UofL researcher receives $2.9 million NIH grant to advance epilepsy treatment

Damian Shin, chair of the Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, has been awarded a five-year, $2.9 million R01 grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to investigate a promising new neuromodulatory approach to treating epilepsy, a neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. 

The study, titled “Ventral Pallidum Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy” will evaluate whether a new brain region for deep brain stimulation can prevent recurrent seizures and reduce potentially life-threatening complications associated with epilepsy.  

Epilepsy is characterized by recurring seizures caused by abnormal synchronized electrical activity in the brain. The seizures can affect movement, emotions and consciousness, and in severe cases, cause cardio-respiratory complications. Medications are often the first line of treatment, improving the well-being of those affected by the condition, but many continue to experience seizures despite drug intervention.  

“For individuals whose epilepsy is unresponsive to medication, our options for treatment become more limited,” said Shin. “Our goal is to develop new strategies that offer greater seizure control to ultimately improve quality of life for people living with epilepsy.” 

Surgical removal of affected brain tissue can be an effective option for people with epilepsy, but some are ineligible candidates while others are overlooked for the procedure. Even those who do undergo surgery, roughly 35% continue to experience seizures. 

There is current treatments aimed at attenuating circuits in the brain that cause seizures via electrical stimulation. Several approaches, including vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), responsive neurostimulation (RNS) and anterior thalamus deep brain stimulation (ANT-DBS) have received FDA approval for treatment of epilepsy. Though these therapies can reduce frequency of seizures, they do not eliminate them altogether.  

Shin’s research identified a potential new target for deep brain stimulation: the ventral pallidum, a region of the brain that may broadly regulate neural activity. In preclinical studies, stimulation of this region, known as VP-DBS, prevented multiple types of seizures including the most severe forms associated with convulsive behaviors.  

With this new grant, Shin and his team will be able to test whether VP-DBS can prevent spontaneous seizures in a preclinical model that closely resembles human epilepsy. The study will also examine whether the therapy can lessen cardio-respiratory complications causing epilepsy-related mortality. 

If successful, the research could lay the foundation for a new generation of neuromodulation therapies and provide insight into how brain networks can be targeted more effectively to eliminate seizures. 

“Epilepsy can have a profound impact on every aspect of a person’s life,” Shin said. “We hope this work will move the field closer to therapies that not only reduce seizures but can prevent them altogether.”  

This grant represents an investment in finding solutions for many people in the country living with epilepsy, a neurological disorder that affects quality of life and daily living for those individuals. By pursuing a novel treatment approach with the potential for potent seizure control, Shin and his team are demonstrating the power of discovery that matters – research driven by not only scientific curiosity, but the opportunity to improve lives and transform patient care.