TEMPORALLY CODED INTRABRAIN STIMULATION IN PHASE: RELEVANCE FOR MEMORY FORMATION AND TREATMENT OF EPILEPSIES

Brain activity is organized into complex spatiotemporal patterns that coordinate

fundamental processes such as perception, cognition, memory, and behavior.

Growing evidence indicates that not only the firing frequency of neurons, but also their

temporal organization in phase (within the slow oscillations that modulate neural

networks) plays an essential role in communication between neuronal populations and

in modulating synaptic plasticity. In this context, temporally encoded intrabrain

stimulation strategies emerge as promising tools for both neurophysiological research

and therapeutic applications. This lecture will address the neurobiological foundations

of temporal coding in neural systems and discuss how different temporal patterns of

electrical stimulation can influence neuronal synchronization, memory formation, and

the dynamics of brain networks. Experimental results involving non-periodic

stimulation patterns, controlled asynchronies, and phase-encoded stimulation

protocols applied to experimental models of epilepsy and memory will be presented.

This work was supported by Conselho Nac. Des. Cient. Tecnologico (CNPq #

408170/2023-9) and by the FAPEMIG (APQ-03295-18).