National Institute on Aging 1R01AG098263-01

Effects of older age on the neural basis of memory generalization

This NIH-funded project investigates how older age affects memory integration in the brain, focusing on the hippocampus and VMPFC. Using fMRI and behavioral tasks, it aims to identify neural and behavioral differences between young and older adults to improve interventions for memory generalization in aging.

Description

Integration is a key memory ability that allows us to generalize across experiences to make inferences and accumulate knowledge. This project tests the hypothesis that hippocampal integration mechanisms are most negatively impacted by older age, whereas those of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) are relatively spared. The study involves three experiments with healthy young and older adults undergoing fMRI to probe behavioral and neural signatures of integration at different memory stages. The research aims to identify age differences in neural systems supporting integration, the impact of reactivating existing knowledge during new learning, and the extent of hippocampus and VMPFC integration during inferential decisions. The findings may lead to better interventions to enhance memory generalization in older adults.

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