# Cognition in Essential Tremor: A Neuroimaging and Biomarker Study

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2023 · $41,883

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Essential tremor (ET) is among the most prevalent neurological disorders in the world. In addition to the
hallmark feature of bilateral kinetic tremor, individuals with essential tremor often present with mild cognitive
changes that have been primarily characterized as dysexecutive and viewed as being related to abnormalities
in cerebello-cortical networks. However, growing evidence suggests that cognitive difficulties can extend
beyond the frontal-executive domain, and epidemiological research has shown that individuals with ET are at
an increased risk for developing dementia compared to age-matched peers. Prior research conducted by the
applicant identified a subgroup of ET patients who had broader cognitive deficits, including poor memory. This
gives rise to the question of whether there may be more widespread neural changes occurring outside
cerebellar networks in at least a subset of individuals with ET. Indeed, preliminary findings from neuroimaging
and neuropathological studies have suggested that there may be a link between ET and Alzheimer’s disease.
Further research is warranted to explore this link, including examining biomarkers associated with cognitive
decline. The overall goal of the current study is to better understand the neural correlates of cognition in ET.
The proposed study aims to 1) identify cognitive phenotypes in ET using a data-driven (cluster analytic)
approach and comprehensive neurocognitive assessment, 2) determine whether different cognitive profiles in
ET vary in structural brain changes (i.e., free-water, volume), and 3) to explore whether plasma-acquired
biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease are elevated in individuals with ET who have memory-related
changes relative to those who do not. Innovative features of the proposed study include determining
neuroanatomical correlates of cognition in individuals with ET who have different types of cognitive deficits and
use of free-water imaging and plasma biomarkers as sensitive and powerful in vivo markers of early
neurodegeneration. Findings from this study may increase current understanding about the nature and
heterogeneity of cognitive changes in ET, with the potential to provide further information on the link between
ET and dementia. The proposed project will also provide the applicant with additional training beyond that
included in her Ph.D. program. Specifically, training goals will include 1) hands-on training in magnetic
resonance imaging data processing and analysis with emphasis on structural (T1) and free-water imaging, 2)
coursework in neural bases and mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction in age-related neurological
disorders, 3) didactics in plasma biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, 4) training in
using programming languages for statistical computing and neuroimaging processing, 5) development of
professional and career skills. The applicant is supported by a strong research environment w...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10604948
- **Project number:** 1F31NS131000-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Adrianna Marta Ratajska
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $41,883
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-05-16 → 2025-05-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10604948

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10604948, Cognition in Essential Tremor: A Neuroimaging and Biomarker Study (1F31NS131000-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10604948. Licensed CC0.

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