# Use of 7T multimodal imaging to detect brain changes associated with light therapy in persons with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's Disease

> **NIH NIH R21** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2022 · $253,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Poor sleep is associated with decreased memory functioning in older adults, including those with mild cognitive
impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD), which diminishes sleep’s
critical contribution to cognitive processing and memory in healthy and pathological aging. Our team has
developed an effective lighting intervention therapy (LIT) for improving sleep and behavioral outcomes in
ADRD patients living in nursing homes, but the mechanisms by which LIT works in the brain are not completely
understood. To understand the mechanisms by which LIT benefits these patients, a sensitive and precise tool is
required to detect and measure changes in the volumes, connectivity, and function of key brain regions. The
current application proposes to use high-resolution multi-modal 7T imaging to investigate the impact of LIT on
sleep physiology and brain structure, function, and connectivity in MCI and mild AD patients. This technique
will enable us to produce exceptionally high-resolution, high-contrast images that reveal subtle structural and
functional abnormalities that are below the detectability threshold of conventional MRI. Through the study’s 2
aims, we will test the following hypotheses: 1) LIT will induce measurable effects on brain regions and circuits
associated with AD pathology; 2) LIT will improve sleep quantity and quality, cognition, mood, and quality of
life compared to controls; 3) these improvements will correlate with quantitative difference measurements; and
4) LIT will show reduced effects on brain structures compared to control. Aim 1 will comprise a longitudinal
crossover 7T imaging study applying the active and control LITs on a group of 25 patients with MCI or mild AD
along with an optimized multi-modal 7T imaging protocol designed to capture the anatomy involved in AD
pathophysiology and light exposure, measuring the LIT’s effect on sleep and cognition. Aim 2 will analyze
correlations between the pre- and post-active and control lighting interventions’ differences in quantitative
imaging measures (regional volumes, functional and diffusion connectivity, and graph theory metrics) and PET,
sleep (actigraphy) and neuropsychological measures. This is the first application of imaging to track the effect
of LIT in MCI and mild AD. We plan to apply 7T imaging to provide a highly sensitive window into the degree
to which LIT may improve sleep and cognition and potentially delay disease progression and improve quality
of life for patients with MCI and AD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10539558
- **Project number:** 1R21AG076211-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Priti Balchandani
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $253,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10539558

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10539558, Use of 7T multimodal imaging to detect brain changes associated with light therapy in persons with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's Disease (1R21AG076211-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10539558. Licensed CC0.

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