FIS3
NEDA-EPI – No Evidence of Disease Activity in Epilepsy Treatment
The NEDA-EPI project was created with the aim of overcoming the traditional paradigm in which the success of epilepsy treatment is evaluated primarily based on seizure control. The project proposes a multidimensional approach to the disease, aimed at identifying and monitoring—from the early stages of epilepsy—potential cognitive, neuropsychiatric, neurophysiological, structural brain, and biological alterations that may progress independently of seizure frequency.
Through a prospective and longitudinal study of newly diagnosed epilepsy patients, compared with healthy controls and followed over two years, the project will integrate clinical and neuropsychological assessments, high-density and prolonged EEG, brain MRI, and blood biomarkers of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. The main objective is to define the NEDA-EPI (No Evidence of Disease Activity in Epilepsy Treatment) framework by identifying the key dimensions of biological progression in epilepsy and early-detecting patient subgroups at higher risk of disease progression or unfavorable treatment response.
Expected outcomes include the identification of biomarkers and multidimensional profiles capable of predicting disease progression, the definition of new criteria for a more comprehensive assessment of therapeutic efficacy, and the development of tools for more personalized epilepsy management. Looking ahead, the NEDA-EPI model could also represent a new endpoint for clinical trials and contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies no longer focused exclusively on seizure control.
The NEDA-EPI project (FIS-2024-05320) is funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the Italian Fund for Science (FIS), FIS 3 – Starting Grant program.
FIS2
COMPIRA – Multimodal Combined Predictive Biomarkers of Progression Independent of Relapse Activity in Multiple Sclerosis
The COMPIRA project, funded under the Italian Fund for Science – FIS2 by the Ministry of University and Research, aims to identify early biomarkers capable of predicting disability progression in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), with a specific focus on Progression Independent of Relapse Activity (PIRA).
The study involves the prospective recruitment of approximately 150 people with early-stage MS, integrating clinical and neuropsychological data with advanced MRI, bio-humoral and molecular biomarkers, and neurophysiological measures obtained via transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG).
The goal is to develop multimodal models capable of early identification of patients at higher risk of progression and clarifying the relationships between neuroinflammation, neuroaxonal damage, synaptic alterations, and brain network changes. The expected results will contribute to the development of more precise prognostic tools and, ultimately, to more personalized monitoring and treatment strategies.
The project is funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the FIS2 – Italian Fund for Science program, project FIS-2023-02837.