# Targeted closed-loop intracranial brain-stimulation to improve episodic memory

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $626,121

## Abstract

Project Summary
This project aims to determine how invasive closed-loop electrical stimulation can potentially rescue patterns of neural activity in the brain that give rise to successful memory
functions. With an eye towards helping people affected by disorders of memory – including the ever-growing population suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, such as
Alzheimer's – we propose to assess how functional brain dynamics can be used to guide
the optimal timing, location, and properties of direct brain stimulation. Prior work has
identified specific patterns of neural activity across the brain, principally spectral modulations in the theta (3-8 Hz) and gamma (30+ Hz) bands, that predict successful memory
encoding and retrieval. We recently observed that the effect of stimulation on memory
encoding depends on these neural signatures at the time it is delivered. Furthermore,
we have shown that the functional and structural connectivity profile of a stimulation
site relates to the effectiveness of stimulation on memory. Here, we aim to elucidate (1)
whether state-dependent stimulation can separately be used to modulate encoding and
retrieval processes, or whether common stimulation algorithms applied to both phases
can more optimally restore function, (2) whether stimulation is more effective when targeted to regions with specific connectivity profiles to the medial temporal lobe, and (3)
how simultaneous stimulation at multiple target sites can be optimized with knowledge
of the connectivities of those sites. More broadly, this project seeks to determine whether
biomarker-guided, closed-loop brain stimulation can be used to correct pathologic brain
states and restore the function of an impaired memory system.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9940909
- **Project number:** 5R01NS106611-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Jacob Kahana
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $626,121
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9940909

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9940909, Targeted closed-loop intracranial brain-stimulation to improve episodic memory (5R01NS106611-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9940909. Licensed CC0.

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