Principal Investigator
Prof Mark Cunningham, Trinity College Dublin
Investment
€233,286, over three years. 50% of the funding for this project has been made available by the Health Research Board (HRB) through the Joint Funding Scheme operated by the HRB and Health Research Charities Ireland, of which Epilepsy Ireland is a member. Epilepsy Ireland will fund the other 50%.
About the Project
Many patients with brain tumours also experience epileptic seizures. This happens because the tumour causes changes in the surrounding brain tissue. While surgery to remove the tumour is often possible, many patients continue to have seizures even after the tumour has been successfully removed. One reason seizures may continue after surgery is that the area of the brain responsible for starting the seizures may not have been fully identified or removed, highlighting the limitations of current methods.
One known feature of brain tissue involved in generating seizures is that it gives off a particular type of electrical brain wave. At present, these brain waves can only be recorded by placing electrodes directly on the brain’s surface during surgery, which is quite invasive.
Since precisely pinpointing the seizure-starting area is challenging and invasive, the researchers in this study will use a newly developed brain scanning technique before surgery. This wearable brain scanner uses magnetoencephalography (MEG) to measure brain activity non-invasively and identify areas generating abnormal activity. Unlike conventional approaches, it does not require electrodes to be placed directly on the brain’s surface.
The aim of this project is to determine how accurately MEG can locate seizure-generating brain regions compared with surgically implanted electrodes, and whether it could provide a reliable non-invasive alternative. If successful, this approach could help surgeons more precisely identify seizure-generating brain regions, potentially improving seizure control while preserving healthy brain tissue.