# Cognitive, Neural, and Immunological Consequences of COVID-19 in Older African Americans and How They Relate to Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · RUTGERS THE STATE UNIV OF NJ NEWARK · 2021 · $643,396

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and COVID-19 share multiple common features including (1) disruption to
the immune system; (2) disruption to the hippocampus, a key brain structure within the medial temporal lobe;
(3) age being a risk factor for both AD and severe morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. As such, a clearer
understanding of how COVID-19 impacts cognition, neural function, and risk for AD may lead to new insights
that inform future research on how age-related decline and dysfunction in the immune system may play a
causal role in the etiology and pathology of Alzheimer's disease.
 Furthermore, Older African Americans have exceptionally high rates of death or severe health
consequences if they are exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus—the causative infectious agent for COVID-19.
Behavioral and lifestyle factors—including low levels of physical activity, poor cardiovascular fitness, high rates
of obesity and elevated levels of stress—may be contributing to this increased COVID-19 mortality in some
older African Americans, much as they are generally acknowledged to be potential contributors to high rates of
AD in African Americans.
 This one year administrative supplement seeks to understand the links between COVID-19 and AD in
African Americans by addressing three key questions: (1) Are changes in the immunological health of people
who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 associated with increases in behavioral and neural risk markers for
AD, as well as longer-term higher risk for future conversion to amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and
AD. (2) Does COVID-19, including mild or asymptomatic infection, cause lasting functional disruption to neural
networks within the medial temporal lobe and hippocampus, and, if so, are these associated with measurable
cognitive deficits? (3) Why do some older African Americans suffer far worse outcomes from COVID-19 than
their peers, and what are the long-term brain health consequences of COVID-19 for older African Americans.
 With this supplemental funding we will expand the parent grant methods to collect blood from (a) 100 of
our past participants who are scheduled to return in 2020-2021 for their 2-year or 4-year follow up visits as part
of the existing parent grant protocol, plus (b) 100 new individuals with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. All
participants will be administered both the full current R01 protocol (health, fitness, cognitive, and optional brain
imaging) as well as the new COVID-19 and immunology assessments. The initial cross-sectional analysis
(Aims 1 and 2) will evaluate (1) whether a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with cognitive and neural
network dysfunction, specifically related to the medial temporal lobe, similar to what we have seen in those at
high risk of being in a preclinical phase of AD and, (2) the degree to which cognitive and neural impairments
correlate with a dysfunctional immune system, specifically CD8+ T cell senescence. This will l...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10267980
- **Project number:** 3R01AG053961-04S2
- **Recipient organization:** RUTGERS THE STATE UNIV OF NJ NEWARK
- **Principal Investigator:** MARK A GLUCK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $643,396
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-05-15 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10267980

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10267980, Cognitive, Neural, and Immunological Consequences of COVID-19 in Older African Americans and How They Relate to Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease (3R01AG053961-04S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10267980. Licensed CC0.

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