Understanding everyday memory in aging and early Alzheimer's
Official title: The role of prior knowledge and event segmentation in age- and Alzheimer's-related changes in event memory
Funded at Kansas State University · NIH-11135404 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how our memory for daily events, like conversations or grocery trips, changes as we get older and in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Kansas State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhattan, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $362,355 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG075012-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11135404 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this type of research would be older adults, including those who are cognitively healthy and those in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease or individuals who are not older adults may not directly benefit from this specific research focus.
What this research studies
We want to understand why memory for everyday activities becomes challenging for older adults and those with early Alzheimer's disease. Our approach uses realistic, continuous experiences to see how people form memories in real-time, rather than relying on artificial lab tests. We will look at how people use their existing knowledge to create stable mental pictures of events and if this ability changes with age or early Alzheimer's. This helps us learn more about how memory works in daily life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help improve older adults' ability to remember day-to-day information, make important life decisions, and interact with new technologies, ultimately enhancing their quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: This project takes a novel approach by focusing on real-world, continuous experiences, which differs from many traditional laboratory memory tests.
Where this research is happening
-
Kansas State University
Manhattan, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bailey, Heather — Kansas State University
- Study coordinator: Bailey, Heather
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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.