(Aim 1) Our ongoing study focusing on studying episodic memory without verbal reports is yielding major novel results that we believe will make a strong impact on cognitive research. We believe it has the potential to enable research on episodic memory in populations where it was not possible yet, such as in infants, patients with aphasia, or even animal models. Once published, we will make our tools widely available for the scientific community.
(Aim 2) Our work on sleep in epilepsy patients has far-reaching implications for the fundamental investigation of sleep and memory, paving the way for fresh avenues in future clinical interventions. The new techniques and tools developed here such as closed-loop intracranial stimulation and analysis of human sleep activities at a resolution of individual neurons are useful for other disciplines in neuroscience and cognitive research. From a perspective rooted in basic science, our findings furnish direct proof in humans, lending support to the prevailing model of memory consolidation at the systems level, which is dependent on sleep. They indicate that precise coordination between hippocampal ripples, thalamocortical sleep spindles, and neocortical slow waves may facilitate intricate communication between the human hippocampus and neocortex while asleep. On the clinical front, these findings emphasize the potential to enhance memory consolidation during the sleep period. In the future, through similar closed-loop deep brain stimulation, we may offer assistance to individuals afflicted with memory disorders. Future research can delve into the potential of this approach as a novel therapeutic modality for memory disorders and dementia.
(Aim 3) Our ongoing study of sleep abnormalities in mild cognitive impairment will contribute to our basic understanding of sleep and memory in aging and dementia, and help improve early diagnosis and prognosis in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
