Some people develop epilepsy after a brain injury such as a stroke, brain infection, or head injury, leaving a potential window to prevent epilepsy from developing in the first place. However, there currently is no way to predict who will develop epilepsy. The goal of Dr. James Gugger’s project is to address this problem by better understanding why some people develop epilepsy after a head injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI), identifying those at-risk.
Dr. Gugger will use a special type of brain scan called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate if changes in the brain’s wiring, amount of water in the brain or brain inflammation are associated with the development of epilepsy following a brain injury. By better understanding why some people develop epilepsy after brain injury and by identifying which individuals are at risk, diagnostic tests may be developed for the prediction of epilepsy, possibly leading to targeted treatments and preventative therapies.
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