# Novel Neurocognitive Markers of Risk for and Resilience to Cognitive Decline in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease

> **NIH NIH K23** · RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL · 2024 · $75,600

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
There is a strong public health need to detect Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in its earliest stages and predict who is
most vulnerable to clinical progression. The goal of this K23 proposal is to provide the candidate with the
experience, knowledge, and technical expertise to independently investigate novel early predictors of risk for
and resilience to AD-associated cognitive decline. The career development plan comprises a complementary
set of training and research activities to support the candidate’s transition to independence. Specific training
goals include: 1) to develop expertise in using electroencephalography (EEG) to assess brain network
dynamics in aging populations; 2) to increase depth of knowledge of functional neuroanatomy, with a focus on
frontal networks compromised early in the course of AD; 3) to gain specialized training in clinical research
design and statistics, with an emphasis on dimension reduction and analysis of complex data; and 4) to receive
formal mentorship in professional development. The training plan draws on an exemplary interdisciplinary team
with expertise in the electroencephalography (S. Jones), cognitive neuroscience and functional neuroanatomy
(Heindel), statistical methods and the cognitive reserve hypothesis (R. Jones), and clinical neuropsychology
(Tremont). Training activities will take place through formal mentorship, experiential laboratory training,
didactics, and the completion of a rigorous research project. The scientific objective of the research project is
to investigate behavioral and electrophysiological markers of frontal control network integrity that may serve as
novel markers of risk for and resilience to AD-associated cognitive decline. Each research aim corresponds to
a complementary area of training. Specific aims include 1) to examine behavioral and electrophysiological
markers of frontal network dynamics in older adults at risk for AD; 2) to validate the behavioral and
electrophysiological markers using independent measures of frontal network integrity (i.e., magnetic resonance
imaging); and 3) to validate the markers as indices of cognitive resilience. The research project will leverage
the infrastructure of the Rhode Island Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Registry, a large cohort of older adults
whose cognition is monitored annually. Successful completion of these interrelated training and research
activities will foster the candidate’s development into an independent clinical researcher with expertise in the
early prediction of risk for and resilience to AD-associated cognitive decline.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10993454
- **Project number:** 3K23AG065382-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura Korthauer
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $75,600
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-08-15 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10993454

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10993454, Novel Neurocognitive Markers of Risk for and Resilience to Cognitive Decline in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease (3K23AG065382-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10993454. Licensed CC0.

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