Tag: Academic research

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STAT+: The woman behind the world’s biggest longevity competition

BERKELEY, Calif. — Jamie Justice is an anti-aging researcher with a name fit for a superhero and a grand mission to match. A few years ago, she left her tenure-track job at Wake Forest University to team up with entrepreneur Peter Diamandis on XPRIZE Healthspan — a $101 million global competition meant to identify therapeutic treatments that can restore muscle, cognition, and immune function in older adults.

“There’s a booming market for slowing aging, but there’s no way to tell if [treatments] work,” Justice said onstage at the longevity conference Vitalist Bay here this month. XPRIZE Healthspan, for which she serves as executive director, was created to bridge that gap. The 10 teams selected from a pool of 40 this year will be required to test out their therapies in yearlong randomized controlled clinical trials before the winner of the grand prize is announced in 2030. 

Dressed in wide-legged jeans and a dark blazer, Justice walked the audience through XPRIZE competitors’ varying approaches to longevity. Exercise, senolytics (drugs that target damaged “zombie” cells that increase as we age), and personalized medicine geared toward biomarkers were among some of the prevailing approaches.

The longevity field, as the people involved in it acknowledge, tends to attract colorful characters with far-out theories. (A man in a purple cape trotted regally through the grounds of Vitalist Bay.) Figures like Justice, who’s hung onto her academic ties as an adjunct assistant professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest, occupy a more grounded, science-based part of the spectrum. But she welcomes a big-tent approach to the world of anti-aging research. “I think, as scientists, we have to be really mindful to not turn into gatekeepers,” she told STAT during an interview after her talk.

STAT sat down with Justice to learn more about the XPRIZE Healthspan competitors, research on what people really want in their old age, and the problem of “purely scammy” companies giving longevity a bad name.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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Pilot Feasibility Study With Doulas

Conditions: Post Partum; Maternal Depression; Maternal Depression and Parent Practices, Postpartum

Interventions: Behavioral: YouMatter

Sponsors: Duke University

Not yet recruiting
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Detecting Alzheimer’s Early by Brain Scan or Blood

While Alzheimer’s disease accounts for about 60-70% of dementia diagnoses, the timing of these diagnoses occur late in disease progression. Identifying early signs of Alzheimer’s may allow individuals time to address potential risk factors in their lives.

“Alzheimer’s disease pathology begins years before symptoms emerge,” said Kristine Yaffe, MD, vice chair in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Yaffe and her team have spent years researching modifiable risk factors that may play a role in dementia development, including physical and cognitive activity, depression, smoking, and cardiovascular health.

A current trajectory of research into Alzheimer’s disease is focusing on ways to detect the disease early, before major symptoms manifest. Two new studies published in The Lancet present different methods for detecting Alzheimer’s disease that converge in their early detection ability.

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by increased amounts of tau and amyloid-β plaques. Growing research indicates the importance of tau pathology and amyloid-β  accumulation at initiating changes to the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Tau is the biology most closely tied to symptoms and future decline,” said Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Pittsburgh and a behavioral neurologist at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “If we can detect tau earlier and stage it more precisely, we can make better decisions about who is truly on an Alzheimer’s trajectory, which matters for clinical trials now and could shape clinical decision-making as new therapies emerge.”

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh led by Guilherme Povala, PhD, and Bruna Bellaver, PhD, have focused their work on brain scan imaging to detect tau both more effectively, and earlier.

The team’s recently published work compared the ability of two tracers used in non-invasive PET scans to visualize Alzheimer’s-associated tangles of tau protein. To do this, participants underwent paired tau PET scans, the first using a standard tau tracer, Flortaucipir, or a new tracer, MK6240. Within 45 days of the PET scan, participants also received an amyloid-β PET scan and detailed cognitive assessments. Of the 775 initial participants, 682 completed all of the study components.

“Because participants received both tracer scans within a short window, we’re looking at the same moment in the disease course, so differences we see reflect the tracers, not changes over time,” explained co-lead author, Guilherme Povala, PhD, postdoctoral associate at the University of Pittsburgh, about the experimental design.

Analysis showed that imaging with the MK6240 tracer detected more tau than tracing with Flortaucipir. In participants with cognitive impairment and positive amyloid-β results, MK6240 identified move than twice as many tau-positive cases, 15% compared with six percent, which was an additional 23 patients per 100. Tracing with MK6240 also identified increased tau, 28% vs. 16% with Flortaucipir, in patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, resulting in 15 or 21 additional cases per 100 participants scanned.

“People typically seek evaluation because they have memory concerns or other symptoms,” pointed out co-lead author, Bruna Bellaver, PhD, research assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. “Tau PET is one tool that can help clinicians stage disease biology and make more informed decisions.”

Across the country in California, researchers from University of California, San Francisco, have drawn on their experience with blood biomarkers in an effort to develop a method for detecting Alzheimer’s before major symptoms develop.

The west coast study included 1,350 participants (out of an initial 2248) who were retained in the U.S. Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Participant blood plasma was tested from samples that were collected at project year 35 (2020-2022) and five years prior. Plasma biomarkers for amyloid-β (Aβ42 and Aβ40) and tau (p-tau217) were measured and used to calculate p-tau217-to-Aβ42 and Aβ42-to-Aβ40 ratios and then those were compared to the cognitive assessment scores that were measured at the same time period. Any participants missing materials were excluded from the initial cohort. During analysis, participants were also classified by Alzheimer’s disease neuropathy status of negative, intermediate and positive based on amyloid PET-validated cutpoints for each marker.

Results from the initial analysis showed that participants with high biomarkers also had both lower processing speeds and lower executive function in the first time point. After five years, the group that initially had high levels of biomarkers now had a 2.5 to 4 times increased risk of rapid decline in verbal memory, and three to four times the risk for rapid decline in processing speed. Together, these data suggest a connection between the observed cognitive decline and increase in biomarkers.

While brain scans, and spinal fluid tests are often used and widely available, blood tests are less invasive and relatively inexpensive, potentially enabling more patients access to diagnostics along with early detection prior to symptom development. While there is potential for measuring blood biomarkers for clinical use, senior author, Yaffe, prescribes cautious optimism. “There’s a possibility of false positives and [these markers] can only be used for Alzheimer’s, not other dementias, meaning about 60% to 70% of all dementia cases,” she said. “But for some people who discover they have the biomarkers, testing could open a window to embark on interventions that may postpone Alzheimer’s onset.” More work is still needed to clarify the utility of both early detection methods in the clinic.

Overall, both studies show significant progress in developing strategies to identify dementia, and specifically Alzheimer’s disease, earlier. Earlier diagnosis may lead to earlier intervention and potentially more positive outcomes for patients. As Yaffee concluded, “Detecting the disease early means patients can target modifiable risk factors and maybe seek other care.”

The post Detecting Alzheimer’s Early by Brain Scan or Blood appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

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Antibody Drug Slows Disability Progression in Advanced Multiple Sclerosis

Results from the Phase III ORATORIO-HAND study show that ocrelizumab, an antibody drug already prescribed to some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), could benefit a much larger patient population, including those who are older or at more advanced stages of the disease. Published today in The Lancet, these findings could change the way clinicians understand and manage MS. 

“Our study suggests we should think differently about what successful treatment looks like in advanced MS and that we shouldn’t assume a lack of benefit in certain groups,” said Gavin Giovannoni, MD, PhD, professor of neurology at Queen Mary University of London. “These findings show that treatment can make a meaningful difference to people with more advanced forms of MS and can help preserve hand and arm function, which is important for maintaining independence, daily activities and quality of life.” 

The clinical trial recruited over 1,000 patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), a form of MS where disability worsens over time that affects about 10–15% of people diagnosed with the autoimmune condition. Ocrelizumab is currently available to patients early on in their PPMS with lower levels of disability, delivered as an infusion every six months to reduce disability progression. However, those with advanced disease, including patients who need a wheelchair to move around, are not eligible for this treatment and currently have limited options available to them. 

Compared to a placebo, ocrelizumab significantly reduced the risk of disability progression by 30%, with stronger effects in patients showing signs of inflammatory activity on MRI scans, for whom the drug reduced this risk by 55%. The treatment also reduced the worsening of hand and arm function by 41% after 12 weeks and lowered the need for a wheelchair by 52% among patients who were already unable to walk freely at the start.  

These results settle a longstanding debate over whether more advanced forms of multiple sclerosis can still benefit from treatment. In contrast with previous studies, which often excluded patients over 55 and those with advanced disability, this clinical trial recruited participants up to 65 years old and those with substantial mobility impairment. 

In addition to assessing walking ability, the study focused on assessing hand and arm function. This decision was based on a separate survey conducted by Giovannoni’s team in which patients with worsening multiple sclerosis reported prioritizing upper-limb function due to its importance for their independence, including their ability for cleaning and grooming themselves. 

“MS can be debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable, and hand and arm function is essential for helping people to remain independent,” said Catherine Godbold, PhD, senior research communications manager at the MS Society. “Many previous trials have focused solely on walking ability as a measure of whether a drug is effective. But trials like this are vital in helping us find treatments for everyone.”  

“Ocrelizumab is already used as a treatment for active relapsing MS and early primary progressive MS,” she added. “These results could mean it is made available for more people with primary progressive MS, who don’t currently have access to any treatment options. The key now is how we work together to see these findings translated into clinical practice.” 

The post Antibody Drug Slows Disability Progression in Advanced Multiple Sclerosis appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

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BrainBaseline Assessment of Cognition and Everyday Functioning (“BRACE”-ing for the Future): Establishing iPad-Based Norms for Cognitive Function in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study and Women’s Interagency HIV Study Combined Cohort Study

Background: Digital cognitive assessments are increasingly used in large-scale studies to assess brain health, offering scalable, standardized, and self-directed testing solutions. Cognitive function remains a concern for people with HIV despite antiretroviral therapy. The BRACE (BrainBaseline Assessment of Cognition and Everyday Functioning) is a validated tablet-based screener for cognition in people with HIV. Preliminary pilot norms were established in a small sample (n=144), but full regression-based normative data have not yet been developed. Consequently, HIV serostatus differences based on standardized BRACE scores and cognitive correlates have not been systematically examined. Objective: This study aims to develop regression-based normative data for BRACE performance in people without HIV who were demographically and behaviorally comparable to people with HIV within biological sex; to examine differences in cognitive performance by HIV status and biological sex; and to evaluate sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical correlates of BRACE performance. Methods: A total of 2937 participants (1063 people without HIV [499 women] and 1874 people with HIV [1053 women]) in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study/Women’s Interagency HIV Study Combined Cohort Study completed BRACE once between November 2020 and March 2025. BRACE includes the Trail Making Test (A and B), Stroop-Color, and visual spatial learning. Regression-based norms were derived from people without HIV using multiple demographic models (eg, age-only, age + education, and age + education + sex). The age + education model was selected for primary analyses because it provided the best balance of interpretability, parsimony, and generalizability while avoiding race-based corrections. HIV serostatus and sex differences were examined using ANOVA and tests, with effect sizes calculated using Cohen’s . Results: Cognitive performance was largely comparable between people with HIV and people without HIV across all BRACE outcome measures. Statistically significant differences were very small in magnitude (all effect sizes<0.11) and primarily observed among men on Stroop-Color. Across groups, older age and fewer years of education were associated with poorer raw BRACE performance, although these associations attenuated after demographic adjustment using T-scores. Most clinical and behavioral factors (eg, hypertension, smoking, and noncannabis substance use) were related to poorer raw scores but not standardized performance. However, diabetes and cannabis use remained independently associated with T-scores across multiple measures—diabetes with poorer scores and cannabis use with higher scores, an association that should be interpreted cautiously. HIV-specific clinical factors, such as nadir CD4 count and antiretroviral therapy duration, were linked primarily to raw scores. Conclusions: This study establishes the first regression-based normative data for BRACE, derived from a large, demographically diverse people without HIV, and demonstrates its applicability for evaluating cognitive function in people with HIV. Findings indicate minimal cognitive differences between people with HIV and people without HIV and highlight the influence of common sociodemographic and metabolic factors. These results support BRACE as a scalable, reliable, and self-administered digital tool for assessing cognitive health in diverse populations and underscore its potential for longitudinal monitoring and precision phenotyping in both research and clinical contexts.
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Negative Online Experiences Are Common but Often Go Unreported Among Youth With Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Concern

New Child Mind Institute study finds more than one in four youth experienced a negative online experience in the past year, yet only one in five reported the incident through platform tools.

New York, NY — A new study from researchers at the Child Mind Institute finds that negative online experiences are common among children and adolescents with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, and that most incidents are not reported through platform reporting tools.

Published in JAACAP Open, the study examined negative online experiences among 1,009 youth ages 9 to 15 with a history of mental health or neurodevelopmental concerns, all of whom were current or previous participants in the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network. More than one in four reported at least one negative online experience in the past year. Among those who had such an experience, nearly 69% reported multiple incidents, yet only 20% reported the incident through platform reporting tools.

The study defined “negative online experience” as any unwanted or uncomfortable experience while online, including cyberbullying, cyberstalking, doxxing, impersonation, sexual harassment, and related forms of digital harm. The research used a mixed-methods design, combining a quantitative survey with an in-depth qualitative follow-up involving a three-day moderated online bulletin board with a subset of participants.

“These findings point to a large and often hidden problem,” said Michael P. Milham, MD, PhD, Chief Science Officer at the Child Mind Institute and senior author of the study. “Many young people are encountering harmful or uncomfortable experiences online, but the systems designed to help them often do not receive a report. That creates a major gap for parents, educators, clinicians, and platforms trying to keep children safer online.”

The research team identified three major categories of barriers that prevent youth from reporting negative online experiences: reporting process barriers, such as not knowing how to make a report; reporting policy barriers, including uncertainty about what qualifies for reporting or how platform rules apply; and emotional barriers, such as embarrassment, fear, and worry about consequences.

The study also found that reporting decisions were often shaped by how young people interpreted the incident itself. In the qualitative follow-up, youth considered whether the harmful behavior seemed intentional, how malicious it appeared, and how severe or repeated the harassment was. When those cues were ambiguous, youth were less certain about whether reporting was appropriate.

“Reporting is not simply a matter of telling young people to speak up,” said Mirelle Kass, lead author of the study. “Youth are making complicated judgments about intent, severity, platform rules, and the possible consequences of disclosure. If we want young people to report harmful experiences, the tools and systems around them need to be clearer, safer, and easier to use.”

The findings suggest that online safety efforts should be tailored to the needs of youth who may already be managing mental health, developmental, or social challenges. Social aptitude, mental health symptoms, and parenting style were associated with youths’ likelihood of encountering negative online experiences and with the barriers they faced when deciding whether to report them.

Participants also expressed a clear desire for better tools and guidance. Most youth wanted platforms to provide more information about how to protect themselves online, how to use safety features such as blocking and reporting, and how to access support during and after the reporting process.

“Families, educators, clinicians, policymakers, and technology developers all have a role to play,” said Dr. Milham. “We need reporting systems that children can understand, policies that are transparent, and trusted adults who can respond without blame or overreaction. Safer digital spaces will require more than awareness. They will require systems designed around how young people actually experience online harm.”

The study underscores the importance of developmentally appropriate safety tools, clearer platform policies, and stronger support systems for youth navigating digital spaces. For children and adolescents with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, improving reporting pathways may be an important step toward reducing hidden online harms and building safer online environments.

This research was supported by funding from Google LLC’s User Safety team to the Child Mind Institute for work led by Michael P. Milham, MD, PhD.

About the Healthy Brain Network

The Healthy Brain Network is a community-centered research initiative from the Child Mind Institute that collects clinical, cognitive, behavioral, and neurobiological data from children and adolescents in the New York City area. Families who participate receive feedback and diagnostic consultation while contributing to open science research aimed at improving understanding of child and adolescent mental health.

About the Child Mind Institute

The Child Mind Institute is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Through cutting-edge research, evidence-based clinical care, and public education, the Child Mind Institute builds open science platforms and digital tools to accelerate discovery and improve youth mental health worldwide.

For press questions, contact cmiscience@ssmandl.com or mediaoffice@childmind.org.

The post Negative Online Experiences Are Common but Often Go Unreported Among Youth With Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Concern appeared first on Child Mind Institute.

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Recruitment and Participation of Black Home Health Care Patients in Speech-Based Cognitive Research: Mixed Methods Feasibility Study

Background: Older Black adults remain underrepresented in dementia research, particularly in studies using speech-based methods for early cognitive assessment. Understanding how to effectively recruit and engage this population in research involving audio-recorded interactions is critical to ensuring equitable inclusion and developing culturally responsive study designs. However, recruiting older Black adults into dementia research remains a significant challenge. Objective: This study assessed the feasibility of recruiting older Black home health care (HHC) patients into speech-based cognitive research and examined the factors influencing participation and participants’ data collection experiences. Methods: We conducted a convergent mixed methods feasibility study using a 4-component recruitment pipeline at a nonprofit HHC agency: (1) patient identification and study introduction, (2) in-home audio-recorded cognitive assessments, (3) follow-up calls, and (4) audio-recorded patient-clinician encounters. Both patients and their corresponding clinicians were included in this study. Eligible participants were Black adults aged 60 years and older receiving HHC services in New York City. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between those who consented and those who declined using bivariate analysis. Qualitative feedback was gathered through patient questionnaires and clinician semistructured interviews and was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Of 246 patients contacted, 71 (28.9%) provided verbal consent and 60 (24.4%) completed cognitive assessments. Five patients were excluded due to health conditions or severe cognitive impairment, leaving 55 eligible participants. Among these participants, retention remained high across study components, including follow-up calls (48/55, 87.3%) and audio-recorded clinician visits (54/55, 98.2%). Patients who did not consent were more likely to have greater complex medical profiles, including higher pain interference (=.01), need for assistance with medication reading (=.04), and polypharmacy (≥5 medications; =.01), while no significant differences were observed for age, gender, or functional status. Qualitative findings demonstrated high acceptability and feasibility of audio recording. Patients reported strong motivation to participate, positive and engaging experiences, comfort with recording, and minimal disruption to care. Clinicians reported ease of integration into workflow, initial discomfort that diminished over time, minor technical challenges, and perceived benefits for communication and patient engagement. Conclusions: Recruiting Black older adults receiving HHC into speech-based dementia research was feasible and well accepted. Culturally tailored recruitment may enhance equitable participation and guide future research using audio-recorded speech for early cognitive detection.
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