Innovative Research
April 2011 - 4 Grants/$186,014 Awarded
Real-time Detection of High-frequency Oscillations in Epilepsy
Amount: $49,800
Primary Investigator: Ellen Air, MD, PhD
Category: Epilepsy
Some forms of epilepsy that do not respond to medication can sometimes be treated surgically, by removing a small part of the brain that is responsible for the seizures. Such surgeries require accurately locating the "seizure onset zone," and recent data has found the presence of unusually rapid firings of nerve cells in that part of an epileptic patient's brain. Researchers are working to develop a computer software system that can pinpoint and monitor these areas while in the operating room, thus allowing for more precise surgery and better outcomes.
Repeat Concussive Injury: A Functional and MR Metabolic Spectroscopic Study
Amount: $36,594
Primary Investigator: Chad Farley, MD
Category: Traumatic Brain Injury
To investigate the use of the MRI as a tool to measure concussive injuries, with a particular emphasis on repeat injuries and the development of more accurate "return to play" guidelines to prevent the magnified, long-term impairment that has been linked to multiple concussions within a short period.
High-intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) with Cavitation Feedback Intensity Modulation (CFIM): A Novel Technique for Safer Non-invasive Vascular Occlusion
Amount: $49,800
Primary Investigator: Joseph Serrone, MD
Category: Cerebrovascular
To test the application of highly focused ultrasound energy to locally heat and destroy the blockage of a blood vessel, such as in the case of a cerebral blood clot or arteriovenous malformation (a tangle of veins and arteries lacking connective capillaries, highly prone to bleeding). Researchers wish to further test and refine the technology to identify the optimal temperatures for the most controllable, safe, and effective application of this technique to cerebrovascular surgery.
Biological Mechanisms of Adaptive Remodeling in Flow Loaded Cerebral Arteries: Potential Significance to the Pathogenesis of Cerebral Aneurysms
Amount: $49,820
Primary Investigator: Todd Abruzzo, MD
Category: Cerebrovascular
To study the formation of aneurysms with the hopes of identifying early changes in vessel wall structure and genes or proteins that would indicate on oncoming rupture; ultimately improving the outcome for patients at risk.