Disentangling How Inhibitory Brain Cells Shape Seizures in People
Official title: Disentangling Synaptic Inhibition during Spontaneous Seizures In Vivo
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11448856 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant tests how specific brain cells that normally calm the brain influence seizures in adults, using advanced optical methods in living subjects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $560,954 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NS146728-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11448856 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with epilepsy who could undergo advanced brain studies or contribute tissue/data for related analyses.
✕Less likely to help
Some individuals without epilepsy or those unable to participate in awake imaging studies may not benefit.
What this research studies
The project uses innovative all-optical tools to watch how inhibitory neurons and their synapses behave when a seizure starts in awake individuals. Researchers aim to see whether inhibition helps stop seizures or supports their spread, and how this differs by neuron type. The study focuses on human-relevant brain areas and translational aspects, with outcomes that could guide future therapies. Participants, if involved, would be adults with epilepsy or related neural conditions, while findings may inform timing strategies for interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to better-targeted therapies that modulate inhibition to prevent or shorten seizures.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests interneurons can both trigger and limit seizures, but this project examines this balance in chronic epilepsy using new techniques.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dudok, Barna — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Dudok, Barna
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Pediatric EMS seizures: simpler age-based midazolam dosing
A nationwide trial at EMS agencies tests whether using fixed, age-based dosing of midazolam for seizures in children improves treatment speed and safety.
-
Gene editing therapies to prevent epileptic seizures
A new gene-editing approach aims to reduce seizures in people with epilepsy by directly modifying a brain gene tied to the condition.
-
Detecting Absence Seizures in Kids at Home with a Mobile Recorder
A new mobile app helps doctors remotely diagnose and monitor childhood absence epilepsy using guided hyperventilation and video analysis to speed up treatment.
-
Seizures and long-term outcomes after childhood stroke
This project looks at whether early seizures and inflammation after a childhood stroke are linked to later epilepsy and recovery in kids up to 19 years old.
-
Using the brain’s natural connector to detect and prevent seizures
A study at Case Western Reserve University is exploring whether gently stimulating a natural brain pathway called the corpus callosum can help identify where seizures start and stop them from spreading in people with hard-to-control epilepsy.
-
Defining the brain regions that trigger seizures in epilepsy
Researchers are studying which parts of the brain cause seizures in people with epilepsy to guide safer, more effective epilepsy surgery.
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.