How groups of brain cells control thinking and behavior
Causal power of cortical neural ensembles: mechanisms and utility for brain perturbations
This project builds methods to find which groups of brain cells drive thinking and behavior so future brain-targeted treatments can be more precise for people with cognitive problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11296914 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, researchers will combine mathematical models and recordings of brain cell activity to create maps that show which neurons or neuron clusters influence others. They will use these maps to identify hub clusters in the prefrontal cortex and deliver tiny electrical stimulation to see whether activating those hubs produces predictable changes in overall brain activity. The approach is designed to work at multiple scales, from single neurons to aggregated signals, and to make very sparse recordings far more informative. The goal is to turn these maps into practical guidance for targeted brain perturbations that could later be used in treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The most relevant candidates would be patients who undergo clinical brain recordings or receive therapeutic brain stimulation for cognitive or neurological conditions.
Not a fit: People who are not eligible for brain recordings or stimulation (for example, those without neurosurgical indications) are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide more precise and effective brain stimulation therapies for people with cognitive impairments.
How similar studies have performed: Related animal and some human neurosurgical studies have shown that stimulating identified neural hubs can change circuit activity, but applying causal maps from very sparse recordings is a newer and less tested approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kiani, Roozbeh — New York University
- Study coordinator: Kiani, Roozbeh
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 below.