Project Grant R01NS141961

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded the University of Louisville $564,010 on August 17, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853) to investigate ventral pallidum deep brain stimulation as a treatment for refractory epilepsy.

The research tests whether deep brain stimulation of the ventral pallidum—a basal ganglia structure—prevents spontaneous recurrent seizures and mitigates cardio-respiratory dysfunction in a rat model of acquired epilepsy. Current FDA-approved neuromodulation therapies including vagus nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation, and anterior thalamus deep brain stimulation provide limited seizure freedom; preliminary data showed ventral pallidum stimulation prevented multiple seizure phenotypes in acute rat models of temporal lobe seizures, but efficacy remains unproven in chronic spontaneous seizure models that better resemble human epilepsy. The project directly addresses the unmet clinical need for seizure control in approximately 35 percent of patients who remain refractory to antiepileptic drugs and surgery.

The University of Louisville Office of Research and Innovation, through its Louisville, Kentucky location, serves as the recipient. Performance extends through July 31, 2031.