Description

This NIH opportunity encourages research to advance understanding of the mechanisms responsible for neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRD). NPS—such as aggression, psychosis, anxiety, apathy, depression, agitation, sleep disturbances, and wandering—are major challenges in dementia care, often leading to accelerated decline and earlier institutionalization. The initiative seeks to support studies that clarify the biobehavioral and neurobiological pathways leading to NPS, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets and informing the development of interventions for treatment and prevention.

Research may span basic, translational, and mechanistic clinical studies, including but not limited to:

• Neurobiological, behavioral, and social mechanisms underlying NPS.
• Neural circuit assessments and neuroimaging.
• Circadian rhythm disruptions and their behavioral manifestations.
• Biomarker and outcome measure development.
• Computational and systems biology approaches.
• Studies integrating multi-omic, genomic, and epidemiologic data.
• Use of digital technologies and machine learning to characterize NPS triggers and patterns.
• Preclinical validation of novel therapeutic targets (pharmacological and non-pharmacological).

The funding opportunity supports mechanistic clinical trials (i.e., those designed to understand biological or behavioral processes or mechanisms of action), but does not support studies focused solely on safety, efficacy, or implementation of new interventions.