How the hippocampus and cortex work together to form memories from real-life experiences
Hippocampal-Neocortical Interactions During Naturalistic Learning
Looks at whether specific brain rhythms between memory centers help people form lasting memories of everyday events, which could matter for people with Alzheimer's and other memory problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11306998 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will record brain activity while you watch or experience naturalistic events like short movies and then rest. They will focus on signals from the hippocampus and connected cortical areas, using clinical brain recordings and brain imaging when available. Some participants may be people already undergoing clinical monitoring with small electrodes placed temporarily in the brain; others may have noninvasive scans and memory tests. The team will analyze fast and slow brain rhythms at event boundaries and during rest to understand how experiences get segmented and stored as memories.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates include adults with or without memory complaints, and people who are undergoing clinical brain monitoring (for example, some epilepsy patients) or older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s depending on the protocol.
Not a fit: People seeking an immediate treatment or cure for Alzheimer's should not expect direct therapeutic benefit from participating in this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to detect early memory changes and guide therapies that help people with Alzheimer's and other memory disorders remember everyday events better.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies and some human brain-recording work support the role of these brain rhythms in memory, but using naturalistic events with intracranial recordings in people is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Anli a — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Liu, Anli a
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.