Seizures that start after a head injury
Acute neural injury and posttraumatic epilepsy
This project looks at how and where seizures begin in the brain after a traumatic head injury to help people who later develop epilepsy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Riverside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Riverside, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310113 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use a well-established mouse model of traumatic brain injury to find the exact brain locations where seizures start after head trauma. They will record brain activity over time with multielectrode EEG to define seizure foci and then compare the cells and molecules in those seizure areas to injured areas that do not produce seizures. The team will focus on how astrocytes and specific cortical and hippocampal nerve cells change and reorganize after injury. The goal is to identify cellular, molecular, and electrographic markers that point to how posttraumatic epilepsy develops and could be targeted in the future.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have had a traumatic brain injury—especially moderate to severe injuries—who are concerned about or at higher risk for developing posttraumatic epilepsy.
Not a fit: People whose seizures are unrelated to head injury (for example, genetic or developmental epilepsies) are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal biological signs and targets that help predict, prevent, or better treat epilepsy that follows head injury.
How similar studies have performed: Other animal studies have mapped seizure-generating circuits and implicated astrocytes, but direct translation into effective human treatments for posttraumatic epilepsy remains limited.
Where this research is happening
Riverside, United States
- University of California Riverside — Riverside, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Binder, Devin K — University of California Riverside
- Study coordinator: Binder, Devin K
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.