# Neurostimulation and Recording of Real World Spatial Navigation in Humans

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2020 · $1,089,050

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Decades of research and clinical observations have established that successful spatial navigation and memory
depend on the hippocampus and associated structures in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including entorhinal,
perirhinal and parahippocampal cortices [1, 2]. It is thought that the supporting neuronal mechanisms rely on key
oscillatory patterns of activity within the MTL that change dynamically when navigating through an environment
[3-10]. However, traditional human neuroimaging methodologies do now allow for recording of MTL oscillatory
activity during spatial navigation let alone physical movement. The proposed project will implement a first-of-its-
kind platform for wireless deep brain recording and stimulation of MTL oscillatory activity during freely moving
behaviors to investigate the relationship between spatial navigation, memory, and oscillatory activity, using
intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) recordings in participants who are implanted with the Neuropace
Responsive Neurostimulator (RNS®) for clinical evaluation and treatment of epilepsy. The RNS device will allow
for the stimulation and recording of MTL iEEG activity during virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and
real world (RW) spatial navigation tasks with simultaneous recording full-body and eye position and movement
using wearable technologies. Together these studies will have access to 70 rare participants implanted with the
RNS system over the project period through an ongoing multi-institutional collaboration among clinical and basic
science leaders at UCLA, Stanford, and UCSF. Since our studies address basic questions about the role of
oscillations in memory, the results will allow for the bridging of findings between species and lay the scientific
foundation for helping future patients with diseases where memory is impaired such as Alzheimer’s disease and
epilepsy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10044930
- **Project number:** 1U01NS117838-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** NANTHIA W SUTHANA
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,089,050
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10044930

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10044930, Neurostimulation and Recording of Real World Spatial Navigation in Humans (1U01NS117838-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10044930. Licensed CC0.

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