Resetting the timing of brain inhibitory cells to reduce seizures and memory loss
Closed-loop Control of Interneuron Spike Timing in Epilepsy
This work uses precise light control of specific brain cells in mice to find ways to lower seizures and improve memory for 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 ID | NIH-11285402 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You should know this work focuses on temporal lobe epilepsy, a condition that often causes recurring seizures and memory problems. Researchers use mouse models of the disease and a closed-loop optogenetic system that can change the exact timing of activity in two types of inhibitory brain cells (parvalbumin and somatostatin interneurons). They will force abnormal timing in healthy mice to see if it can cause seizures and memory loss, and will try to restore normal timing in epileptic mice to see if seizures and memory improve. The goal is to learn whether correcting cell-level timing could point to new treatments for seizures and cognitive problems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with temporal lobe epilepsy who experience recurrent seizures and memory impairment would be the eventual candidates if this line of work advances to human testing.
Not a fit: Patients with forms of epilepsy that do not involve temporal lobe circuitry or whose seizures stem from unrelated structural causes may not benefit from timing-based approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new therapies that reduce seizures and improve memory by restoring precise timing of specific brain cells.
How similar studies have performed: Other animal studies using optogenetics have altered seizures or memory, but applying closed-loop timing control to specific interneuron types to rescue epilepsy-related deficits is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- 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
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.