The study is led by Imad Najm, MD, director of Cleveland Clinic’s Epilepsy Center, and Andre Machado, MD, PhD, chief of Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute, according to a Feb. 20 news release from the hospital.
Here is what to know about the study’s progress:
- More than 3,600 participants have been enrolled in the study, with ages ranging from 50 to 90 years. Nearly 75% of participants are female and more than 85% are white. Dr. Najm said they are working to increase participation in the study so as to “better reflect our entire population.”
- To be eligible for the study, volunteers must either be 50 or older with no known neurologic disease or 20 and older if they have a first-degree relative with multiple sclerosis.
- The study has not discovered any cases of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease or epilepsy in study participants, though researchers have uncovered small silent strokes and myelin problems through MRI.
- The most common incidental finding has been brain aneurysms found through MRI and magnetic resonance angiography. When a brain aneurysm is identified, researchers share the digital imaging findings and advise the participant to seek follow-up care.
- The second-most-common incidental findings have been low-grade brain tumors found through MRI.
- Cognitive assessments and health questionnaires have uncovered a high number of participants who are unaware they have depression, anxiety and/or sleep apnea.
- In the future, researchers plan to study brain connectivity based on participants’ functional imaging results. An additional testing facility for the study will be operational in the first quarter of 2026 with a new 3T MRI machine.
Read a full update about the study here.
