How focal frontal seizures spread to cause full-body convulsions
Secondarily generalized tonic clonic seizure: a functional anatomy
This project maps how focal motor seizures in the frontal brain spread to produce bilateral tonic-clonic convulsions for people with epilepsy who have these dangerous events.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11370912 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are using advanced imaging and genetic tagging in mice to trace the exact brain pathways that let a focal frontal seizure spread and become a full-body convulsion. They combine 3D tissue clearing and imaging, tract tracing, electrophysiology, and cell-level immunohistochemistry to see both mesoscale routes and microscopic circuit details. The team will also test how dopamine D2 receptor signaling changes seizure spread. Although the work is done in animal models, it is focused on the same seizure types that cause most sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with focal motor (frontal) seizures that secondarily generalize to bilateral tonic-clonic convulsions are the patient group most directly related to this work.
Not a fit: Patients whose seizures are generalized from onset, those with primarily non-motor seizure types, or those needing immediate clinical treatment changes may not get direct, immediate benefit from this lab-based mouse research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal new brain-circuit targets to stop seizures from generalizing and reduce the risk of SUDEP and injury.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has implicated thalamic and basal ganglia pathways in seizure spread, but the detailed 3D TRAP-mouse mapping and microcircuit analyses proposed here are newer and less-tested approaches.
Where this research is happening
Charlottesville, United States
- University of Virginia — Charlottesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kapur, Jaideep — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Kapur, Jaideep
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.