How Parkinson's and deep brain stimulation change brain circuits that control sleep and wakefulness
Official title: The effects of parkinsonism and deep brain stimulation on basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuitry during sleep-wake behavior
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11322070 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how Parkinson's disease and different deep brain stimulation targets change the brain circuits that control sleep for people with PD who struggle with sleep problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $611,842 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS110613-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11322070 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with Parkinson's disease who have significant sleep-wake disturbances and people being considered for or already treated with deep brain stimulation are the most likely to benefit from this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without Parkinson's disease or whose sleep problems have non-PD causes are unlikely to benefit directly from the findings.
What this research studies
From my perspective, researchers are mapping how brain activity in the basal ganglia, thalamus, cortex, and the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) changes as parkinsonism becomes more severe. They use animal models of Parkinson's and electrical stimulation to compare how stimulating different deep brain stimulation (DBS) targets — the subthalamic nucleus (STN), globus pallidus internus (GPi), and globus pallidus externus (GPe) — alters sleep-related brain activity and behavior. The team will trace which nerve fibers and pathways are activated by each DBS site and measure coupling and connectivity across the BGTC-PPN network. These detailed circuit maps are intended to point to DBS settings or new targets that could improve sleep quality in people with Parkinson's disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to DBS targets or settings that improve sleep and daytime function in people with Parkinson's disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows DBS can change sleep in Parkinson's, but this project is novel in mapping circuit-level changes across DBS targets and the PPN.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Luke Aaron — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Luke Aaron
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.