Functional MRI studies in epilepsy

Supervisor(s) - Prof. Graeme Jackson, Dr. David, Abbott, Dr. Fernando Calamante, Prof. Alan Connelly

Overall the epilepsy research group investigates aspects of human brain function in disease using advanced techniques of image analysis. Since the primary focus of the group is on epilepsy, there are opportunities in research for people originating in many disciplined areas including psychology, information technology, computer science, neuroimaging, clinical and basic science areas. The group is multidisciplinary and linked to clinical therapy so research findings are highly focussed to the effective translation of findings to disease therapy. The proposed projects will involve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigations, which will be performed on the fully-dedicated research scanners at the Brain Research Institute (two 3 Tesla MRI scanners). Examples of potential research projects include:

Project 1: Study of brain networks in epilepsy. This project is part of a larger research effort that combines the simultaneous use of electroencephalography (EEG) and MRI methods to unravel the abnormalities in the brain associated with epilepsy. The MRI investigations are aimed at characterising the patterns of functional brain connectivity (using fMRI) and structural connectivity (using diffusion MRI fibre-tracking), to determine the consequences of seizures on the human brain.

Project 2: The generators of epilepsy in the human brain. Combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electro-encephalography (EEG) approaches will be used to define the brain networks in patients with epilepsy. The aim of this project is to identify the components of the network that are responsible for the generation of the hypersychronisation that is characteristic of the epileptic seizure. This project uses advanced neuroimaging methods in functional imaging including functional connectivity and independent component analysis.

Project 3: Study of the effects of seizures on language organization in humans. This project will characterise language brain organization before and after surgery in a group of patients with epilepsy, as well as determine how seizures may interfere with this brain function.