How dentate spikes affect memory and seizures
Official title: The Role of Dentate Spikes in Cognition and Epilepsy
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11367726 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether brief bursts of activity in a memory-related part of the brain (the dentate gyrus) change memory and seizure patterns in people with temporal lobe epilepsy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $667,738 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NS145154-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11367726 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Best matches adults with temporal lobe epilepsy who experience memory problems and are interested in research that could lead to new memory-protecting treatments.
✕Less likely to help
People with other types of epilepsy, no memory impairment, or conditions unrelated to the temporal lobe are less likely to receive direct benefits from this work.
What this research studies
If you have temporal lobe epilepsy, this project aims to explain why memory problems happen by studying brief electrical events called dentate spikes. Researchers will record detailed brain signals in lab models and identify specific cells in the entorhinal cortex that may trigger these spikes, then use light-based methods to turn those cells on or off. They will track how these manipulations change synchronized brain rhythms and performance on navigation and memory tasks. Although the experiments are done in animals, the goal is to guide new approaches that could protect memory and reduce seizure-related brain disruption for people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to new ways to protect memory or reduce seizure-related brain disruptions for people with temporal lobe epilepsy.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal work links dentate spikes and brain synchronization to memory, but directly manipulating identified entorhinal cells to prove causality is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shuman, Tristan — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Shuman, Tristan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Brain aging and thinking in older adults with epilepsy
This project follows older adults with temporal or frontal lobe epilepsy to find blood tests, genes, blood vessel measures, and brain scan patterns linked to faster memory and thinking decline.
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Investigating brain aging and cognition in older adults with epilepsy
This study is looking at how epilepsy impacts thinking and brain health in older adults aged 55 to 90, and it aims to find out what factors might speed up aging in the brain, so we can help prevent or slow down memory problems like dementia.
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Understanding how sleep affects thinking in people with new-onset temporal lobe epilepsy
This study is looking at how sleep affects memory and attention in people who have just been diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy, hoping to find ways to help improve both their sleep and thinking skills.
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Investigating the link between late-onset epilepsy and cognitive decline in older adults
This study is looking at how late-onset epilepsy in people aged 60 and older might be linked to memory and thinking problems, like those seen in Alzheimer's disease, to see if it could help us find ways to spot and address these issues early on.
-
Scaling Up Task-Shifted Epilepsy Care for Children in Africa
A study to help children with epilepsy in Africa get diagnosed and receive seizure care through trained community health workers.
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Closed-loop control of interneuron timing to influence seizures and memory in epilepsy
A study tests a brain-quieting system that uses light to precisely time certain brain cells in epilepsy-prone mice to see if this can lessen seizures and improve memory.
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.