Department of Radiology - Medical Physics

The Department of Radiology, Medical Physics and the Epilepsy Center at the University Medical Center Freiburg are collaborating with academic and industrial partners in the Upper Rhine region to develop an innovative epilepsy treatment technique using MRI- and EEG-guided brain stimulation for patients with intellectual disabilities.

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 epileptic seizures. However, in one-third of the cases, the treatment proves ineffective. Drug-resistant epilepsy is even more common in people with intellectual disabilities, affecting two-thirds of those 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 epileptic seizures by over 50 %.

The Department of Radiology, Medical Physics and the Epilepsy Center at the University Medical Center Freiburg and their partners aim to enhance this technique by developing personalized brain stimulation techniques guided by MRI and EEG to offer customized treatments. Our working group is developing methods based on structural and functional MRI to visualize which brain regions are influenced by the stimulation with the Precisis EASEE system. This initiative aims to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of action of this specific form of stimulation.

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 medical imaging facilities to establish a cross-border care network. The goal is to provide more effective and less invasive personalized treatments for 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.

The IMAGINE-STIM project is part of the Science Offensive of the tri-national Upper Rhine Metropolitan Region, co-financed by the European Union via the Interreg Upper Rhine programme, the Grand Est Region (France), the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts of the Land of Baden-Württemberg (Germany), and the Ministry of Science and Health of the Land of Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany).