Adaptive deep brain stimulation to reduce harmful brain rhythms
Official title: Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation for Controlling Abnormal Neural Synchronization and Oscillations
Funded at San Jose State University · NIH-11129664 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A computer-guided closed-loop deep brain stimulation approach aims to reduce harmful synchronized brain activity for people with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's-related brain rhythm problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Jose State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Jose, United States) |
| Project start | July 2, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $146,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R16NS140310-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11129664 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's-related cognitive symptoms who show abnormal brain oscillations and who would be considered candidates for DBS therapies are the most likely future candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People whose symptoms are well controlled with medication, who do not have abnormal neural synchrony, or who are not candidates for brain stimulation are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers are building computer models and machine-learning systems that could control DBS devices automatically by detecting abnormal brain rhythms and adjusting stimulation in real time. The team will run detailed computer simulations (in-silico) to design and test closed-loop, multi-input multi-output stimulation strategies focused on breaking up pathological neural synchrony. They will explore stimulation patterns that produce lasting changes through neural plasticity so benefits might continue after stimulation stops. Findings are intended to guide future laboratory and clinical testing rather than recruit patients now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to DBS systems that automatically tune stimulation to reduce symptoms and decrease the need for frequent clinical reprogramming.
How similar studies have gone: Closed-loop DBS and responsive stimulation have shown promising early results in epilepsy and Parkinson's disease, but the specific MIMO model-based closed-loop framework proposed here is largely novel and primarily tested in simulations so far.
Where this research is happening
-
San Jose State University
San Jose, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kumar, Gautam — San Jose State University
- Study coordinator: Kumar, Gautam
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cerebellar Deep Brain Stimulation for Spinocerebellar Ataxias
A preliminary clinical trial will test delivering electrical stimulation to the cerebellum in people with spinocerebellar ataxia to see if it improves balance and coordination.
-
Improving deep brain stimulation with MRI and AI
We use brain scans and artificial intelligence to speed up and personalize deep brain stimulation settings for people getting DBS.
-
Adaptive deep brain stimulation to help Parkinson's patients respond to daily changes
A new, smarter brain stimulation approach for Parkinson’s disease aims to automatically adjust therapy throughout the day to better control symptoms.
-
Automated programming for personalized deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease
Aims to create an AI-powered system that automatically tunes the brain stimulation settings for people with Parkinson’s disease to improve benefits and reduce side effects.
-
Ventral pallidum brain stimulation for epilepsy
A brain stimulation therapy in people with epilepsy whose seizures aren’t controlled by medicines or surgery is being studied to see if it can help achieve seizure freedom.
-
TinyML-powered closed-loop DBS for Parkinson's disease
A small, energy-efficient brain-stimulation system using lightweight AI runs on an implanted device to adapt DBS in real time for people with Parkinson's disease.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.