Research.

The effect of nicotinamide riboside on NAD+ levels and Long-COVID recovery.

A clinical trial that examines the effect of nicotinamide riboside on NAD+ levels and recovery of cognitive, neuropsychiatric and physical symptoms in individuals with Long-COVID. The trial is available for English and Spanish speakers.

In collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Clinical and Translational Research Center. Read more about it here.

Funded by ChromaDex and the MGH McCance Center for Brain Health

Markers of risk for neurodegeneration in people with Long-COVID

The proposed study aims to examine whether people with Long-COVID, who have been experiencing “brain fog” and other symptoms for months after COVID-19 infection, may show evidence of inflammation and injury in brain cells (i.e., neurons), as well as disrupted communication between brain structures known to be important for memory and attention, and how these relate to cognitive functioning.

Funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and the MGH Physician/Scientist Development Award

Interested in participating? Email us at covidniagenstudy@mgh.harvard.edu

Aerobic fitness as a modifier of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

This study aims to characterize baseline and longitudinal relationships between aerobic fitness, markers of Alzheimer’s disease-pathology (e.g. amyloid and tau), functional brain network connectivity, and cognitive decline, as well as the potential moderating role of neuroinflammation, in a unique group of individuals with autosomal-dominant Alzheimer’s disease due to the Presenilin-1 E280A mutation.

Funded by the National Institute on Aging K23 K23AG061276, mentored by Dr. Yakeel T. Quiroz and Dr. Art Kramer.

Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease

The Colombia-Boston (COLBOS) Longitudinal biomarker study on familial Alzheimer’s disease led by Dr. Yakeel T. Quiroz aims to find early cognitive and biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease and predict dementia risk. Dr. Guzmán Vélez’s research at MAPP has focused on identifying tests that are sensitive to early pathological changes in Presenilin-1 E280A mutation carriers, and that can reliably differentiate individuals in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease from adults with no genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease, and using neuroimaging techniques to measure changes in functional brain connections in preclinical AD.

Current funding

  • Alzheimer's Association

    Alzheimer’s Association Research Grant to Promote Diversity

  • NIH

    K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development

  • Chromadex

    Funding

  • MGH

    MGH McCance Center for Brain Health

  • MGH

    Physician and/or Scientist Development Award

Media Coverage of Our Research

Past research

  • Emotions and memory in Alzheimer's disease

    This study examined the dissociation between emotion and declarative memory in a group of patients with probable AD. Patients reported feeling sad or happy for up to 30 minutes even when they had impaired declarative memory for the event that triggered the feeling. A follow-up study showed that the amygdala is important for regulating and sustaining an emotion independent of hippocampal function and declarative memory for the emotion-inducing event.

  • Music and emotions in Alzheimer's disease

    This study investigated whether music could modify the emotional state of individuals with AD and whether emotions evoked by music lingered in the absence of a declarative memory for the emotion-inducing event. The brief exposure to music induced strong and lingering emotions in individuals with AD.

  • Two-day intervention for caregivers

    In collaboration with Jade Angelica from Healing Moments, this study tested whether a 2-day intervention improved psychological health in caregivers of individuals with dementia. Caregivers reported experiencing significantly less stress for up to 6 months post-intervention and that it was helpful for managing challenging behaviors.