Developing Epilepsy Project

The National Science Foundation (NSF) www.nsf.gov awarded a team at Louisiana Tech University a $6 million grant over four years to investigate the origins and impacts of brain seizures associated with epilepsy.

The collaborative research project on epilepsy involves twelve researchers across three institutions in three states. This research project includes not only Louisiana Tech but researchers from the University of Arkansas, and the University of Alabama. The plan is to develop a foundation for the region to be a hub for interdisciplinary, research in neurosciences.

Dr. Leonidas Iasemidis, Chair and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Louisiana Tech and leading the team of researchers, reports that the team will analyze long term in-depth EEG and electrochemical recordings, long term in-depth optical imaging, and short term MEG recordings. Animal and human subject brains with epilepsy will be used to uncover the causes of seizures, as well as their impact on higher brain functions such as memory.

The researchers will use minimally invasive implantable sensors to monitor patients before, during, and for several months following seizure events. Researchers will relate changes occurring during seizure events with those observed in the intervals between events.

Go to www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1632891 for more information on the research titled “Probing and Understanding the Brain: Micro and Macro Dynamics of Seizure and Memory Networks”. The project is scheduled to begin in September 2016 and end August 31, 2020.