Helping adults stick with healthy habits to boost memory and thinking
Roybal Center for Promoting Adherence to Behavior Change and Enhancing Cognitive Function
This project tries new ways to help middle-aged and older adults keep up physical activity so their thinking and memory stay healthier.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P30 center grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169014 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would hear from a team combining aging experts, behavioral scientists, engineers, and doctors who design practical ways to help people keep up healthy habits after a program ends. The Center will develop principle-driven interventions informed by motivation and adherence science and deliverable at scale using technology and behavioral strategies. The team plans three clinical trials to refine these approaches, measure adherence over time, and track effects on thinking and memory. The goal is to make interventions that work in the real world, not just in short-term lab settings.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Middle-aged and older adults who want to increase or maintain physical activity and are concerned about memory, cognitive decline, or risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Not a fit: People with advanced dementia who cannot follow structured programs or those who are medically unable to engage in physical activity may not benefit from these interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these approaches could help people maintain regular physical activity and slow declines in memory and thinking.
How similar studies have performed: Large observational studies link exercise to lower dementia risk, but trials that reliably improve long-term adherence are limited, so this work applies newer behavioral and technology methods that are promising but not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Conroy, David E. — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Conroy, David E.
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 below.