Spatiotemporal Tuning of Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease
Official title: Spatiotemporal Optimization of Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11362362 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to personalize deep brain stimulation by adjusting where and when the brain is stimulated to better control Parkinson’s symptoms.
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 15, 2016 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $522,942 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS094206-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362362 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with Parkinson’s disease who are candidates for DBS and can undergo high-density electrophysiological measurements.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not eligible for DBS, not able to participate in invasive stimulation studies, or with conditions precluding implantation.
What this research studies
This project explores how changing the timing and location of deep brain stimulation in the basal ganglia can improve movement in people with Parkinson’s disease. Researchers will study single cells, neural ensembles, and brain networks to see how different stimulation patterns affect information flow and natural movement. They will also test a new Bayesian adaptive control method to link stimulation settings with specific motor symptoms. The work builds on detailed electrophysiology data to translate findings into more precise therapy for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could allow DBS to target individual motor symptoms more accurately, potentially reducing tremor, stiffness, and slowness.
How similar studies have gone: Previous DBS research has shown that tailored stimulation can improve symptoms, but this project aims to optimize spatiotemporal parameters in a patient-specific way.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Matthew Douglas — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Matthew Douglas
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease
A safety-focused study tests a new brain-stimulation device that could tailor therapy for people with Parkinson’s by adapting stimulation based on brain signals and sleep stages.
-
Theta Burst Deep Brain Stimulation for Cognitive and Motor Benefits in Parkinson’s-Related Dementia
A study from USC will test a new brain stimulation approach to help people with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia improve thinking skills and movement.
-
Understanding sleep problems in Parkinson’s disease using at-home brain recordings and adaptive stimulation
Scientists are testing how brain signals during sleep relate to sleep problems in Parkinson’s and whether a special DBS device at home can improve sleep by adapting stimulation.
-
Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation to Help with Visuo-Vestibular Conflicts in Parkinson's
A study to improve how people with Parkinson's use visual and balance cues when moving, by optimizing deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus to help navigation and balance.
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.