EEG tools to predict recovery after sudden brain injury
Official title: Prospective Validation of Neurophysiologic Outcome Prediction in Acute Brain Injury
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11243554 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will use computer-based EEG tools to help doctors predict recovery and seizure risk for people hospitalized with sudden (acute) brain injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $728,961 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS126282-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11243554 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients hospitalized with an acute brain injury (such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or brain hemorrhage) who are having or can undergo EEG monitoring at a participating center.
✕Less likely to help
People without acute brain injury, those treated outside participating hospitals, or those not having EEG monitoring are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you join, the team will collect your clinical records and routine EEG recordings while you're in the hospital and follow outcomes over time. They will apply three machine-learning tools (a seizure forecast called 2HELPS2B, a Burden of Epileptiform Activity measure called BEACON, and a model predicting later epilepsy) to find EEG patterns linked to short- and long-term outcomes. This is a prospective, multicenter observational study enrolling about 3,000 patients across several hospitals, so your medical care would not be changed by participation but your data and EEGs would be analyzed. The aim is to turn these algorithms into practical tools clinicians can use at the bedside.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tools could help clinicians spot harmful brain activity earlier, guide treatment to prevent seizures, and improve long-term recovery after acute brain injury.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier pilot work by this team and other groups has shown promise for EEG-based prediction, but large prospective multicenter validation at this scale is still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Westover, Michael Brandon — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Westover, Michael Brandon
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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-
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Using EEG to guide seizure medicines after stroke or head injury
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Helping patients with acute brain injuries and their caregivers build resilience together
This study is for patients who have had a brain injury, like a stroke, and their caregivers, and it offers a friendly program called 'Recovering Together' to help them cope with stress and support each other while they heal in the hospital.
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Understanding outcomes and care needs after severe brain injuries
This study is looking at how people who have had serious brain injuries, like strokes or heart attacks, are doing in their final weeks of life and how we can make their care better, while also understanding how this affects their family members who are helping them.
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.