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A new wave in brain monitoring: Non-invasive detection of intracranial composition changes

Project description

Detecting intracranial composition changes with electrical capacitive measurements

Monitoring intracranial pressure is crucial for managing acute brain injuries. However, the highly invasive nature of current gold standard techniques prevents nearly half of neurocritical patients from receiving such care, leaving them vulnerable to severe brain damage. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the NEWROWAVE project aims to develop a non-invasive method for detecting pathological changes in intracranial composition by using electrical capacitive measurements (ECM) to monitor dynamic shifts in blood and cerebrospinal fluid volumes. By defining normal ECM values in healthy subjects, it will test whether ECM can track intracranial volume shifts in subarachnoid haemorrhage patients and determine if this method can signal the need for invasive pressure monitoring.

Objective

Intracranial pressure monitoring is vital for early detection of neurological deterioration in patients with acute brain injuries. However, current methods are highly invasive, and as a result, up to 44% of neurocritical patients do not receive such monitoring, placing them at risk of life threatening, irreversible brain damage. The NEWROWAVE project seeks to address this critical unmet need by pioneering non-invasive detection of pathological intracranial composition changes using electrical capacitive measurements (ECM). Recent studies by Prof. Kurtcuoglu and his team at the UZH have demonstrated that ECM can capture physiological intracranial volume shifts driven by the dynamic exchange of blood and cerebrospinal fluid between cranial and spinal compartments.

Building on these findings, this project will advance non-invasive neuromonitoring by improving our understanding of intracranial volume composition changes from ECM in both the healthy brain and following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Specifically, it will: (1) establish an ECM baseline in healthy humans, (2) assess the feasibility of detecting intracranial volume changes via ECM in neurocritical SAH patients, and (3) evaluate whether ECM can provide an early warning signal to trigger invasive pressure monitoring in this patient population.

By converging neuroscience and medical engineering, NEWROWAVE aims to improve the safety, accessibility, and timeliness of neuromonitoring, with the potential to transform neurocritical care. This fellowship will be a key step in my path to becoming an independent academic researcher committed to translational neuroscience and advancing health innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITAT ZURICH
Net EU contribution
€ 307 958,88
Address
RAMISTRASSE 71
8006 Zurich
Switzerland
Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data