# Impact of COVID-19 on AD Occurrence: A Biracial Intergenerational Population Study

> **NIH NIH R01** · RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · $3,190,519

## Abstract

The Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) has made several significant contributions to Alzheimer's
disease and related dementias (ADRD) epidemiology. These areas include racial disparities, prevalence, and
incidence of dementia trends, social, lifestyle, vascular, genetic risk factors, and neuroimaging and blood
biomarkers in a large population-based community study of African Americans (AAs) and European Americans
(EAs). Using the older CHAP parent and the ongoing midlife offspring cohorts, we will test several novel and
innovative hypotheses on the impact of COVID-19 on ADRD, MCI, cognitive decline, and structural MRI brain
injury. By extending the awarded NIA NOSI Administrative Supplement, the intergenerational study provides
significant advantages by investigating: (1) the direct effect of SARS-CoV-2 infections amongst those with higher
inflammatory cytokines, especially in families with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, which leads to adverse
cognitive outcomes; and (2) an indirect effect of COVID-19 outbreak-imposed changes in physical and cognitive
activities, social engagement, and vascular risk factors in a shared family environment in diverse communities.
To address this scientific area of research, we propose to conduct a biracial population-based community study
of 4,000 older CHAP parents with two population cognitive assessments and detailed clinical evaluations for
ADRD in 1,200 participants with the following specific aims: (1) Estimate the 2020 US census demographic
adjusted overall and demographic-specific (age, race/ethnicity, and gender) prevalence and incidence of ADRD,
MCI, and dementia likelihood and test whether the prevalence and incidence have changed before and after
COVID-19. Also, test whether the 5-year risk of ADRD among high-risk AA parents has high-risk offspring
compared to EAs; (2) Examine the change in physical and cognitive activities, social engagement, BMI, and
hypertension from pre- to post-COVID and the impact of these changes on the risk of ADRD, MCI, cognitive
decline, and MRI brain injury. Also, test whether these associations are higher by age, sex (males vs. females),
and among AA parents and offspring compared to EA parents and offspring; (3) Test whether participants with
SARS-CoV-2 RNA infections and serology antibodies and elevated concentrations of inflammatory cytokines
among those with higher vascular risk factors have a higher risk of ADRD, MCI, cognitive decline, and structural
MRI brain injury. Also, test whether these associations are higher among AA parents and offspring compared to
EAs. This proposal has an enormous public health impact in developing preventive strategies and therapeutic
studies on the impact of COVID-19 on population health across generations from midlife to late-life in a diverse
population with socially disadvantaged AA minorities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10280919
- **Project number:** 1R01AG073627-01
- **Recipient organization:** RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** NEELUM T. AGGARWAL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $3,190,519
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10280919

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10280919, Impact of COVID-19 on AD Occurrence: A Biracial Intergenerational Population Study (1R01AG073627-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10280919. Licensed CC0.

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