Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury and Epilepsy: Finding New Ways to Stop Seizures
Official title: Chronic Focal and Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury: Mechanisms Underlying Epileptogenesis and Progressive Dysfunction
Funded at Philadelphia VA Medical Center · NIH-11461090 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how repetitive and complex brain injuries lead to epilepsy and cognitive problems, with a focus on Veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Philadelphia VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 2I01RD000547-06A2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11461090 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans and others with traumatic brain injury who are at risk for epilepsy or cognitive decline may benefit from future applications of these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People without traumatic brain injury or epilepsy may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers are using pig models that mimic human brain injuries to study how seizures begin after trauma. They collect detailed brain activity data with advanced wireless implants and run cognitive tests to see how injury affects memory and behavior. The goal is to identify new biomarkers and targets that could guide personalized treatments for people with post-traumatic epilepsy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new treatments and better prediction of seizure risk for veterans with brain injuries.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work with animal models and biomarker approaches suggests progress is possible, but translating to humans remains challenging.
Where this research is happening
-
Philadelphia VA Medical Center
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wolf, John Allen — Philadelphia VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wolf, John Allen
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
AI-enhanced virtual reality tool to support remote emergency brain surgery training in Tanzania
A new AI-powered virtual reality tool helps non-experts in low-resource areas get real-time remote guidance for emergency traumatic brain injury surgery.
-
How head injury affects the heart and blood vessels
This project aims to find out whether traumatic brain injuries make people more likely to develop hardened arteries and heart problems, especially among veterans.
-
Neural targets for improving function in Veterans with alcohol use disorder and mild brain injury
This project tests a targeted brain-stimulation approach to help Veterans who have both alcohol use problems and mild traumatic brain injury improve daily functioning.
-
How head injuries affect the heart and blood vessels
This project is looking at whether past traumatic brain injuries cause changes in blood vessels and raise the risk of heart disease for people who have had head injuries.
-
Keeping oxygen in the injured brain after severe head trauma
This project uses a small brain oxygen monitor to guide ICU care for people with severe traumatic brain injury in hopes of improving recovery.
-
How head injuries affect Parkinson's over time
Researchers will follow people with Parkinson's disease to learn how past mild-to-moderate head injuries relate to thinking, mood, movement, brain changes, and quality of life.
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.