Better brain imaging to guide epilepsy surgery
Integration of Advanced Diffusion MRI and 3D Histology for Improved Neurosurgical Targeting
This project aims to create better brain scans to help doctors find the exact spot in the brain causing seizures for people with epilepsy that doesn't respond to medicine.
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 ID | NIH-11092684 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
For patients with epilepsy that doesn't improve with medication, surgery can be a cure, but finding the exact area causing seizures is very difficult. Currently, doctors use a method called stereo-EEG, which involves placing many electrodes inside the brain, but it's often hard to know where to put them without clear signs on standard MRI scans. This work is developing new, advanced MRI techniques that can detect tiny changes in the brain related to epilepsy. These new scans will be checked against detailed 3D brain tissue analysis and actual brain activity recordings to ensure they are accurate. The hope is that these improved scans will guide surgeons more precisely, making epilepsy surgery more successful.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are patients with medically refractory epilepsy who do not have visible lesions on standard brain MRI scans.
Not a fit: Patients whose epilepsy is well-controlled with medication or who have clear, visible lesions on standard MRI may not directly benefit from this specific imaging advancement.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could significantly increase the chances of finding the seizure origin in patients with medically refractory epilepsy, leading to more effective, potentially curative, neurosurgical treatments.
How similar studies have performed: This approach is developing innovative diffusion MRI paradigms and validating them, representing a novel advancement in guiding neurosurgical targeting for epilepsy.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcnab, Jennifer a — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Mcnab, Jennifer a
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.