How depression and aging together affect memory and thinking
Official title: Executive contributions to the “double jeopardy” of depressive symptoms and age on episodic memory.
Funded at University of Texas at Austin · NIH-11303413 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether depression and getting older combine to harm memory and thinking in adults from Black, Mexican American, and non-Hispanic White backgrounds.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $766,426 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG084235-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11303413 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older from Black/African American, Mexican American, or non-Hispanic White backgrounds with a range of depressive symptoms who can complete cognitive testing would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, those without depressive symptoms or cognitive complaints, or anyone unable to complete in-person cognitive testing may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
Researchers will enroll 330 adults across the adult lifespan from Black/African American, Mexican American, and non-Hispanic White groups. Participants will complete tests of episodic memory and executive function, standardized measures of depressive symptoms (including dimensions like somatic and mood symptoms), and provide information on age of onset and chronicity of depression. The team will also measure race-related factors such as discrimination, vascular risk, and religiosity to see how these influence depression-related memory problems. The goal is to determine whether executive dysfunction linked to depression explains the combined effects of age and depressive symptoms and contributes to ethnoracial differences in memory impairment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to targeted ways to protect memory in adults with depression and help reduce racial and ethnic disparities in cognitive decline.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked depression and older age to memory problems, but combining executive function measures with race-related factors across diverse groups is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Duarte, Audrey — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Duarte, Audrey
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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.