UB weight-loss researchers are recruiting families for study on memory and attention training

BUFFALO, N.Y. – University at Buffalo researchers are recruiting 40 parents and their 8- to 12-year-old children to test new memory training programs.

The study is being conducted by Leonard Epstein, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and director of the division of behavioral medicine in the Department of Pediatrics.

Participants will learn a series of fun, interactive computerized memory training programs designed to improve memory.

According to the UB researchers, the study will explore how different kinds of computerized training can change memory and attention skills in parent and child teams.  

Studies from UB’s Behavioral Medicine lab and other labs have shown that memory and attention processes are involved in parent and child eating behaviors. Improving memory and attention may make it easier to change these behaviors.

“We would like to test our training programs to find out how much families enjoy these programs and how helpful they might be in improving memory,” says Katelyn Carr, project coordinator and a doctoral candidate in the UB neuroscience program. “If successful, we are hoping to use them in the future for health behavior change programs in our clinical weight loss program.”

The training program will be conducted over nine weeks. Families will be asked to attend a two-hour appointment before and after the training and 30-minute appointments each training week. Families will receive a $30 gift certificate for completing the first and last sessions and a bonus of $20 for completing the program, for a total of $80 after completing the study.

The training program is provided free of charge. During the initial session, families will complete memory and attention assessments and will be asked to complete up to two hours of memory training at home.

Families interested in participating in the study should call 716-829-6814 or complete the eligibility survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CTGstudy.