Mechanism and Treatments in Experimental Post-Stroke Seizures

(Description) Post-stroke seizures (PSS) and epilepsy (PSE) is a serious and relative common complication of stroke. In fact, stroke is the most common cause of new-onset seizures in the elderly. Yet, the mechanisms of PSS/PSE remain unclear and effective prophylactic treatments lacking. In this project, we will use a novel murine model to test two hypotheses concerning the mechanisms and treatments of PSS/PSE. Aim 1 will test the effects of post-stroke argathroban (a direct thrombin-inhibitor) and levetiracetam (a safe and newer anti-epilepsy drug) treatment for ameliorating early PSS and ischemic brain injury. Aim 2 will use two genomics methods (astrocyte/microglia-specific TRAP-Seq and spatial transcriptomics) to explore the potential mediators of late PSS. We will also test whether secondary prevention by levetiracetam treatment aborts the progression of late PSS into PSE. Positive outcomes of these experiments will shed insights into the mechanisms of post-stroke seizures and suggest potential treatments. Project Number: 1R21NS145066-01A1 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) | Principal Investigator: Chia-Yi Kuan | Institution: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | Award Amount: $444,125 | Activity Code: R21 | Study Section: Brain Injury and Neurovascular Pathologies Study Section[BINP] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11381678