Targeted deep brain stimulation to reduce infantile epilepsy spasms
Official title: Evaluating the Efficacy of Targeted Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in Attenuating Refractory Infantile Epilepsy Spasm Syndrome (IESS) in a Rodent Model
Funded at New York Medical College · NIH-11354757 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York Medical College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Valhalla, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $162,400 |
| NIH project number | 1R03NS148675-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11354757 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The eventual candidates most likely to benefit would be infants with drug-resistant infantile epileptic spasms who fail therapies like ACTH or vigabatrin.
✕Less likely to help
Babies whose spasms are already controlled by current treatments or whose seizures stem from widespread structural brain damage or specific genetic conditions may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers will use a validated rat model that mimics infantile spasms to test stimulation of two hypothalamic areas (the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and the arcuate nucleus). Different stimulation frequencies will be applied to each target while seizure activity and EEG patterns are recorded. Outcomes in stimulated animals will be compared with controls to see whether spasms, abnormal EEG (hypsarrhythmia), and later spontaneous seizures are reduced. Findings will guide whether this neuromodulation approach could be developed for infants who do not respond to current drugs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to a new brain-stimulation therapy that reduces spasms and long-term seizures while avoiding some serious side effects of existing drugs.
How similar studies have gone: Deep brain stimulation has helped some older children and adults with other epilepsy types, but targeting the PVH-Arc network for infantile spasms is a new, preclinical approach not yet tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
New York Medical College
Valhalla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Velisek, Libor — New York Medical College
- Study coordinator: Velisek, Libor
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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.