that involves the cingulo-opercular alertness
network in LBD. This brain network plays an important role in maintenance of alertness
and may be implicated as a neural substrate underlying cognitive fluctuations in patients
with LBD. The overarching goal of this study is to test the hypothesis that cholinergic
vulnerability of the cingulo-opercular alertness network underlies cognitive fluctuations in
patients with LBD. We will test this hypothesis by a) correlating in vivo [18F]FEOBV
VAChT PET binding in the cingulo-opercular alertness network with measures of
cognitive fluctuation, and b) examine the effect of target engagement of vulnerable
cholinergic hubs of this network by transcranial direct current neurostimulation (tDCS)
excitation on cognitive fluctuations. Positive findings of this study could encourage future
clinical trials of targeted non-invasive neurostimulation of this neural network using tDCS
as an adjunct to cholinergic pharmacotherapy to manage fluctuations in alertness in
people with LBD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10070759
- **Project number:** 1R21AG069387-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Nicolaas Ida Bohnen
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $429,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-15 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10070759

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10070759, Cholinergic functions and modulation of the cingulo-opercular alertness network in LBD (1R21AG069387-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10070759. Licensed CC0.

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