How the brain learns hidden patterns to improve decision making

Cognitive and Neural Strategies for Latent Feature Inference

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · NIH-11142312

This work explores how people use memory and brain activity to learn hidden patterns over short and long times so they can make better choices.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorUNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER (nih funded)
Locations1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11142312 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

You would complete decision-making and memory tasks while researchers record your brain activity and compare how people use recent evidence versus longer-term patterns. The team will use computer models to describe the different strategies people use and link those strategies to brain signals. They will pay special attention to how the hippocampus and related memory systems support combining information across timescales. Sessions will be conducted with human participants at a university research site and include behavioral testing and electrophysiological recordings.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults who can come to the lab, complete computerized decision and memory tasks, and tolerate non-invasive brain recordings would be ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People with severe cognitive impairment, implanted brain devices, or those unable to travel to the research site would likely not be eligible or directly benefit from participating.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide new approaches to support decision-making and memory in aging, dementia, or psychiatric conditions by clarifying underlying brain mechanisms.

How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked memory systems and brain recordings to decision behavior, but applying computational models to multi-timescale hidden-pattern learning and testing hippocampal roles is a relatively new direction.

Where this research is happening

Aurora, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.