Project Overview

Memory is a fundamental aspect of human cognition that allows us to remember past experiences that shape our future actions. However, disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease can disrupt our ability to form and recall memories, which can decrease quality of life. Understanding how our brains encode and retrieve memories is crucial for developing treatments and interventions to combat memory-related disorders. To shed light on this complex process, researchers use brain imaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Traditionally, fMRI studies of memory involve participants memorizing lists of words or pictures in controlled laboratory settings. However, these artificial tasks do not fully capture how our brains create memories in the real-world. Recent studies have begun using more naturalistic stimuli, such as audiovisual movies, to mimic real-world memory formation. However, it is currently unknown how memories are encoded and retrieved in the real-world. The current research seeks to investigate episodic memory processes in truly real-world environments.

To do so, we will use a novel experimental design where participants navigate through a building wearing a camera, capturing real-life scenes played by actors. By comparing brain activity during real-world memory encoding to passive viewing of the same scenes on a screen, we aim to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying memory formation in both brain health (i.e., healthy older adults) and progression to disease (i.e., individuals with mild cognitive impairment; MCI, a condition that often precedes dementia). By including participants with MCI, we hope to identify early biomarkers of memory dysfunction that could aid in early diagnosis and intervention. Ultimately, this research aims to revolutionize our understanding of episodic memory. By bridging the gap between laboratory experiments and real-world experiences, it has the potential to provide novel insights to improve the lives of those affected by memory-related conditions.

Principal Investigator

Chelsea Ekstrand , University of Lethbridge

Partners and Donors

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)