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Epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain. Though not fully understood, it can arise from a variety of factors, including genetics, brain injury, infection, stroke, or developmental conditions.
The most well-known symptom of epilepsy is recurring seizures, which can vary from full-body convulsions to brief lapses in awareness, odd sensations or involuntary movements. A seizure can leave a person with confusion, temporary memory loss or tiredness.
A BrainsCAN-supported study provides new insight into what blood flow looks like in a healthy brain, which could help in diagnosing neurological diseases like epilepsy, Alzheimer's and others. The study focused on using multiple specialized imaging techniques and computational methods to look at blood movement in the hippocampus, a part of the brain important in cognitive aging and memory. These faster and higher-quality scans could improve ease and access to check brain health in patients.
Ongoing research is also looking at using advanced neuroimaging to help direct epilepsy surgery in patients who don't respond to anti-seizure medications. Researchers are working to translate MRI biomarkers of epileptic circuits into the operating room by creating patient-specific anatomical maps, identifying surgical targets and converting this information into software used by surgeons.
Additional research is looking at the use of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) to deliver a weak signal to modify abnormal electrical activity in the brain by utilizing computational algorithms to help direct the signal.