Project Grant R01NS146703

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded Emory University $635,512 on September 1, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853) to develop and validate an automated deep brain stimulation programming platform for patients with Parkinson's disease.

The project will develop machine learning algorithms and a closed-loop automated system to optimize deep brain stimulation parameters—including contact configuration, amplitude, pulse width, and frequency—by using electrophysiologic biomarkers to guide parameter selection. The work combines meta-active learning, a reinforcement learning method that leverages prior patient data to efficiently identify patient-specific optimal parameters, with two biomarkers: DBS-local evoked potential to measure target engagement and therapeutic efficacy, and motor evoked potentials to detect and minimize inadvertent muscle contractions from stimulation spread. The research aims to expand access to deep brain stimulation while maintaining and potentially improving clinical outcomes by reducing the time clinicians spend on manual parameter programming. Work will occur in Atlanta, Georgia with a period of performance running through June 30, 2031. The award is structured as a Project Grant, the assistance type used by NINDS for extramural research in neuroscience and neurological disorders.