How do theater actors’ and actresses’ memories work? How do they learn their lines and reproduce them accurately? What memorization strategies are used? The CIRAANO project will study the formidable tool of memory, the lifeblood of the acting profession. 

Do you need an “elephant’s memory” to be an actor? You’d think so, given the length and complexity of the texts performed on stage. The CIRANOO research project will explore the actor’s brain from every angle, to better understand how our memory works. 

This project, led by the Neuropresage research team (PHIND – UMR 1237), is co-constructed with six ambassador actors – François Berléand, Constance Dollé, Joanne Génini, Thierry Lhermitte, Florence Muller and Agathe Natanson. “Our research is aimed at understanding the origins of memory disorders,” explains Gaël Chételat, research director at INSERM and scientific leader of the CIRAANO project. “Actors have implemented strategies to learn texts by heart, so they can perform their jobs effectively. With the CIRAANO project, we’re going to study these strategies to understand the mechanisms involved. Ultimately, this knowledge will help us to improve the treatment of patients suffering from memory disorders. “

The Neuropresage team, based at Cyceron, will benefit from the cutting-edge tools of the neuroimaging platform. Brain imaging studies will be coupled with cognitive tests and assessments of sleep, lifestyle and psycho-affective status. Around 100 actors, healthy participants and patients will be recruited for the project, which will start in January 2024. 

CIRAANO research project launch evening on Friday May 12, 2023 at Le Mancel (Caen)