Carbon dioxide as a treatment for seizures in the newborn
Chief Investigators: Bjorkman ST, Colditz P, Vanhatalo S
Funding source: NHMRC, Project grant (2015-2017) $850,890
Aim: To investigate the use of CO2 as an antiepileptic treatment for neonatal seizures and
Methods: We will use our pre-clinical animal model of neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) and seizures to determine if administration of CO2 gas reduces total seizure burden after HI and to examine whether application of CO2 as an adjuvant to therapeutic hypothermia reduces HI brain injury and improves neurodevelopmental outcomes.
New knowledge: CO2 gas inhaled by the newborn piglet following HI is effective in terminating neonatal seizures in the newborn piglet brain.
Project weblink at the Perinatal Research Centre, UQ.