Advanced MRI to find hidden epilepsy brain lesions
MR Fingerprinting for Epilepsy
This work uses a faster, more detailed MRI method called MR Fingerprinting to help adults with focal, drug-resistant epilepsy find tiny brain lesions that standard MRI can miss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310204 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would get a new type of MRI scan called MR Fingerprinting that creates quantitative, 3D maps of brain tissue tailored for epilepsy. The team has optimized the scan to be fast and more resistant to motion, with GPU-based reconstruction so images and maps can be ready within minutes after scanning. The approach is designed to reveal subtle focal cortical dysplasia and other small abnormalities that often go undetected on routine MRI. The project aims to move this end-to-end workflow into everyday clinical use to help guide presurgical planning.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21 years and older) with drug-resistant focal epilepsy who have normal or inconclusive standard MRI and are being evaluated for possible epilepsy surgery are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with generalized epilepsy, children under 21, or patients not undergoing presurgical imaging are unlikely to benefit from this specific scanning approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, doctors may better locate the small cortical abnormalities that cause seizures, increasing the chances of successful surgery and seizure freedom.
How similar studies have performed: Previous pilot work and the team's earlier R01 showed promising ability of MR Fingerprinting to reveal cortical abnormalities, but broader clinical translation is still in progress.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Zhong Irene — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Wang, Zhong Irene
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.