# Remediation of elevated delay discounting in mid-life individuals: A stage-II trial

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE · 2021 · $436,897

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Early-life disadvantage impedes normal developmental trajectories and confers elevated risk for poor health,
personal, and financial consequences that are particularly pronounced for individuals in mid-life. This is a
significant public health issue in impoverished communities that disproportionately suffer aging-related
negative outcomes. Unfortunately, current interventions target single primary clinical outcomes rather than a
target mechanism of various aging-related consequences, and are thus limited. This competing renewal
application seeks to leverage (1) the work completed during the initial funding period and (2) new relationships
established with community partners in the underserved communities of Baltimore, MD to continue and expand
a project targeting elevated delay discounting (DD), a core mechanism for negative consequences in mid-life.
Indicative of exaggerated preference for immediate rewards, elevated DD is associated with a wide spectrum
of health-compromising behaviors and negative outcomes observed in mid-life of individuals with early-life
disadvantage. Using a computerized executive function (EF) training intervention in a context of a Stage-II
RCT design, this proposal seeks to experimentally examine changes in EF and DD in a sample of mid-life
individuals who have experienced early-life disadvantage. Primary Aims are to examine initial and
maintained (3-month and 6-month) effects of EF training on both EF and DD, in comparison to a matched
control training condition and a no training condition. We expect EF improvement and reductions in DD
immediately and at 3-months and 6-months following the active training condition but not in the control or no
training conditions. We will examine whether improvement in EF is a mechanism of intervention effects
on DD. We expect that reductions in DD will be mediated by improvement in EF. An exploratory aim is
examination of whether the active training condition improves health behaviors and outcomes. The
proposed research may illuminate an innovative approach that may be particularly applicable to impoverished
communities and broadly impact the health and wellness of mid-life individuals who have increased risk for
poor consequences due to early-life disadvantage.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10189464
- **Project number:** 5R01AG048904-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE
- **Principal Investigator:** Richard Yi
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $436,897
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-09-30 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10189464

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10189464, Remediation of elevated delay discounting in mid-life individuals: A stage-II trial (5R01AG048904-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10189464. Licensed CC0.

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