Ten Years of SPARC: A Retrospective on Advancing Neuromodulation Science

A newly published paper from the NIH Common Fund reflects on the first decade of the Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) program, established in 2015 to accelerate the development of neuromodulation therapies. The paper outlines the rationale behind the program's formation, its organizational structure, and its central scientific contribution: detailed, integrated functional and anatomical maps of neural circuits connecting the brain to peripheral organs.

These maps and datasets, which are freely available here on the SPARC Portal, provide the scientific foundation needed to translate more effective, precisely targeted neuromodulation devices and stimulation protocols into the clinic. The authors describe this body of work as a comprehensive foundation of knowledge intended to inspire future research and accelerate that translation.

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42234-026-00212-0