# The Vascular Axis in Schizophrenia Brain-Body Aging

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2024 · $790,718

## Abstract

Project Summary
People with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have a shorter lifespan and higher morbidity and mortality than
the general population, with cardiovascular conditions on top of the leading causes. Brain imaging research has
revealed accelerated age-related brain changes in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. However,
neuroimaging studies of schizophrenia are typically brain-focused without system-level investigations on the risk
factors. The causes of the exaggerated body and brain aging in schizophrenia is still largely unexplained, making
it difficult to provide more effective screening and management for the devastating medical consequences for
people suffering from schizophrenia. There are likely missing opportunities as vascular contributions to brain,
especially white matter health, are well established in the general population. The goal of the current proposal is
to utilize the standard but state-of-the-art vascular biology measures, combined with cutting-edge brain imaging
that is informative of the underlying mechanisms, to study the potential vascular contributions to the accelerated
age-related brain and cardiovascular diseases in schizophrenia. We will compare various vascular biomarkers
and between vascular and stress factors, to identify the key body-brain paths that may explain the reason that
schizophrenia spectrum disorders are associated with such high age-related medical and brain burden. The
study may provide insights into the timing and mode for more effective screening, prevention and treatment
effort.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10839525
- **Project number:** 1R01MH133812-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** L Elliot Elliot Hong
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $790,718
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-03-08 → 2028-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10839525

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10839525, The Vascular Axis in Schizophrenia Brain-Body Aging (1R01MH133812-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10839525. Licensed CC0.

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