Leading researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School have secured a $4.4 million grant. This investment will fund the world’s first study to use personalized prefrontal cortex stimulation to treat bipolar disorder. Led by Dr. Ziad Nahas, this unprecedented project is designed to decode how large-scale brain networks control mood fluctuations and to use innovative brain stimulation technology to stabilize these changes.
This research is crucial because bipolar disorder is a severe, often life-threatening condition characterized by radical mood swings between episodes of depression and mania. Existing therapeutic approaches have not fully explained the underlying neuronal mechanisms causing this pathology. The research team hopes that through a new, individually tailored method called Personalized and Adaptive Cortical Electro-Stimulation (PACE), they will be able to directly adjust/modify the activity of brain networks responsible for mood regulation.
The PACE method uses an adaptive electrical stimulation technique that targets the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain involved in regulating mood and executive functions). Preliminary data suggests that this method is expected to alleviate depressive symptoms. However, this is the first study that will investigate how modeling brain activity can prevent/modify mood swings in bipolar disorder. A deeper understanding of these neurobiological systems will sharply improve treatment parameters and, ultimately, patient outcomes.
The University of Minnesota’s unique resources, recognized expertise in neuroscience, and relevant infrastructure are critical for this innovative project. Participants will be enrolled in the study in 2026, which is funded by the organization “Breakthrough Discoveries for thriving with Bipolar Disorder (BD2).” This initiative is part of a large-scale program under which grants were awarded to four leading multidisciplinary groups in the U.S. to study the fundamental mechanisms of bipolar disorder.
Source: University of Minnesota
