2011

Innovator Award

Novel Technology To Detect Neurotransmitters During Seizures

Quoc-Thang Nguyen, PhD - Thomas Fouquet, PhD
NeurAccel Biosciences
 

Epilepsy is strongly linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain and many anticonvulsant drugs restore the normal contribution of neurotransmitters (chemicals) to allow the brain to function. However, the role of neurotransmitters in epilepsy is poorly understood. To address this problem, Dr. Nguyen and his collaborator Dr. Fouquet will use biophotonics technology to measure levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brains of experimental animals undergoing seizures to better understand the involvement of neurotransmitters in epilepsy and to establish specific neurotransmitters as biomarkers that could predict the onset of seizures. The results of this research will be important in the design of novel compounds to cure epilepsies that currently resist treatment with available anticonvulsant medications.

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