Direct dopamine recording in people performing working memory tasks
Official title: Direct Dopamine Recording From Humans Engaging Working Memory
Funded at Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ · NIH-11401217 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are testing how dopamine signals in the brain relate to working memory in people with epilepsy, using real-time brain recordings during memory tasks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Blacksburg, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $654,513 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH132635-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401217 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with medication-resistant epilepsy who are already undergoing intracranial monitoring and consent to participate.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without epilepsy or those not undergoing brain monitoring would not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
Researchers will measure dopamine release in awake participants who have epilepsy and are already undergoing brain monitoring with implanted electrodes. They will link these brain signals to performance on working memory tasks to understand how dopamine helps control what we hold in mind. The study uses advanced recording techniques to capture fast dopamine changes and relate them to cognitive processes. This work aims to clarify how dopamine may influence attention and memory in humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve our understanding of cognitive symptoms in ADHD and related conditions, potentially guiding new treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous similar recordings in humans have shown that dopamine signals relate to cognitive control, but this study extends that to working memory with high temporal precision.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
Blacksburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Montague, P Read — Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
- Study coordinator: Montague, P Read
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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.