Nathan Fountain, M.D.
University of Virginia
Proof of Principle Trial: 2-deoxy-D-glucose for intractable seizures

This project will conduct a preliminary human clinical trial to determine if 2DG, an analogue of normal sugar that blocks sugar metabolism, reduces frequent seizures. Despite 11 new drugs for epilepsy since 1990, ~50% of patients have recurring seizures and ~15% remain intractable. 2DG has novel acute anticonvulsant and chronic antiepileptic actions, including enhanced delivery into brain regions undergoing seizures, enabling effective “post-seizure” treatment. 2DG is distinctive compared to all currently marketed anticonvulsants, and appears to have potential to increase the number of patients who achieve control. In addition, 2DG favorably modifies adverse consequences in patients in whom complete control is not achieved. This project is important pre-clinical research that will be conducted under an Investigational New Drug application from FDA.

Sponsored in part by the Milken Family Foundation.

James Cloyd, Pharm.D.
University of Minnesota
Supplemental Request: Development of IV Topiramate for Neonatal Seizures

An estimated 15,000 neonates have seizures, which cause brain injury and death. Current therapy is only partially effective and is associated with serious adverse effects. The goal of this project is to develop intravenous topiramate, which shows promise in laboratory animals, as a therapy to protect newborn babies from seizures and brain cell injuries. Dr. Cloyd has made great progress with this study, which the Foundation began to support in 2007. This supplemental award will fund a study of pharmacokinetics for IV topiramate in adults, which is necessary before conducting a study on neonates.

Nandor Ludvig, M.D., Ph.D.
New York University School of Medicine
Safety Profile of the Subdural Hybrid Neuroprosthesis for Focal Epilepsy

This project will determine the safety of a new medical device, the subdural Hybrid Neuroprosthesis, for the treatment of drug resistant, surgically untreatable focal epilepsies. The device will deliver muscimol or other seizure-controlling drugs directly into the cortical seizure focus via the subdural space to prevent seizures without side-effects. The safety of this emerging epilepsy therapy will be tested in monkeys, so that the device can be implanted in the same way as in humans and generated data can be relevant to human conditions.

Catherine Schevon, M.D.
Columbia University Medical Center
Clinical EEG Acquisition System with Online Fast Ripple Detection

High frequency oscillations (HFOs) in the brain can identify areas for epilepsy surgery treatments, but are technically difficult to detect. This new system will bring automatic online HFO detection into clinical practice, making current surgical treatments more effective, and potentially simplify surgeries for many epilepsy syndromes.

Jacqueline French, M.D.
New York University School of Medicine
Assessment of Narrow Spectrum AEDs in the Photosensitivity Model

Chandan Gope, Ph.D.
Intellivision Technologies Inc., San Jose, CA
Smart Watch for Seizure Detection and Monitoring

Smart Watch is a low-cost wireless device that detects and alerts caregivers of the onset of epileptic seizures in patients prone to tonic-clonic or tonic seizures. It is non-intrusive and compact – the size of a wrist watch, which can be worn on the wrist or ankle of the patient. The goal of the project is to perform clinical trials, validate and commercialize the Smart Watch.

Benjamin Sredni, Ph.D.
Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Novel Tellurium Compounds with Neuroprotective Activity in Epilepsy

Most efforts to understand the development and manifestation of seizure activity have focused almost exclusively on the dysfunction and ultimately, death of nerve cells. This exclusive concentration on neurons must now be reevaluated in light of recent discoveries showing that neuronal function is tightly controlled by non-neuronal cells that induce inflammation causing neuronal damage resulting in recurrent seizures. This proposal suggests to alter the classical approach used for the treatment of epilepsy by using new tellurium-based drugs with multifunctional traits, targeting both inflammatory and cell death events. These compounds have previously been efficient in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. These drug traits suggest the tellurium compounds as promising agents for the treatment of epilepsy.