How early-life seizures change brain connections
Official title: Tracking the evolution of synaptic dysplasticity after early life seizures
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11298999 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how seizures in infancy can cause lasting changes to nerve-cell connections that may underlie learning, memory, or social difficulties.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $602,423 |
| NIH project number | 5R37NS115439-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11298999 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is most relevant to people who had seizures in early childhood (and their caregivers) or anyone concerned about later learning, memory, or social difficulties linked to early seizures.
✕Less likely to help
People whose seizures began in adulthood or whose conditions are unrelated to early-life seizures are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this specific work.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers use a mouse model of early-life seizures to permanently tag the specific brain cells that were active during those seizures so they can be found later. They will measure how glutamate receptors, synaptic responses, and related signaling pathways change in those tagged neurons over time. The goal is to link those single-cell changes to later problems with learning and social behavior that resemble features of autism. By focusing on the exact neurons affected, the team hopes to find changes that wider tissue sampling would miss.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to molecular targets to restore normal synaptic plasticity and help improve learning, memory, or social outcomes after early-life seizures.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies have shown that early seizures can cause long-term cognitive and social problems, but permanently tagging and tracking the same neurons over time is a newer method being applied here.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jensen, Frances E — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Jensen, Frances E
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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.