# Mechanical integrity of memory systems in mild cognitive impairment

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE · 2020 · $461,039

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Normal physiological aging is associated with a gradual decline in cognitive function across the lifespan, which
is exacerbated by the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the elderly and its progression to
Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The overall objective of this project is to identify neural substrates degenerated in
aging and MCI and that result in cognitive impairment, and to establish these substrates as targets for
rehabilitative strategies aimed are arresting or reversing cognitive decline. Viscoelastic properties of the human
brain measured in vivo with magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) have shown to be sensitive to the
structure, function, and health of tissue. In particular, MRE has shown that the brain softens in
neurodegenerative conditions and that viscoelastic properties of specific structures reflect associated cognitive
function in healthy adults; however, the links between viscoelasticity and cognition have yet to be established
in populations experiencing decline in cognitive function, such as in aging and MCI. This project seeks to
characterize the mechanical integrity of specific memory system structures (i.e. the hippocampus, prefrontal
cortex, and associated white matter tracts) through their viscoelastic properties in a geriatric population. We
will (1) determine how mechanical integrity of brain tissue is degraded in aging and MCI; (2) determine the
relationships between mechanical integrity and memory performance; and (3) determine how the mechanical
integrity and associated function is related to fitness level and can be recovered through exercise training. At
the end of the project, we will have established brain viscoelasticity as a neural substrate critical for memory
function and impairment in a geriatric population and as a target for rehabilitation aimed at improving cognitive
function and reducing the burden of disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9897510
- **Project number:** 5R01AG058853-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
- **Principal Investigator:** Curtis L Johnson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $461,039
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-15 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9897510

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9897510, Mechanical integrity of memory systems in mild cognitive impairment (5R01AG058853-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9897510. Licensed CC0.

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