How single brain cells represent word meaning
Studying semantic processing during language comprehension in humans at the single-cellular level
Researchers record activity from individual brain cells in people having brain procedures to learn how words and meanings are represented during language.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11266120 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, doctors will record electrical activity from individual neurons in language areas of the brain while you perform structured language tasks during a planned neurosurgical procedure or monitoring session. The team combines linguistic theory, precise intraoperative recordings, and computational modeling to see which neurons respond to particular word meanings and how those responses unfold in time. They will test whether semantic information can be decoded from single-neuron activity and whether those patterns generalize across different words and sentences. This work uses rare human recordings to map fine-grained relationships between words and neuronal firing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who are undergoing neurosurgical procedures or intracranial electrode monitoring and who can perform spoken or written language tasks during recordings.
Not a fit: People who are not having brain surgery, children, or anyone unable to perform language tasks are unlikely to be eligible or receive direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal how the brain encodes meaning and eventually support improved language therapies or brain–computer communication tools.
How similar studies have performed: Prior rare human single-neuron recording work has shown neurons can signal language-related features, but this project applies broader linguistic tasks and advanced modeling to map meaning at a finer scale.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Williams, Ziv — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Williams, Ziv
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.