A new study published in Nature Neuroscience from the labs of former HWNI member Matthew Walker, HWNI member William Jagust, and other colleagues may help explain why memory declines with age, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease. The study, led by UC Berkeley postdoctoral researcher and Weill Neurohub Fellow Omer Sharon, found an association among the buildup of tau — a protein involved in Alzheimer’s disease — in the frontal cortex of the brain, changes in brain wave patterns during non-REM sleep, and poorer episodic memory formation in older adults. While the study does not prove that frontal cortex tau buildup causes memory loss, it reveals for the first time that there is a relationship among tau, memory, and the disruption of specific brain waves during sleep, advancing our understanding of age-related memory decline.
September 23, 2026
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