Behavior-based signs to predict seizures and death risk in epilepsy
Official title: Behavioral biomarkers for prediction of mortality and seizures in epilepsy
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11235874 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are using AI-driven 3D video analysis of mouse behaviors to find subtle behavior patterns that might signal seizure risk and higher mortality for people with epilepsy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $540,503 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS136355-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11235874 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with temporal lobe epilepsy or genetic epilepsies such as Dravet syndrome, particularly those with treatment-resistant seizures, would be the most relevant groups for eventual clinical application.
✕Less likely to help
People without epilepsy or those whose seizure types are not represented by the mouse models used here may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
This project uses mouse models of temporal lobe epilepsy and Dravet syndrome and records their 3D movements with high-speed cameras. An AI method called Motion Sequencing (MoSeq) will break behavior into short, repeating modules and look for patterns that predict which animals later develop seizures or die after brain injury. The team will test whether these behavioral signatures track disease stages and responses to treatments. If the signals are reliable, they could inform development of non-invasive monitoring tools for people with epilepsy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new non-invasive ways to detect early seizure risk and guide treatments to prevent seizures and reduce mortality.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work from the Soltesz and Datta labs has already used MoSeq to distinguish epileptic from non-epileptic mice and reveal behavioral signatures, but applying these biomarkers to human patients is still novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Soltesz, Ivan — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Soltesz, Ivan
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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.