RF 2016 - Combined electroclinical and morpho-functional analysis for the identification, definition, and surgical removal of the human epileptogenic zone in drug-resistant patients. Bando di Ricerca Finalizzata 2016 del Ministero della Salute

Starting date
October 16, 2018
Duration (months)
36
Departments
Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences
Managers or local contacts
Bentivoglio Marina

OBIETTIVI
Epilepsy surgery is an established treatment for drug-resistant focal epileptic patients (30% of cases) and a highly qualified healthcare investment (1). Surgical candidacy is determined by the identification of the Epileptogenic Zone (EZ), the cortical site of onset and organization of epileptic discharges, and often requires intracerebral electrode recordings. Removed surgical tissue could allow a correlation of morpho-functional pattern with abnormal electrical activity. With a multimodal strategy and an innovative technological approach, we plan to identify: i) microcircuitry abnormalities responsible for seizure generation and maintenance in cryptogenic patients or in Focal Cortical Dysplasia Type I, II, ii) in the latter cases, the perilesional area contribution to the EZ. Our findings will be highly relevant for EZ identification, and thus the definition of brain tissue to be excised, of possible biomarkers for new pharmacological therapies and for technological advancements.
 

Sponsors:

Istituto Nazionale Neurologico "C. Besta"
Funds: assigned and managed by the department
Ministero della Salute
Funds: assigned and managed by the department

Project participants

Collaboratori esterni

Rita Garbelli
Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta
Laura Tassi
Ospedale Niguarda
Roberto Spreafico
Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta
Laura Rossini
Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta
Research areas involved in the project
Neurosciences

Activities

Research facilities

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