# Wisconsin longitudinal study: Initial lifetime's impact on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (WLS-ILIAD)

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2024 · $11,478,637

## Abstract

Abstract
The overarching scientific premise of this application is to evaluate how the accumulation of social advantage
and adversity over the full life course impacts risk and resilience against Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Related
Dementias (ADRD). While there is considerable enthusiasm across the social and biological sciences
regarding the sociobiological underpinnings of multifaceted diseases, including a growing research base on the
social exposome and social determinants of health, evidence clearly linking *lifetime* social exposures to
AD/ADRD remains limited. Existing work has been hampered by the paucity of data that covers the full life
course, and relative inattention to how sex and, especially gender, may shape these processes. We address
these gaps with the competing renewal application of an NIA-funded R01 (AG06073), entitled the “Wisconsin
Longitudinal Study-Initial Lifetime’s Impact on ADRD (WLS-ILIAD)”, which began tracking AD and related
dementia onset in 2019 among a cohort of older adults with prospectively collected data extending to their birth
year. Having achieved an ~80% response rate during the current grant cycle (2018-2023), the renewed project
would continue to assess for dementia as participants surpass age 85. We propose to continue the WLS-ILIAD
project to build an invaluable and uniquely comprehensive dataset, which will allow us-and our broader user
base-to characterize the AD biomarkers, cognitive, social, behavioral, and medical profile of participants at risk
or resilient to dementia. The specific aims for this proposal include: Aim 1: We will continue to track dementia
in the WLS cohort using rigorous AD biomarkers, when participants will be ~age 85-90. As before, data will be
released for broad public use. Aim 2: We will add plasma AD biomarkers to the full sample (n=~5000) to
examine whether core AD biomarkers predict and moderate cognitive function, AD risk, or resilience. Amyloid
and tau PET brain scans, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection will be performed on 200 participants with
100 follow up visits to validate the blood-based biomarkers and identify cut points for specific blood AD
biomarkers. Aim 3. Examine how accumulated social advantage and adversity influence risk and resilience
against dementia onset, with attention to sex/gender differences. This aim focuses on two forms of resilience.
The first is resilience to dementia. Regardless of underlying pathology, the costs attributable to dementia are
high, with global health care spending on dementia projected to reach $1.6 trillion by 2050, so attention to its
determinants are critical. The second type is the absence of clinical symptoms or dementia in the presence of
AD pathology as established through antemortem disease biomarkers. Aim 4: Drawing on AD biomarkers
collected in Aim 2, we will fold a large sample (n=468) of African American and Indigenous participants
enrolled in the Wisconsin ADRC to analyze how early life advantage and adver...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10841560
- **Project number:** 5R01AG060737-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Sanjay Asthana
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $11,478,637
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2028-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10841560

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10841560, Wisconsin longitudinal study: Initial lifetime's impact on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (WLS-ILIAD) (5R01AG060737-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10841560. Licensed CC0.

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