How memory shapes planning and decisions as we age
Memory guided planning across the lifespan
Researchers will compare how different kinds of memory influence choices in younger and older adults, including people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11332980 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would do computer-based memory and decision tasks that look at memory for specific items, the context those items appeared in, and learned patterns across experiences. The team will use new computational models to link specific memory failures to everyday decision mistakes. Some participants will also have brain scans (functional MRI and advanced diffusion imaging) to see how brain activity and connections relate to memory-guided choices. Findings will come from behavior, models, and brain imaging across adults of different ages and cognitive status.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults across the lifespan—including healthy younger and older adults and people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias—who can complete computerized tasks and tolerate MRI scanning.
Not a fit: People with severe cognitive impairment who cannot follow task instructions or those with contraindications to MRI (for example, certain implants) may not be eligible or likely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could pinpoint how memory problems cause poor decisions in older adults and people with dementia and suggest targets for interventions to help everyday planning.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research links memory decline to poorer decision-making, but combining computational models with both functional and diffusion MRI to map specific memory contributions is a newer, more integrative approach.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bornstein, Aaron Michael — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Bornstein, Aaron Michael
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.