Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center received a $597,934 Project Grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853), awarded on March 22, 2026, with a completion date of December 31, 2030. This research project, titled "Dissecting the Network Physiology of Pallidal Burst Stimulation," investigates advanced deep brain stimulation (DBS) techniques for treating Parkinson's disease by analyzing the physiological mechanisms underlying burst-patterned stimulation of the globus pallidus internus (GPI).

The research deliverables focus on mechanistic understanding of burst-DBS through analysis of basal-ganglia-thalamo-cortical motor network circuits using advanced intracranial recording techniques, including single-neuron dynamics, local field potentials, electrocorticography, and network physiology assessments. The project aims to identify optimal stimulation parameters and burst frequencies that produce sustained motor benefits while reducing the limitations of conventional fixed high-frequency DBS, including off-target side effects and device burden. This translational research addresses critical gaps in DBS optimization to improve clinical adoption and efficacy for patients with Parkinson's disease and represents a progression from the research team's pilot study demonstrating comparable efficacy and tolerability of burst-DBS versus conventional DBS approaches.