Finding the best times while awake to change memories
Official title: Defining optimal memory modulation windows: isolating the causal role of distinct post-learning awake periods to human memory consolidation
Funded at Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res · NIH-11298597 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether specific times and mental states while awake can make memories stronger or weaker for people with anxiety or age-related memory problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orangeburg, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $745,840 |
| NIH project number | 1R01MH138766-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11298597 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults with anxiety disorders (including PTSD), older adults with memory decline, and healthy volunteers for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
People with advanced dementia, severe cognitive impairment, or who cannot attend in-person visits are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would learn new information in lab sessions and then spend different awake periods—ranging from minutes to several hours—either resting quietly or doing focused tasks. Researchers will use brain imaging and memory tests to see when memories naturally solidify during wakefulness and which mental states help or hinder that process. They will compare multiple post-learning time windows and internally-oriented versus externally-oriented states to pinpoint when memory consolidation peaks. The findings aim to identify practical moments when interventions could change memory strength.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help time therapies and everyday activities to reduce traumatic memories or boost memory in aging, making treatments more effective.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior human and animal work suggests awake consolidation matters for memory, but precisely mapping hours and mental states in people is largely new.
Where this research is happening
-
Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
Orangeburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tambini, Arielle B — Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
- Study coordinator: Tambini, Arielle B
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.