# Vascular mechanisms and tDCS treatment of gait and posture in aging and age-related diseases

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON · 2020 · $249,000

## Abstract

My career goal is to become a leading academic scientist with a research focus on the 
neurophysiology of balance disorders in aging and age-related disease. I will achieve this goal by 
leading a translational research program aimed at identifying the pathophysiological manifestation 
of aging and age-related disease that diminish the control of walking and standing, and their 
consequences on important clinical outcomes such as mobility. I will also work to translate 
these discoveries into future clinical interventions and practices that will improve 
mobility and quality of life within these populations.

The control of gait and posture is dependent upon cognition and is linked to prefrontal brain 
function in healthy adults. The K99 phase research was designed to, for the first time, study the 
effects of aging, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) on prefrontal brain 
activation during standing and walking. Both DM and AD exaggerate age-related declines in gait and 
posture, and it is expected that this is caused at least in part by shared cerebrovascular 
complications; namely, a reduced ability to sufficiently activate the prefrontal cortex during 
these activities due to decrease blood flow and increased vascular resistance. With this 
information in hand, the proposed R00 phase research will then attempt to increase 
prefrontal brain activation using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in order to 
improve walking and standing in these patients. Thus, the following R00 Specific Aim will be 
completed:

R00 Aim will determine, using a 10-day tDCS intervention, a) the effects of tDCS targeting the 
prefrontal cortex on gait and postural control and brain activation markers (i.e., blood 
flow, blood oxygenation), and b) the immediate and longer-term (i.e., over a one-month 
follow-up) effects on these outcomes in patients with DM or AD. Those who exhibit gait and postural 
control difficulties at baseline will be randomized into real or sham (i.e., control) tDCS 
intervention groups. We hypothesize that H1) the real tDCS group will exhibit an increase in gait 
speed when walking and reduction of postural sway speed when standing, and an increase in brain 
activation during these tasks, both immediately and over the 30-day follow-up period.

Together, these discoveries will provide insight into the cerebrovascular control of gait and 
postural control in aging and age-related disease; and new therapeutic targets (i.e., blood flow 
and blood oxygenation) for balance rehabilitation. Moreover, it will identify tDCS as an important 
tool in balance research that may translate into a new low-cost and safe intervention for these vulnerable populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10143348
- **Project number:** 4R00AG051766-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Azizah J. Jor'dan
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $249,000
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2017-03-15 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10143348

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10143348, Vascular mechanisms and tDCS treatment of gait and posture in aging and age-related diseases (4R00AG051766-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10143348. Licensed CC0.

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