January 20, 2016- Research in the Neuronal Mass Dynamics (NMD) Lab at FIU was highlighted this month in a special issue of the <em>IEEE Transaction on Biomedical Engineering</em>. In this special issue, the IEEE editorial board recognizes articles from researchers around the globe whose cutting-edge work has led to novel neurotechnologies for recording, imaging, interfacing and modulating the brain at multiple scales. The issue is dedicated to emphasize important technological challenges for the <strong>BRAIN initiative</strong> launched by the <em>White House </em>in 2013. In their article, “Dysfunction of Neurovascular/Metabolic Coupling in Chronic Focal Epilepsy”, NMD lab members introduced a new technique to understand the neuro-vascular/metabolic coupling in brain regions generating seizures. Their study is the first of its kind involving <em>in vivo </em>brains of rats, which provides important insights about possible abnormalities in the hemodynamic response function associated with the epileptic brain. The director of the NMD lab, Dr. Jorge Riera, believes their findings will help improve the accuracy of the EEG-triggered fMRI technique to delimit the epileptic cortex in patients needing neurosurgery to control seizures. This study is in collaboration with Dr. Wei-Chiang Lin, an associate professor of the department of Biomedical Engineering at FIU and a member of the scientific team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (NCH) doing epilepsy research. Dr. Jorge Riera is continuing to work with a team of radiologists, neurologists and neurosurgeons at NCH for the translation of their results to improve surgical outcomes in pediatric populations.

For more information, visit:

<strong>Brain Initiative (White House)
</strong><a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/share/brain-initiative">https://whitehouse.gov/share/brain-initiative</a><a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/brain">https://whitehouse.gov/brain</a>

<strong>IEEE BRAIN Special Issue
</strong>http://tbme.embs.org/2015/12/28/special-issue-brain/

<strong>FIU Article
</strong><a href="http://tbme.embs.org/2015/12/24/b10-dysfunction-of-neurovascularmetabolic-coupling-in-chronic-focal-epilepsy/">http://tbme.embs.org/2015/12/24/b10-dysfunction-of-neurovascularmetabolic-coupling-in-chronic-focal-epilepsy/</a>