We have started to investigate how short-term memory deteriorates with healthy ageing and in people at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Binding together features of items in memory appears to be particularly vulnerable to dysfunction or damage of the medial temporal lobes, a key region of the brain identified as playing an important role in memory processes.
It is now understood that Alzheimer's disease is not just a disorder of memory. Patients also may have difficulties with making decisions and being motivated to act. Many lack 'get up and go' and become apathetic, unable to generate drive to do things.
We are performing research on:
If you want to get involved or find out more about our research based at Oxford University and the John Radcliffe Hospital, please write to:
Professor Masud Husain, Nuffield Dept Clinical Neurosciences, Level 6, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU
TEXTBOOK
Husain M & Schott J eds. (2016) Oxford Textbook of Cognitive Neurology & Dementia. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
PUBLICATIONS LISTED HERE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY
Shibata K, Chen C, Tai XY, Manohar SG, Husain M (2025) Impact of APOE, Klotho, and sex on cognitive decline with aging. Proc Natl Acad Sci 22(6):e2416042122. PMID: 39903109
Zhao S, Scholcz A, Rouse MA, Klar VS, Ganse-Dumrath A, Toniolo S, Broulidakis MJ, Lambon Ralph MA, Rowe JB, Garrard P, Thompson S, Irani SR, Manohar SG, Husain M (2025) Self- versus caregiver-reported apathy across neurological disorders. Brain Communications 13;7(3):fcaf235. PMID: 40568416
Toniolo S, Udale R, Klar VS, Maio MR, Attaallah B, Tofaris GK, Hu MT, Manohar SG, Husain M (2025) Working memory filtering at encoding and maintenance in healthy ageing, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Sci Rep. 7;15:15922.. PMID: 40335550
Husain M (2025) Listening into hippocampal hyperexcitability in Alzheimer's disease. Brain 148:347-348. PMID: 39895050 [Editorial]
Toniolo S, Attaallah B, Maio MR, Tabi YA, Slavkova E, Klar VS, Saleh Y, Idris MI, Turner V, Preul C, Srowig A, Butler C, Thompson S, Manohar SG, Finke K, Husain M (2025) Performance and validation of a digital memory test across the Alzheimer's disease continuum. Brain Communications 7:fcaf024. PMID: 39886066
Attaallah B, Petitet P, Zambellas R, Toniolo S, Maio MR, Ganse-Dumrath A, Irani SR, Manohar SG, Husain M (2024) The role of the human hippocampus in decision-making under uncertainty. Nature Human Behaviour 8:1366-82. PMID: 38684870
Attaallah B, Toniolo S, Maio MR, Husain M (2024) Apathy and effort-based decision-making in Alzheimer's disease and subjective cognitive impairment. Alzheimers Dement 16(4):e70013. PMID: 39416486
Husain M (2024) The human hippocampus contributes to short-term memory. Brain 147:2897-2898. PMID: 38978495 [Editorial]
Toniolo S, Zhao S, Scholcz A, Amein B, Ganse-Dumrath A, Heslegrave AJ, Thompson S, Manohar S, Zetterberg H, Husain M (2024) Relationship of plasma biomarkers to digital cognitive tests in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 16:e12590. PMID: 38623387
Husain M (2023) Screening for Alzheimer's disease: plasma biomarkers and what else? Brain 146:407-408. PMID: 36780495[Editorial]
Husain M (2022) Molecular pathology and biomarker of progression in Alzheimer's disease. Brain 145:2229-2230. PMID: 35905467 [Editorial]
Husain M (2022) Noradrenergic therapies for apathy in Alzheimer’s disease? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry doi:10.1136/jnnp-2022-330824 [Commentary]
Lu K, Nicholas JM, Pertzov Y, Grogan J, Husain M, Pavisic IM, James SN, Parker TD, Lane CA, Keshavan A, Keuss SE, Buchanan SM, Murray-Smith H, Cash DM, Malone IB, Sudre CH, Coath W, Wong A, Henley SMD, Fox NC, Richards M, Schott JM, Crutch SJ (2021) Dissociable effects of APOE-ε4 and β-amyloid pathology on visual working memory. Nature Aging 1:1002-09 PMID: 34806027
Pavisic IM, Nicholas JM, Pertzov Y, O'Connor A, Liang Y, Collins JD, Lu K, Weston PSJ, Ryan NS, Husain M, Fox NC, Crutch SJ (2021) Visual short-term memory impairments in presymptomatic familial Alzheimer's disease: A longitudinal observational study. Neuropsychologia 162:108028 PMID: 34560142
Pavisic IM, Pertzov Y, Nicholas JM, O'Connor A, Lu K, Yong KXX, Husain M, Fox NC, Crutch SJ (2021) Eye-tracking indices of impaired encoding of visual short-term memory in familial Alzheimer's disease. Scientific Reports 11:8696 PMID: 33888739
Veldsman M, Nobis L, Alfaro-Almagro F, Manohar S, Husain M (2020) The human hippocampus and its subfield volumes across age, sex and APOE e4 status. Brain Communications 3(1):fcaa219. PMID: 33615215
Toniolo S, Sen A, Husain M (2020) Modulation of Brain Hyperexcitability: Potential New Therapeutic Approaches in Alzheimer’s Disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21:9318.
Zokaei N, Sillence A, Kienast A, Drew D, Plant O, Slavkova E, Manohar SG, Husain M (2020) Different patterns of short-term memory deficit in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and subjective cognitive impairment. Cortex (Epub ahead of print) PMID: 32919108
Zokaei N, Board AG, Slavkova E, E Mackay C, Nobre AC, Husain M (2020) Superior short-term memory in ε2 APOE carriers across the age range. Behav Brain Res (Epub ahead of print) PMID: 32961217
Zokaei N, Grogan J, Fallon SJ, Slavkova E, Hadida J, Manohar S, Nobre AC, Husain M (2020) Short-term memory advantage for brief durations in human APOE ε4 carriers. Scientific Reports 10:9503. PMID: 32528115.
Zokaei N, Husain M (2019) Working Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease Current Top Behav Neurosci (Epub ahead of print) PMID: 31347008
Nobis L, Manohar SG, Smith SM, Alfaro-Almagro F, Jenkinson M, Mackay CE, Husain M (2019) Hippocampal volume across age: Nomograms derived from over 19,700 people in UK Biobank. Neuroimage Clin (Epub ahead of print)
Ahmed S, Loane C, Bartels S, Zamboni G, Mackay C, Baker I, Husain M, Thompson S, Hornberger M, Butler C (2018) Lateral parietal contributions to memory impairment in posterior cortical atrophy. Neuroimage Clinical 20:252-9. PMID:30094173
Ahmed S, Irish M, Loane C, Baker I, Husain M, Thompson S, Blanco-Duque C, Mackay C, Zamboni G, Foxe D, Hodges JR, Piguet O, Butler C (2018) Association between precuneus volume and autobiographical memory impairment in posterior cortical atrophy: Beyond the visual syndrome. Neuroimage Clinical 18:822-834. PMID:29876268
Sen A, Capelli V, Husain M (2018) Cognition and dementia in older patients with epilepsy. Brain 141:1592-1608.
Nobis L, Husain M (2017) Apathy in Alzheimer's disease. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 22:7-13.
Husain M, Roiser R (2018) The neuroscience of apathy and anhedonia: A transdiagnostic approach. Nature Reviews Neuroscience (Epub ahead of print).
Husain M (2017) How far can biomarkers take us in neurodegenerative disorders? Brain 140:3067-8 PMID:29194507
Husain M (2017) Transdiagnostic neurology: neuropsychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative conditions. Brain 140:1535-6 PMID:28549134
Zokaei N, Giehl K, Sillence A, Neville MJ, Karpe F, Nobre AC, Husain M (2017) Sex and APOE: A memory advantage in male APOE ε4 carriers in midlife. Cortex (Epub ahead of print). PMID: 28086184
Husain M (2017) Alzheimer's disease: time to focus on the brain, not just the molecules. Brain 140:251-3 PMID: 28137952
Liang Y, Pertzov Y, Nicholas JM, Henley SM, Crutch S, Woodward F, Leung K, Fox NC, Husain M (2016) Visual short-term memory binding deficit in familial Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 78: 150-64 PMID: 27085491
Ahmed S, Baker I, Thompson S, Husain M, Butler CR (2016) Utility of testing for apraxia and associated features in dementia. Neural Neurosurg Psychiat (Epub ahead of print) PMID: 27251676
Ahmed S, Baker I, Husain M, Thompson S, Kips C, Hornberger M, Hodges JR, Butler CR (2016) Memory impairment at initial clinical presentation in posterior cortical atrophy. J Alzheimers Dis (Epub ahead of print) PMID: 27128371
Pertzov Y, Heider M, Liang Y, Husain M. (2014) Effects of Healthy Ageing on Precision and Binding of Object Location in Visual Short Term Memory. Psychol Aging 30, 26-35. PMID: 25528066
Zokaei N, Heider M, Husain M. (2014) Attention is required for maintenance of feature binding in visual working memory. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 67: 1191-213 PMID:24266343
Pertzov Y, Miller TD, Gorgoraptis N, Caine D, Schott JM, Butler C, Husain M. (2013) Binding deficits in memory following medial temporal lobe damage in patients with voltage-gated potassium channel complex antibody-associated limbic encephalitis. Brain 136: 2474-85. PMID:23757763
Peich M, Husain M, Bays PM. (2013) Age-related decline of precision and binding in visual working memory. Psychology & Aging 28: 729-43. PMID:23978008