# Exploring the neural substrates of age-related cognitive decline in patients with knee osteoarthritis

> **NIH NIH R33** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2020 · $415,764

## Abstract

Abstract
Both aging and chronic pain have a pronounced impact on the brain. Thus, the interplay of chronic pain, aging,
and the brain may provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive decline and
dementia. Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disorder among the elderly population. Two recent studies
with large sample sizes found that that knee OA was associated with a significantly increased risk for
dementia. Nevertheless, why knee OA is associated with high dementia risk remains unknown. Taking
advantage of the NCCIH / NIH funded project (R33 AT009310) on brain mechanisms of acupuncture and
imagined acupuncture treatment of knee OA, this ancillary application will allow us to expand our research on
cognitive decline in patients with knee OA. Specifically, with the support of new funding, we will 1) add a cohort
of heathy controls (50 age- and gender-matched controls without knee OA), 2) collect blood samples to assess
inflammation markers, and 3) add cognitive measurements, such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment
(MoCA), to assess the cognitive function of both knee OA patients and controls.
With newly collected data, we will combine machine learning methods and multimodality neuroimaging
techniques to 1) calculate neuroimaging-based ‘brain age’ and compare the predicted age difference (PAD,
difference between brain age and chronological age) between the knee OA patients and matched controls; 2)
investigate the inflammation markers and brain structure and function (on cognition-related brain
areas/networks) differences between the knee OA patients and controls; and 3) explore the association
between inflammation markers, PAD, brain function and structure, and cognitive function as determined by
MoCA score, as well as the modulation effect of alternative treatments on the above measurements.
Relevance to Alzheimer’s disease and/or its Related to Dementia and

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10122450
- **Project number:** 3R33AT009310-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** JIAN KONG
- **Activity code:** R33 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $415,764
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-09-15 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10122450

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10122450, Exploring the neural substrates of age-related cognitive decline in patients with knee osteoarthritis (3R33AT009310-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10122450. Licensed CC0.

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