Understanding how aging affects memory specificity
Official title: An Investigation of the Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Age-Related Declines in Episodic Memory Representational Specificity
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-10903167 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how age affects our ability to remember specific memories by tracking brain activity in younger and older adults while they do memory tasks, and it hopes to help us understand how aging changes our thinking and memory.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $76,528 |
| NIH project number | 1F32AG087646-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10903167 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are non-cognitively impaired young and older adults who are interested in understanding memory changes with age.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with diagnosed cognitive impairments or neurological disorders may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how age impacts the ability to recall specific memories by using EEG recordings and computational modeling. It aims to identify differences in memory specificity between younger and older adults, focusing on the neurocognitive mechanisms that contribute to these variations. Participants will engage in memory tasks while their brain activity is monitored, allowing researchers to analyze the relationship between cognitive processes and memory performance. The findings could enhance our understanding of how aging affects cognitive function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for maintaining cognitive health in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding cognitive decline through similar electrophysiological and computational approaches.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greene, Nathaniel Robert — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Greene, Nathaniel Robert
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Comparing universal and guideline-directed genetic testing for young adults with cancer
This study is looking at whether a broader genetic test can help young adults with cancer find inherited risks that regular tests might miss, so they can get better treatment and care tailored just for them.
-
Better, searchable data for human pain biology
A data integration center will standardize, combine, and share molecular and cellular data from human pain research to help scientists understand how pain works and to accelerate discoveries.
-
Understanding how sweat glands form and work to help burn and skin injury patients
A study at the University of Pennsylvania looks at how sweat glands develop and function, with the goal of informing treatments for people who suffer traumatic skin injuries.
-
Cardiovascular risk planning and reduction for men with prostate cancer
A program to better predict and reduce heart disease risk in men treated for prostate cancer, especially older patients.
-
Understanding how a special airway cell helps protect and repair breathing passages
A researcher is studying a newly found airway cell called the hillock to see how it protects the airways and helps repair them after injury, with the aim of helping people with asthma, COPD, or bronchiectasis.
-
Defining TMJ cartilage progenitors and their regulatory niche for TMJ regeneration
Researchers are studying the cells that could help repair the jaw’s cartilage in TMJ osteoarthritis to lay the groundwork for regenerative therapies.
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.