ERC grant for memory research

Like a diligent student, the brain rehearses learned material during sleep. This process strengthens memory, integrates new knowledge with existing information, and transforms it. Despite significant advances, this finding has not yet been leveraged to improve mental health, even though sleep and memory problems contribute substantially to distress in nearly all mental disorders. The European Research Council (ERC) is now funding the project "Tracking memory during sleep: understanding how replay of complex information affects memory and mental health" (MemoryTracker), which addresses this issue. Under the leadership of Privatdozent Dr. Gordon Feld, research group leader in the Department of Clinical Psychology at the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim, the funded project leverages advanced imaging techniques—such as high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG)—to directly observe memory processing during sleep and measure its effects.

"If we understand how the brain processes the complex information we encounter daily during sleep, we can use this knowledge to influence any faulty processing that occurs while we sleep," says Gordon Feld. At CIMH, he utilizes the Emmy Noether funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) to study the link between sleep and addiction memory. The ERC Consolidator Grant for the MemoryTracker project provides funding of approximately two million euros over five years.

Direct measurement of memory processing

Over the past two decades, sleep and memory research has made significant progress, primarily using relatively simple learning tasks. A key innovation in the funded project is the learning material: Instead of the commonly used word pairs or word lists, participants will learn the complex structure of a network consisting of emotionally relevant images. This task is designed to capture complex memory content in a laboratory setting that closely resembles real-life experiences.

"To understand what the brain does during sleep, we need to give it a task that mirrors what we experience every day," says Gordon Feld. Moreover, this learning task enables the use of imaging techniques to determine precisely how the brain processes complex memory content during sleep. The task's structure is designed so that mathematical methods and artificial intelligence can generate a fingerprint of the learning material.

The project will work with healthy participants to gain a fundamental understanding of memory processes during sleep. Additionally, core questions will be explored in collaboration with individuals suffering from depression, with the goal of rapidly developing new treatment approaches. "In the long term, we aim to use the memory fingerprints we create to positively influence memory processing and promote mental health," explains Gordon Feld.

Fourth active ERC grant for CIMH

The ERC Consolidator Grant awarded to Privatdozent Dr. Gordon Feld is the second high-profile European Research Council funding obtained by CIMH in a highly competitive process this year. In April, Prof. Dr. Herta Flor was awarded an ERC Advanced Grant. Currently, the CIMH holds four active ERC Grants, which are among the most prestigious scientific awards. In addition to Gordon Feld and Herta Flor, Prof. Dr. Valery Grinevich (Synergy Grant) and Prof. Dr. Dr. Hannelore Ehrenreich (Advanced Grant) have also received ERC funding.

The European Research Council is the most important European funding body for cutting-edge pioneering research. Its grants are among the most prestigious and competitive in all of Europe, with a funding success rate of less than ten percent. The ERC's total budget for 2021 to 2027 exceeds 16 billion euros. The funding is part of the EU’s "Horizon Europe" program.

Source: News ZI Mannheim