How the brain turns what you see into memories
Neural Transformations Linking Perception and Memory
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF OREGON · NIH-11318885
Researchers are using brain scans to map how moments you experience get changed and stored as memories in the brain.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF OREGON (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (EUGENE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11318885 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you take part, you would view images or events while undergoing MRI scans and later try to recall them so researchers can compare brain activity during seeing and remembering. The team will measure patterns in sensory brain areas during perception and try to predict how those patterns are expressed later in other regions like the parietal cortex. They will use advanced fMRI analysis to learn mathematical transformation functions that describe how perceptual representations become memory representations. The goal is to understand where and how memories are altered compared with the original experience.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who can safely undergo MRI scanning and are willing to view and later recall visual events (often healthy volunteers without MRI contraindications) would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment for memory loss or those with MRI contraindications (such as metal implants or severe claustrophobia) are unlikely to participate or receive direct clinical benefit from this basic research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify why some memories are vivid or distorted and eventually inform ways to improve memory or treat memory problems.
How similar studies have performed: Previous human neuroimaging studies have repeatedly shown that remembering reactivates perceptual brain patterns, but the proposal to learn formal transformation functions between perception and memory is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
EUGENE, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF OREGON — EUGENE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KUHL, BRICE ALAN — UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
- Study coordinator: KUHL, BRICE ALAN
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.