Enkephalin changes in the hippocampus after head injury and seizure risk
Official title: Enkephalin-mediated hippocampal circuit disinhibition after traumatic brain injury
Funded at Portland VA Medical Center · NIH-11257645 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether rises in the brain peptide enkephalin after traumatic brain injury make the hippocampus more likely to produce seizures, which matters for people with head injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Portland VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX006921-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11257645 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have had a traumatic brain injury and are at risk for or already experiencing seizures would be the most relevant candidates for future human studies based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without head injury-related epilepsy or whose seizures have clearly different causes may not benefit directly from findings focused on post-traumatic mechanisms.
What this research studies
After a head injury, the hippocampus can reorganize in ways that lead to long-term brain overactivity and seizures; this project focuses on enkephalin, a natural opioid that neurons increase after injury. Researchers will use animal models of traumatic brain injury and lab techniques (molecular tests and electrical recordings) to measure how enkephalin affects inhibitory signals between hippocampal neurons. They will also reduce or alter enkephalin signaling to see whether that restores inhibition and lowers hyperexcitability that can trigger seizures. The experiments are performed in controlled laboratory settings at the Portland VA Medical Center.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new targets for preventing or treating post-traumatic epilepsy in people with head injuries.
How similar studies have gone: The increase in enkephalin after seizures has been known for decades, but functional testing of its role in post-traumatic hyperexcitability is relatively new and supported so far mainly by preliminary animal data.
Where this research is happening
-
Portland VA Medical Center
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schnell, Eric — Portland VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Schnell, Eric
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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.