The University of South Alabama (USA) has been chosen as a clinical site for a national research study on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

The study, titled Diverse Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (Diverse VCID), aims to understand the role cerebrovascular disease plays in developing dementia.

Commissioned by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health, the study involves a scientific team leading a six-year investigation of 2,250 Americans from diverse backgrounds. UC Davis Health and UTHealth Houston are spearheading the study.

USA has been awarded $1.43 million over four years to participate in the Diverse VCID study. This funding is part of a $53.6 million grant from NINDS to UC Davis.

Dr. Amy R. Nelson, assistant professor of physiology and cell biology at the Whiddon College of Medicine, is the principal investigator for the subcontracted research at USA. Nelson also leads the Gulf Coast Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at USA.

“Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are truly devastating for patients and their caregivers,” Nelson said. “Alabama has the third-highest mortality rate due to Alzheimer’s disease in the country. The disease is becoming more prevalent because our aging population is growing, with an estimated 12.7 million Americans predicted to face this disease by 2050 if new medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease are not discovered.” 

Nelson noted that Black and Hispanic individuals have a higher prevalence of both vascular diseases and Alzheimer’s disease. The study aims to understand the links between damage to blood vessels in the brain and memory loss within the local diverse community.

The Diverse VCID study uses advanced brain imaging and blood-based techniques to understand how vascular changes in late life cause brain injury that can lead to cognitive decline. Researchers are recruiting participants aged 65 to 90 who have noticed changes in their memory or thinking but have not been diagnosed with dementia or experienced a stroke.

Participants will visit the research center two to three times a year for three years. They will review their medical history and current care plan, complete a questionnaire, and receive a medical examination, brain MRI and blood draw. The MRI and testing will be performed at University Hospital and the Strada Patient Care Center. Participants will help researchers create a risk “scorecard” using data from brain scans, genetics, and other key biomarkers.

“We may have insights that indicate a person’s risks are very low. Or maybe the person’s risks are very high, but there are contributing factors like diabetes or hypertension that we can address,” said Charles DeCarli, M.D., principal investigator for the study. DeCarli is a professor of neurology and the director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. “We hope that having a risk profile will allow us to modify the risk and potentially prevent or delay the disease.”

In addition to Nelson, multiple faculty, staff, and students at USA and USA Health are involved in the project, including Dr. Hanna T. Czarkowska, assistant professor of neurology; Dr. Brett S. Martin, assistant professor of radiology; Donald Robinson, radiology technologist; Dr. Benjamin D. Hill, professor of psychology; Allison Bauman, research technologist and lab manager; Dr. Yelitza Rodriguez and Erica Sutherland, clinical trials staff; and psychology Ph.D. students.

“I am grateful and excited to have been selected as a clinical research site for this important study. I am also proud to have founded the Gulf Coast Alzheimer’s Disease Center,” Nelson said. “We now need the support of our community members to help spread the word about this research study. If eligible, we encourage and welcome you to volunteer to participate. Together, we can begin to unravel this cruel disease and fight for a world without Alzheimer’s.”

The establishment of the study at USA was supported by Dr. Troy Stevens, professor and chair of physiology and cell biology; Dr. Suzy Figarola, professor and chair of radiology; and Dr. Michael Chang, chief medical officer for USA Health.

For more information about the study, visit https://diversevcid.ucdavis.edu. To participate, call (251) 460-6834 or email dvcid@southalabama.edu.