Epilepsy, a neurological disorder affecting nearly 1% of the general population and approximately 25% of individuals with intellectual disabilities, is typically treated with antiepileptic medications. These medications regulate brain electrical activity to prevent or alleviate epilepsy seizures. However, in one-third of cases, the treatment proves ineffective. Drug-resistant epilepsy is even more common in people with intellectual disabilities, affecting two-thirds of patients.
For these individuals, hope emerges through an innovative therapy: brain stimulation. This involves implanting a device similar to a pacemaker under the collarbone, delivering electrical impulses to specific areas beneath the scalp. Studies reveal that this electrical stimulation reduces the number of epilepsy seizures by over half each month.
The ICube Laboratory (University of Strasbourg and CNRS) and its partners aim to enhance this technique by developing personalized brain stimulation techniques guided by imaging to offer customized treatments.
Initially, the project partners will provide a detailed description of brain networks associated with intellectual disabilities and epilepsy using imaging techniques combining MRI and electroencephalogram. They will then optimize the electrical stimulation settings, calibrate the system on patients, and record brain currents before and after therapeutic brain stimulation. The accumulated knowledge will be transferred to an industrial partner, Precisis in Heidelberg, to refine stimulation techniques. The IMAGINE-STIM project marks a significant step towards a large-scale medical and social initiative. It seeks to create synergies between specialized centers in epilepsy treatment and imaging to establish a cross-border care network. The goal is to provide more effective and less invasive personalized treatments to a vulnerable population suffering from both epilepsy and intellectual disabilities. Knowledge transfer is also intended to extend to patient and caregiver associations through the implementation of a video forum, offering a better understanding of these new therapeutic advances