The Social Networks in Alzheimer's Disease Study

The Social Networks in Alzheimer's Disease (SNAD) study, in partnership with the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Research Center (IADRC) aims to to better understand how social networks directly affect the aging process of older adults, and their risk for dementia.

About 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease (AD), or 1 in 9 adults aged 65 or older, and this figure is expected to triple by 2050. The proposed research examines social and biological mechanisms underlying relationships between personal social networks and patterns of neurodegeneration in preclinical and early stages of AD using neuroimaging biomarkers. By increasing our understanding of biosocial processes in the neurology of aging, this project is intended to help identify novel targets for intervention that prevent or slow the trajectory of cognitive decline in AD, reducing the burden of AD and age-related cognitive impairment on individuals, caregivers and families, and the healthcare system.

Participation in this study of older adults (50 years and older) is ongoing, and individuals interested in participating can contact our study director, Hope Panik at 317-962-6414 or via email at hsheean@iu.edu.

For those interested in being involved in doing research on this study, please contact our principle investigator, Brea Perry at blperry@iu.edu.

This work is supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).