# Neural Network Connectivity of Financial Capacity in Mild Cognitive Impairment

> **NIH NIH K23** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $162,540

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The candidate’s long-term career goal is to become an independent investigator whose research focuses on
brain networks in patients with cognitive impairment with functional disability. Specifically, the candidate is
focused on understanding neural network connectivity associated with the loss of financial capacity (FC) in mild
cognitive impairment (MCI). The functional and structural connectivity of brain networks associated with
impairment in basic (MCI-FCb) and complex (MCI-FCc) FC in MCI, however, are not well understood. Thus, the
proposed application for the Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) integrates
the candidates, background, interests, and established technical skills in cognitive neuroscience and
neuroimaging to understand brain connectivity in MCI-FCb and MCI-FCc compared to normal controls (NC). In
accordance with the candidate’s career goals, the career development plan will focus on training in: 1)
neurobiology decision-making; 2) advanced neuroimaging methods; 3) high-level skills for neuroimaging
analysis and biostatistics; 4) the assessment and interpretation of executive function, and financial capacity; 5)
the responsible conduct of research. The proposed research plan will focus on correlating diffusion tensor
imaging (DTI) and resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) measurements large-scale neurocognitive networks to cognitive
and functional measures. The specific aims of the research are: 1) To examine how changes in integrated
structural and functional connectivity measurements within the executive control network relative to other brain
networks will differ between groups; and 2) To investigate associations between specific domains and tasks on
the Financial Capacity Instrument to changes to large-scale network connectivity. These aims and general
methods will be applied to three participant groups: 1) 30 age- and education-matched NC; 2) 30 MCI-FCc; 3) 30
MCI-FCb. The specific hypotheses to be tested are that: 1) The MCI-FCc group will exhibit decreased functional
connectivity in the executive network and decreased white matter integrity in specific tracts within the inferior
frontal gyrus, anterior insula, and dorsal and ventrolateral prefrontal cortical regions; 2) The angular gyrus, as a
key node in the default mode network, will exhibit significantly decreased structural and functional connectivity
in MCI-FCb compared to MCI-FCc; 3) Performance on tasks of basic arithmetic and monetary skills and bill
payment will positively correlate with relative structural and functional connectivity of both the default mode
network and salience network; 4) Complex tasks of financial capacity including financial conceptual knowledge
and investment decision making will be strongly associated with loss of connectivity within prefrontal cortical
regions of the executive control network. At the conclusion of the K award, the candidate will have assembled a
well-characterized cohort of and...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10599409
- **Project number:** 3K23AG055626-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MILAP A NOWRANGI
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $162,540
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10599409

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10599409, Neural Network Connectivity of Financial Capacity in Mild Cognitive Impairment (3K23AG055626-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10599409. Licensed CC0.

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