A rich body of evidence suggests that cognitive processes are associated with particular patterns of neural activity. These data indicate that oscillatory rhythms, their co-modulation across frequency bands, spike-phase correlations, spike population dynamics, and other patterns might be useful drivers of therapeutic development for cognitive improvement in neuropsychiatric disorders. This initiative encourages applications to test whether modifying electrophysiological patterns during behavior can improve cognitive abilities. Applications should use experimental designs that incorporate active manipulations to address at least one, and ideally more, of the following topics: (1) in behaving animals, determine which parameters of neural coordination, when manipulated in isolation, improve particular aspects of cognition; (2) in animals or humans, determine how particular abnormalities at the cellular or molecular level, such as specific receptor dysfunction, affect the coordination of electrophysiological patterns during behavior; (3) determine whether in vivo, systems-level electrophysiological changes in behaving animals predict analogous electrophysiological and cognitive improvements in normal humans or clinical populations; and (4) use systems-level computational modeling to develop a principled understanding of the function and mechanisms by which oscillatory and other electrophysiological temporal dynamic patterns unfold across the brain (cortically and subcortically) to impact cognition.
A rich body of evidence suggests that cognitive processes are associated with particular patterns of neural activity. These data indicate that oscillatory rhythms, their co-modulation across frequency bands, spike-phase correlations, spike population dynamics, and other patterns might be useful drivers of therapeutic development for cognitive improvement in neuropsychiatric disorders. This initiative encourages applications to test whether modifying electrophysiological patterns during behavior can improve cognitive abilities. Applications should use experimental designs that incorporate active manipulations to address at least one, and ideally more, of the following topics: (1) in behaving animals, determine which parameters of neural coordination, when manipulated in isolation, improve particular aspects of cognition; (2) in animals or humans, determine how particular abnormalities at the cellular or molecular level, such as specific receptor dysfunction, affect the coordination of electrophysiological patterns during behavior; (3) determine whether in vivo, systems-level electrophysiological changes in behaving animals predict analogous electrophysiological and cognitive improvements in normal humans or clinical populations; and (4) use systems-level computational modeling to develop a principled understanding of the function and mechanisms by which oscillatory and other electrophysiological temporal dynamic patterns unfold across the brain (cortically and subcortically) to impact cognition.
A rich body of evidence suggests that cognitive processes are associated with particular patterns of neural activity. These data indicate that oscillatory rhythms, their co-modulation across frequency bands, spike-phase correlations, spike population dynamics, and other patterns might be useful drivers of therapeutic development for cognitive improvement in neuropsychiatric disorders. This initiative encourages applications to test whether modifying electrophysiological patterns during behavior can improve cognitive abilities. Applications should use experimental designs that incorporate active manipulations to address at least one, and ideally more, of the following topics: (1) in behaving animals, determine which parameters of neural coordination, when manipulated in isolation, improve particular aspects of cognition; (2) in animals or humans, determine how particular abnormalities at the cellular or molecular level, such as specific receptor dysfunction, affect the coordination of electrophysiological patterns during behavior; (3) determine whether in vivo, systems-level electrophysiological changes in behaving animals predict analogous electrophysiological and cognitive improvements in normal humans or clinical populations; and (4) use systems-level computational modeling to develop a principled understanding of the function and mechanisms by which oscillatory and other electrophysiological temporal dynamic patterns unfold across the brain (cortically and subcortically) to impact cognition.
A rich body of evidence suggests that cognitive processes are associated with particular patterns of neural activity. These data indicate that oscillatory rhythms, their co-modulation across frequency bands, spike-phase correlations, spike population dynamics, and other patterns might be useful drivers of therapeutic development for cognitive improvement in neuropsychiatric disorders. This initiative encourages applications to test whether modifying electrophysiological patterns during behavior can improve cognitive abilities. Applications should use experimental designs that incorporate active manipulations to address at least one, and ideally more, of the following topics: (1) in behaving animals, determine which parameters of neural coordination, when manipulated in isolation, improve particular aspects of cognition; (2) in animals or humans, determine how particular abnormalities at the cellular or molecular level, such as specific receptor dysfunction, affect the coordination of electrophysiological patterns during behavior; (3) determine whether in vivo, systems-level electrophysiological changes in behaving animals predict analogous electrophysiological and cognitive improvements in normal humans or clinical populations; and (4) use systems-level computational modeling to develop a principled understanding of the function and mechanisms by which oscillatory and other electrophysiological temporal dynamic patterns unfold across the brain (cortically and subcortically) to impact cognition.
This RFA invites applications for planning awards to develop and finalize protocols for well-powered cognitive training intervention trials to remediate or prevent age-related cognitive decline as well as possibly prevent or delay the onset of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Planning activities may include the collection of pilot data and the refinement of cognitive training protocols consistent with Stage I of the NIH Stage Model. Trial designs must justify the means used to assess cognition and to explore the underlying mechanisms of change. Such methods as structural and functional neuroimaging with biomarkers justified by an underlying model of change, CSF fluids, and blood biomarkers are appropriate candidate tools.
Lumosity invites researchers to submit proposals for studies that use functional neuroimaging techniques to investigate mechanisms underlying cognitive processes implicated in Lumosity's games and assessments. These studies would ideally involve both neuroimaging and behavioral methods with healthy adult populations. Examples of types of projects that would be prioritized include, but are not limited to, demonstrations of:
Task-related neural activity within and across brain regions
Changes in neural activity that accompany training-related changes in cognitive performance
Neural specificity of cognitive training effects
All applications are encouraged to focus explicitly on the use of neuroimaging as a tool for studying Lumosity's cognitive training platform.
JSMF is internationally recognized for supporting research on cognition and behavior; most recently, through the Understanding Human cognition (UHC) Scholar Awards. JSMF suspended the Scholar Awards in 2019 and undertook an exploration of the new priorities for the foundation's support for the fields of cognitive science, cognitive psychology and developmental science with the intent of identifying a funding initiative that would be forward looking and responsive to contemporary questions, while building on JSMF's history. JSMF is announcing new grant guidelines for the Understanding Human cognition program.
Despite established associations between white matter lesions and cognitive impairment including dementia, little prospective information is available to define the characteristics of white matter lesions and associated comorbid clinical factors that cause further cognitive impairment, ultimately resulting in dementia. This initiative will support one large prospective clinical research study in the U.S. of patients engaged with the health care system because of incidental white matter lesions found on neuroimaging, who present with cognitive complaints, and who thus are at risk for cognitive decline. The goal will be to determine the volume and anatomical features that are both necessary and sufficient to cause cognitive impairment or dementia.
This program will support projects to develop cognition biomarkers or combinations of biomarkers that help to identify the transitions between normal cognition and cognitive impairment, and between cognitive impairment and dementia.
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) invites applications for basic research to better characterize the affective, cognitive, social, and motivational parameters of impaired and intact decision making in both normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Research is sought that will characterize the extent to which basic behavioral and neural processes involved in decision-making are differentially impacted in normal aging and AD, investigate the influence of social factors on decision-making, and investigate the decision-making factors that render older adults (with or without cognitive impairment) vulnerable to financial exploitation and other forms of mistreatment and abuse.
The FOA also invites applications to apply basic research on the processes involved in decision-making to the design of decision-supportive interventions for midlife and older adults with and without AD. Specific opportunities include the development of decision-supportive interventions to leverage cognitive, emotional and motivational strengths of these populations; tools to assess decisional capacity; strategies for simplifying choices and offering better defaults; and the promotion of timely adoption of optimal delegation practices (e.g., power of attorney, living wells, etc.).
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) invites applications for basic research to better characterize the affective, cognitive, social, and motivational parameters of impaired and intact decision making in both normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Research is sought that will characterize the extent to which basic behavioral and neural processes involved in decision-making are differentially impacted in normal aging and AD, investigate the influence of social factors on decision-making, and investigate the decision-making factors that render older adults (with or without cognitive impairment) vulnerable to financial exploitation and other forms of mistreatment and abuse.
The FOA also invites applications to apply basic research on the processes involved in decision-making to the design of decision-supportive interventions for midlife and older adults with and without AD. Specific opportunities include the development of decision-supportive interventions to leverage cognitive, emotional and motivational strengths of these populations; tools to assess decisional capacity; strategies for simplifying choices and offering better defaults; and the promotion of timely adoption of optimal delegation practices (e.g., power of attorney, living wells, etc.).
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and National Institute on Aging (NIA) intend to publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit applications for a large prospective clinical research study to determine the specific subsets of stroke events that predict cognitive impairment and dementia in post-stroke populations in the United States, including in health disparities populations, and what additional clinical factors and comorbidities along the AD/ADRD spectrum may causally synergize with stroke to result in (or prevent) cognitive impairment and dementia outcomes. The goals of this initiative are to determine the association between specific subsets of stroke events and subsequent cognitive impairment and dementia in post-stroke populations in the United States, including in health disparities populations; to identify additional clinical factors and comorbidities that may affect these associations; and to contribute to development and validation of clinical-trial ready diagnostic and progression biomarkers for post-stroke dementia. It is expected that the study design will also allow for determination of interrelationships (cross-sectional and longitudinal) among the stroke event, overall cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease and risk factors (including sex, racial, and ethnic differences), dementia-relevant genetic variants (including ApoE) and mutations (e.g. in Notch 3) previously associated with Alzheimer's disease (e.g. APP, PS1, PS2, PICALM, CLU, TREM2), cognitive trajectories including decline and resistance to decline, as well as amyloid and tau biomarkers of Alzheimers pathology during life.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications to establish a network to identify, evaluate, track, and conduct research across multiple sites on older adults with superior cognitive performance for their age ("cognitive super agers"). The activity would support aggregation of sufficient numbers of these individuals to advance the fields understanding of factors that promote sustained cognitive health and those that are not of primary importance. Uniform identification and uniform data collection will allow the study of the behavioral, neurological, health, genetic, environmental, and lifestyle profiles that lead to sustained cognitive and brain function in advanced age. Where extant data exists, harmonization protocols would need to be developed in order to make use of all currently available data. Provision of protocols to obtain brain tissue at autopsy would be an important component.
With a rapidly growing aged U.S. population, maintenance of cognitive function has become increasingly critical for the health, welfare, and well-being of the country's citizens. According to a recent survey conducted by the AARP, virtually all adults age 40+ believe maintaining or improving brain health is important; three-quarters of adults age 40+ are concerned about their brain health declining in the future.
Although chronological age itself remains the strongest predictor of age-related cognitive decline and many forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD), it has become clear that there are protective factors against these outcomes that are poorly understood. These factors have often been described as imparting resilience or resistance to age-related changes in brain structure or neuropathology, building cognitive and/or brain reserve that would oppose such age-related changes or frank pathology, or augmenting other types of cognitive and brain function that would be beneficial. Some of these protective factors might suggest important intervention strategies.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages transdisciplinary research that will leverage cognitive neuroscience to improve traditional measurement of cognitive impairment following cancer treatment, often referred to as chemobrain. A better understanding of the acute- and late-term cognitive changes following exposure to adjuvant chemotherapy and molecularly-targeted treatments, including hormonal therapy, for non-central nervous system tumors can inform clinical assessment protocols with downstream implications for survivorship care plans.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages transdisciplinary research that will leverage cognitive neuroscience to improve traditional measurement of cognitive impairment following cancer treatment, often referred to as chemobrain. A better understanding of the acute- and late-term cognitive changes following exposure to adjuvant chemotherapy and molecularly-targeted treatments, including hormonal therapy, for non-central nervous system tumors can inform clinical assessment protocols with downstream implications for survivorship care plans.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages transdisciplinary research that will leverage cognitive neuroscience to improve traditional measurement of cognitive impairment following cancer treatment, often referred to as chemobrain. A better understanding of the acute- and late-term cognitive changes following exposure to adjuvant chemotherapy and molecularly-targeted treatments, including hormonal therapy, for non-central nervous system tumors can inform clinical assessment protocols with downstream implications for survivorship care plans.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages transdisciplinary research that will leverage cognitive neuroscience to improve traditional measurement of cognitive impairment following cancer treatment, often referred to as "chemobrain." A better understanding of the acute- and late-term cognitive changes following exposure to adjuvant chemotherapy and molecularly-targeted treatments, including hormonal therapy, for non-central nervous system tumors can inform clinical assessment protocols with downstream implications for survivorship care plans.
This funding opportunity supports projects that test whether modifying electrophysiological patterns during behavior can improve cognitive, affective, or social processing. Applications must use experimental designs that incorporate active manipulations to address at least one, and ideally more, of the following topics: (1) in animals or humans, determine which parameters of neural coordination, when manipulated in isolation, improve particular aspects of cognitive, affective, or social processing; (2) in animals or humans, determine how particular abnormalities at the genomic, molecular, or cellular levels affect the systems-level coordination of electrophysiological patterns during behavior; (3) determine whether in vivo, systems-level electrophysiological changes in behaving animals predict analogous electrophysiological and cognitive improvements in healthy persons or clinical populations; and (4) use biologically-realistic computational models that include systems-level aspects to understand the function and mechanisms by which oscillatory and other electrophysiological patterns unfold across the brain to impact cognitive, affective, or social processing.
The ADDF seeks to support comparative effectiveness research, prevention clinical trials, and epidemiological studies that probe whether the use or choice of drugs alters the risk for dementia or cognitive decline.
Specifically, the Prevention Beyond the Pipeline RFP supports:
* Studies Leveraging the Consortium of Cohorts for Alzheimer's Prevention Action (CAPA)
* Comparative Effectiveness Research: Methods may include randomized trials or epidemiology.
* Studies of Cognitive Decline and Cognitive Reserve: Methods may include epidemiology or clinical trials.
Current target areas of interest include:
- Epigenetics
- Inflammation
- Mitochondria & metabolic function
- Neuroprotection
- Proteostasis
- Synaptic activity and neurotransmitters
- Vascular function
- Other aging targets (e.g. senescent cells)
- Other novel targets or pathways that are supported by compelling evidence demonstrating a rational biological connection to age-related cognitive decline or dementia risk
The Cognitive Neuroscience program seeks highly innovative proposals aimed at advancing a rigorous understanding of human cognition, including how the human brain mediates action, affect, creativity, decision making, intentionality, perception, social processes, and thought. Topics may bear on core functions such as attention, emotion, empathy, executive processes, language, learning, memory, music, sensory processing, sleep, representation of self and other, reasoning and rhythm. Topics may also include how human cognition develops and changes in the brain across the lifespan.
The program is particularly interested in supporting the development of new techniques and technologies for recording, analyzing, and modeling complex brain activity and human brain mapping. Such projects should include a plan for sharing new software and other technologies with the research community at large. Additionally, the program is interested in supporting projects addressing the growing amount of data collected across disparate lab environments, which may require new standardization, curation, and sharing solutions.
Studies of disease states (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Autism, brain damaged patients, Parkinson's disease and Schizophrenia) may be components of projects supported by this program. However, the emphasis in such projects must be to advance basic scientific understanding of healthy neural mechanisms, and not on disease etiology, diagnosis, or treatment.