Restorative Encoding Memory Integration Neural Device-In Vivo Testing

The title of the proposed research implies the innovative nature of the work the REMIND Program to restore memories that are either not encoded by the brain as a result of malfunction or injury, or encoded in an improper manner as during acquisition of new information under distracting circumstances. The research described will exploit a set of prior findings in the rodent brain showing restorative memory encoding of task-relevant information by mathematically calculated stimulation patterns that mimic neuronal population firing codes. These findings will be extended to the brains of nonhuman primates (NHPs) as the next and fmal step before applying this technology to humans. The long-range goal of the REMIND Program is to capture the capacity to generate such mathematically derived stimulation patterns in an integrated electronic device that can be ported and linked to ongoing brain events in a manner that would allow continued human performance in a variety of task-demanding circumstances. There are no such devices currently available and the advancement of the REMIND Program toward the above goals will not only provide the basis for a new generation of brain reconnection-based neural prostheses, but also advance understanding of how to improve normal brain function with respect to encoding relevant information in adverse or unfamiliar situations.