Transcranial stimulation to help adults with focal status epilepticus
Official title: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Treat Focal Status Epilepticus: A Controlled Pilot Trial
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11299952 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small clinical trial will test whether non-invasive brain stimulation can safely help adults with hard-to-treat focal seizures in hospital settings.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 4, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,436,199 |
| NIH project number | 1UG3NS140394-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11299952 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (18+), with refractory focal status epilepticus or EEG-equivalent condition, not more than two seizure foci, and able to participate in a hospital-based trial.
✕Less likely to help
Patients outside the specified age range or with more than two seizure foci, or with contraindications to tDCS, may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a non-invasive brain stimulation method called tDCS to treat adults with refractory focal status epilepticus in critical care. In UG3, 12 participants at multiple centers will be enrolled to assess tolerability, determine the best dose and timing, and collect physiologic data. If promising, the UH3 phase will randomize 100 participants across four sites to active or sham tDCS, aiming to show safety and a decrease in seizures. Treatments may be repeated with open-label active stimulation after a short waiting period if needed. The study focuses on bedside, accessible therapy that could reduce seizure burden for critically ill patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could offer a safe, simple option to reduce seizures in critically ill patients.
How similar studies have gone: Related brain stimulation methods have shown signals of safety and potential benefit in seizure contexts, but this exact approach is being tested in a critical-care setting.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fisher, Robert Scott — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Fisher, Robert Scott
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Microglia Help Finish Seizures and Heal the Brain
Scientists are studying how brain immune cells (microglia) help end severe seizures and repair brain damage, with potential new ideas for people who have had status epilepticus.
-
ARISEN Network pilot funding to advance autoimmune encephalitis and NORSE care
A pilot grants program within the ARISEN network offers small funding to researchers to speed up clinical trials and improve management and treatment of autoimmune encephalitis, Rasmussen syndrome, and NORSE.
-
ARISEN Network: Better Diagnosis and Treatment for Autoimmune Brain Inflammation in Children
A large team at Emory is building ways to diagnose autoimmune brain inflammation in kids earlier and tailor treatments to improve outcomes.
-
ARISEN Network: Patient-centered outcomes in autoimmune brain inflammation and status epilepticus
A nationwide registry study from Emory will collect patient- and caregiver-reported outcomes to understand how neuroinflammatory brain diseases affect people and what helps them most.
-
ARISEN: A regional network to understand autoimmune brain diseases in kids
A national, multi-center effort follows children with autoimmune brain diseases to better understand how their condition progresses and how it affects thinking and everyday life.
-
ARISEN: Advancing research on autoimmune brain diseases and neuroinflammation
This grant supports a Career Enhancement Core to train the next generation of clinician-scientists studying autoimmune brain diseases like autoimmune encephalitis, Rasmussen’s syndrome, and NORSE, with a focus on pediatric cases.
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.