Finding where seizures begin using resting brain scans and implanted EEG
CRCNS: Following the BOLD lightening at rest strikes the seizure onset zone!
This project uses MRI and implanted EEG taken while the brain is at rest to locate the spot where seizures start in people with drug-resistant epilepsy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11174296 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or your child has drug-resistant focal epilepsy and are being considered for surgery, this work combines resting-state MRI and recordings from implanted brain electrodes to look for the seizure onset zone (SOZ). Instead of waiting for a seizure, researchers will build dynamical network models that describe how brain signals are generated and how certain regions can trigger seizures. The team will merge intracranial EEG and fMRI data to create a biomarker that points to the likely SOZ and test it in patients who are already undergoing clinical monitoring. Participation would be coordinated with standard surgical evaluation and imaging so it fits into the existing clinical process.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people (including children) with focal drug-resistant epilepsy who are undergoing or being evaluated for intracranial EEG monitoring and who can safely have MRI scans.
Not a fit: People with generalized epilepsy, those not eligible for implanted EEG, or patients who cannot undergo MRI are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could more accurately pinpoint seizure-starting areas and improve the chances of seizure freedom after surgery while avoiding unnecessary tissue removal.
How similar studies have performed: Previous resting-state EEG or fMRI markers have produced mixed and inconsistent results for locating the SOZ, so this combined intracranial EEG–fMRI with dynamical modeling is a novel and unproven approach.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boerwinkle, Varina — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Boerwinkle, Varina
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.