Personalized deep brain stimulation for epilepsy treatment
Official title: Personalized Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11054774 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking to help people with epilepsy who don't find relief from regular medications by using a special treatment that targets specific areas of their brain, making it more personalized and effective just for them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $256,500 |
| NIH project number | 1K23NS136792-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11054774 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals with epilepsy who have not found relief from conventional drug treatments and are considering deep brain stimulation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with epilepsy who respond well to existing medications or those who do not qualify for deep brain stimulation may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on improving treatment for epilepsy, particularly for patients who do not respond to standard medications. It aims to personalize deep brain stimulation by targeting specific areas of the brain based on individual seizure networks. Using advanced techniques like stereotactic intracranial EEG, the study will map brain connectivity and optimize stimulation parameters to enhance treatment effectiveness. Patients will be monitored closely to assess how their brain networks respond to stimulation, allowing for tailored interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective epilepsy treatments that significantly reduce or eliminate seizures for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using personalized approaches to neuromodulation, but this specific method of targeting and stimulation is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gregg, Nicholas M — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Gregg, Nicholas M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Ventral pallidum brain stimulation for epilepsy
A brain stimulation therapy in people with epilepsy whose seizures aren’t controlled by medicines or surgery is being studied to see if it can help achieve seizure freedom.
-
Targeted deep brain stimulation to reduce infantile epilepsy spasms
This project will see if tiny electrical pulses delivered to specific deep brain areas can reduce severe infantile spasms, first in animal models to help design future treatments for babies.
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Finding the brain circuit behind focal epilepsy using lesions and deep brain stimulation
This project uses patterns of brain injury and responses to deep brain stimulation to find the brain circuit that causes and treats focal epilepsy in people with lesions from stroke, trauma, or tumors.
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Identifying brain circuits involved in epilepsy using brain lesions and stimulation techniques
This study is looking at how brain injuries from things like strokes can cause focal epilepsy and whether a treatment called deep brain stimulation can help, aiming to understand why it works for some people but not others, so we can find better ways to treat epilepsy in the future.
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Scaling Up Task-Shifted Epilepsy Care for Children in Africa
A study to help children with epilepsy in Africa get diagnosed and receive seizure care through trained community health workers.
-
Closed-loop control of interneuron timing to influence seizures and memory in epilepsy
A study tests a brain-quieting system that uses light to precisely time certain brain cells in epilepsy-prone mice to see if this can lessen seizures and improve memory.
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.