Seizures after childhood stroke and how they affect recovery
Official title: Seizures and Children's Outcomes after Stroke (SCOUTS)
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11290284 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project examines whether seizures that happen soon after a child's stroke cause more inflammation and raise the chance of developing epilepsy later on.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $682,253 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS119896-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11290284 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 28 days to 19 years at the time of ischemic stroke who were enrolled in the VIPS I or VIPS II pediatric stroke cohorts, especially those who had acute seizures within one week of their stroke.
✕Less likely to help
Children whose strokes occurred outside the specified age range, who were not part of the VIPS cohorts, or who lack available blood samples or imaging data are unlikely to be included or to directly benefit from this grant's analyses.
What this research studies
If your child had an ischemic stroke between 28 days and 19 years of age, researchers will use clinical records, brain imaging, and banked blood samples already collected in two large pediatric stroke groups to learn more about seizures after stroke. Children who had seizures within one week of the stroke will be compared with those who did not to study inflammatory signals and the location of the brain injury. One cohort will be used to find patterns and a second independent cohort will be used to confirm them. The team will link these findings to whether children went on to develop epilepsy over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to blood markers or brain features that help predict or prevent epilepsy after childhood stroke, improving long-term outcomes and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Animal experiments and prior clinical work link post-stroke inflammation and injury location to epilepsy risk, but using blood biomarkers plus imaging across two pediatric cohorts for discovery and validation is a newer, translational approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fox, Christine K. — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Fox, Christine K.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Seizures and long-term outcomes after childhood stroke
This project looks at whether early seizures and inflammation after a childhood stroke are linked to later epilepsy and recovery in kids up to 19 years old.
-
Post-stroke seizure mechanisms and treatments in a mouse model
Researchers are testing new ways to prevent seizures after a stroke using a mouse model and two potential treatments.
-
Understanding seizures and outcomes in children after a stroke
This study is looking at how seizures that happen soon after a stroke in kids might lead to long-term epilepsy and learning difficulties, and it’s for children aged 28 days to 19 years who have had a stroke.
-
Stroke prevention with hydroxyurea for children with sickle cell anemia in Nigeria
A multinational, patient-facing study tests whether hydroxyurea can safely prevent first strokes in Nigerian children with sickle cell anemia.
-
Music-powered tools to boost blood pressure and stroke prevention for Nigerian youth and their older caregivers
This project uses popular music to help Nigerian youths and their older family members start and stick to blood pressure and stroke prevention habits.
-
Determinants of Post-Stroke Cognitive Outcomes and Vascular Effects on Recovery
A large, multi-site effort aims to understand why some stroke survivors develop long-term cognitive problems and dementia, and how vascular health and pre-existing brain changes influence recovery.
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.