A Unicamp study, involving researchers from the CEPID BRAINN, was featured on Jornal da EPTV 1 (Rede Globo) on June 25, 2025. The segment highlights the development of assistive-robotics technologies designed to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and reduced mobility.

According to the researchers, these projects aim to restore autonomy and promote inclusion by enabling users to perform daily tasks more independently.

INTERNATIONAL AWARD

The report notes that this line of research recently earned international recognition: Unicamp’s Advanced Robotics Laboratory team won the PhyRC Challenge, outperforming 56 other institutions from 17 countries. The prize honored advances and innovations in robotic manipulator programming.

In addition to detailing these programming breakthroughs, the piece showcases other devices developed at the university that aid in mobility, communication, and environmental interaction—focusing on accessible, customized solutions. It also features testimonials from people with disabilities who already use this technology in their daily lives, describing how it has transformed their routines, bringing greater dignity and self-esteem.

During the interview, Rohmer commented:

“A technology developed specifically to help put on clothing can also be applied to handling other types of objects. For example, if the manipulator is mounted above a wheelchair, it can serve as an ‘extension’ of the person with a disability, allowing them to manipulate everyday objects.”.

Watch the full report at the link below:

Also read this:

G1: Unicamp vence concurso internacional com robô capaz de vestir manequim que simula limitação motora

Click the images below to view the full articles.

CNN BRASIL

Weight training protects the brains of the elderly against dementia, suggests study

Work conducted at Unicamp involved 44 people with mild cognitive impairment; volunteers who underwent strength training showed improvements in memory and brain anatomy.

O GLOBO

Dementia: weight training protects the brains of the elderly, study says

A Unicamp study found that volunteers who practiced strength training experienced gains in memory and brain structure.

RECORD NEWS

Weight training helps seniors fight dementia and Alzheimer’s; here’s how

Unicamp research shows that physical activity helps protect the brain against these diseases.

SBT NEWS

Weight training could help prevent dementia in older adults, study says

Working out at least twice a week aids memory and brain anatomy.

CBN CAMPINAS

Unicamp research shows weight training may prevent dementia in seniors

A study at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), published in GeroScience—the international journal of aging biology—demonstrated in practice that weight training helps combat dementia in older adults.

MSN

Weight training could be the key to delaying dementia in seniors, Unicamp study reveals

Unicamp research indicates that weight training may slow dementia in the elderly, offering an accessible and effective alternative for Alzheimer’s prevention.

Also read this:

FAPESP:

originally published at King´s College London

MELD Graph is an AI tool that could drastically change the care for 30,000 patients in the UK and 4 million worldwide with one cause of epilepsy, researchers say.

The study, published today in JAMA Neurology by a team at King’s College London and University College London (UCL), shows how the tool significantly improves the detection of focal cortical dysplasia’s (FCDs) which is a leading cause of epilepsy.

Researchers say the tool will speed up diagnosis times, get patients the surgical treatment they need quicker, and reduce costs to the NHS by up to £55,000 per patient.

In the UK, 1 in 100 people are affected by epilepsy and seizures often present in childhood. 1 in 5 people with epilepsy have seizures caused by a structural abnormality (“lesion”) in the brain. FCDs are a common structural cause of epilepsy and in people with this type of epilepsy, seizures are usually not able to be controlled with medications. Surgery to remove the lesion can be an effective and safe way to stop the seizures. However, the challenge is that FCDs can be subtle and difficult to see with the human eye and up to half of these lesions are missed by radiologists. Delays to diagnosis and surgery mean more seizures, more visits to A&E, and more disruption to school, work and home life.

In the study, the researchers pooled MRI data from 1185 participants – including 703 people with FCD and 482 controls – from 23 epilepsy centres around the world in the Multicentre Epilepsy Lesion Detection project (MELD). Half of the dataset is from children. They then trained the artificial intelligence tool, MELD Graph, on the scans to detect these subtle brain abnormalities that might otherwise go undetected.

Project lead-author, Dr Konrad Wagstyl, from King’s College London, said: “Radiologists are currently inundated with images they have to review. Using an AI-powered tool like MELD Graph can support them with their decisions, making the NHS more efficient, speeding time to treatment for patients and relieving them of unnecessary and costly tests and procedures.”

Co-author Dr Luca Palma, from Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Italy, said: “MELD Graph identified a subtle lesion missed by many radiologists in a 12-year-old boy who had daily seizures and had tried nine anti-seizure medications with no improvement to his condition. This tool could identify patients with surgically operable epilepsy and help with surgical planning – reducing risks, saving money, improving outcomes.”

While the tool is not yet clinically available, the research team have released the AI-tool as an open-source software. They are running workshops to train clinicians and researchers around the world, including Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic, in how to use it.

First author, Dr Mathilde Ripart from UCL, said “One of the highlights for me is hearing from doctors around the world, including the UK, Chile, India and France have been able to use our tools to help their own patients.”

Co-author Professor Helen Cross, Prince of Wales’s Chair of Childhood Epilepsy, President of the International League Against Epilepsy, Consultant Epileptologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Director of the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, OBE said: “Many of the children I see have experienced years of seizures and investigations before we find a lesion. The epilepsy community is searching for ways to speed up diagnosis and treatment. Initiatives such as MELD have the potential to rapidly identify abnormalities that can be removed and potentially cure the epilepsy.”

Co-lead Dr Sophie Adler from UCL said: “This type of research is only possible with international collaboration. We were privileged to work with 75 researchers and clinicians towards this common goal of “no missed epilepsy lesions worldwide”.”

Reference 

• Ripart M et al., 2025. Detection of epileptogenic focal cortical dysplasia using graph neural networks: a MELD study. JAMA Neurology, Feb 24. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.5406

Originally published on the HC Unicamp website

The physicist Caetano Ternes Coimbra developed an algorithm capable of quantifying movements captured by a smartwatch sensor to assist in analyzing tremors and defining medication dosage therapy. The research is part of a project under the Hub of Artificial Intelligence Applied to Health and Well-being – Viva Bem and is the result of his master’s dissertation defended at the Gleb Wataghin Physics Institute (IFGW) at Unicamp.

Tests for using smartwatches to monitor health and well-being were conducted on patients treated at the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders clinic of the Neurology Department at the Clinics Hospital (HC) of Unicamp. The research was supervised by Rickson Coelho Mesquita, with co-supervision by Gabriela Castellano. Laura Silveira Moriyama led the HC Unicamp medical team involved in the research.

“Our goal was to measure tremors using a commercially available smartwatch for everyday use in different applications. Based on the existing literature, we already knew that we could measure movement to some extent. However, the challenge was to measure it accurately using the watch’s sensor and all the technology involved, capable of detecting information such as arm movement,” explains Coimbra, who completed his undergraduate studies at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), having studied particle physics, “a completely different field.”

Beyond data collection, Coimbra aimed to create a deterministic algorithm to understand under what conditions the tremor occurred. The goal is not to diagnose using a smartwatch, especially since it is a multifactorial disease. The primary contribution of the watch is to provide support for treatment adjustments. The patient takes the watch home, which continuously and automatically measures tremors, recording when they improved or worsened.

Multidisciplinary Research

The coordinator of the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders service at HC and neurology professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) of the university, Laura Silveira Moriyama, led the medical team involved in the research, stating it represents a significant contribution to treating movement disorders.

“There are various types of neurological problems that affect how a person moves, speaks, swallows, or uses their hands. With the advancement of research, we increasingly see interdisciplinary collaboration from fields such as engineering, physics, and computing. In this project, the researcher collected objective measurements of tremors and patient movement difficulties. As doctors, we observe the tremor visually. He, as a physicist, examines its frequency and amplitude,” said Moriyama.

According to the neurologist, patients often are unsure if their condition has improved after taking medication. “We tried to find ways to measure this objectively. The sensor gives us more objective information.” Coimbra’s protocol involves two types of devices: electromyography (which measures muscle activation responsible for the tremor) and an accelerometer-equipped watch (which measures the acceleration of the body’s movement in that area).

“We used it on the wrist because Parkinson’s tremors significantly affect the arms, but it could be applied to other body parts such as legs, torso, and head. This type of sensor helps us track disease progression.” According to the doctor, the visual representation created by Coimbra also helps patients understand their medical condition better.

“The sensor provides reassurance for both the patient and the doctor. It’s not feasible to send a clinician to the patient’s home, but it’s like they’re taking a piece of our team with them.”

The Algorithm

Coimbra developed a classical algorithm using Fourier analysis to extract the physically relevant characteristics of the tremor (an oscillatory signal, moving back and forth) – its amplitude, frequency, and frequency variation. “The algorithm has the potential to be applied to other symptoms, such as movement slowness, in addition to tremors. Measuring tremors is more than diagnosing a pathology. Everyone has a physiological tremor because many factors can cause tremors, such as anxiety during a job interview or caffeine intake. Thus, measuring tremors is a broad concept and not a new idea,” said the researcher.

Article originally published on Agência FAPESP

Expanding genomics in public policy requires greater awareness, professional training, and investment

Luciana Constantino | Agência FAPESP – The lack of knowledge about the benefits of human genomics for public and individual health, combined with a shortage of qualified professionals and low investment, is among the challenges countries must overcome to implement equitable public policies in the field.
To tackle these issues, it is essential to launch initiatives that clearly communicate genomics’ potential to different audiences, involving all relevant stakeholders. Additionally, implementing actions based on local priorities and international best practices is a pathway to pursue. The goal is to broaden the use of genomics in research and clinical practice, advancing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various diseases.

This overview is detailed in the first article published by the Technical Advisory Group on Genomics (TAG-G) of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the journal Nature Medicine.

READ THE ARTICLE

Ambrosino, E., Abou Tayoun, A.N., Abramowicz, M. et al. The WHO genomics program of work for equitable implementation of human genomics for global health. Nat Med 30, 2711–2713 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03225-x

Composed of international experts and chaired by Brazilian neuroscientist Iscia Lopes-Cendes, the group’s role includes highlighting opportunities and existing experiences in the field, providing technical guidance, and recommending priority activities to accelerate access to these technologies.

Genomics is the study of the complete set of genes (the genome) of organisms, how they function, and how they interact with each other and the environment. This knowledge enables disease prevention, diagnosis, and even personalized treatment for conditions ranging from rare diseases to various types of cancer. It is a multidisciplinary scientific field offering insights into areas like clinical care, food safety, and infection control.

“The group decided to publish the article in a scientific journal to raise awareness and broaden the reach of the subject and our work. WHO reports are important but don’t always reach a large audience. We aim to provide this information to decision-makers worldwide, as well as the medical and scientific communities. We want to list challenges and propose actionable points that governments, physicians, researchers, and even society can use to advocate for public policy implementation,” Lopes-Cendes told Agência FAPESP.

A professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Campinas (FCM-Unicamp), she is also one of the leading scientists at the Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN), a Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center (CEPID) supported by FAPESP and based at Unicamp.

The ‘inheritance’

DNA acts as a kind of “instruction manual” present in every cell of the body, responsible for storing and transmitting genetic information inherited from parents. It influences everything from eye color to the risk of developing diseases over a lifetime.
The publication of the first draft of the human genome in Nature in 2001 – containing a sequence of more than 3 billion base pairs – accelerated the development of genomic tools. Advances and improvements in these technologies and genetic tests have contributed to individual health and the creation of more precise public policies.

These tests analyze a person’s DNA to identify mutations or alterations that may increase disease risks or even cause them. They provide critical insights into the likelihood of developing conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or autoimmune disorders, allowing for preventive and targeted treatments.

DNA analyses also reveal public health trends, such as a region’s higher propensity for certain diseases, enabling the creation of specific programs or projects to address these health challenges.

However, access to these technologies remains limited, with significant disparities between countries and high research and implementation costs. In Brazil, genetic tests are available in private networks, and the public health system (SUS) is gradually implementing certain initiatives.

The National Genomics and Precision Health Program (Genomas Brasil), launched in 2020, was revamped last year to establish the foundation for developing public precision health. In August, the Ministry of Health issued a public call for research lines in the field, with an investment of R$ 100 million.

Another challenge is the shortage of geneticists. While WHO recommends one geneticist for every 100,000 inhabitants, Brazil has one for every 520,000 people. Despite doubling in a decade, only 407 professionals are registered, according to the publication Demografia Médica no Brasil 2023.

“There is a significant demand for specialized professional training in this field. For instance, conducting genetic tests requires genetic counselors, a role that cannot solely rely on geneticists, who are already scarce. In Brazil and several Latin American countries, this profession is not even regulated, although there are some professional master’s courses,” Lopes-Cendes says. In this context, the article advocates for supporting education and training in genomics.

The group also recommends communication efforts targeting multiple audiences – such as governments, decision-makers, funders, and society – to emphasize the potential of the field and outline relevant considerations for individual and public health. These efforts can include videos, posters, brochures, and infographics.

Researchers further highlight that to build evidence on the economic value of human genomics in healthcare, investment scenarios are being developed, considering specific diseases and genetic diversity. Depending on the context, cases might include prenatal or neonatal screening for diseases like thalassemia, tests for hereditary cancer risk, or pharmacogenomics to optimize therapies and reduce adverse effects.

The origin of TAG-G

TAG-G was established in September 2023 to provide WHO with technical advice on genomics and support efforts to accelerate access to genomic technologies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The mandate lasts for two years.
In May 2024, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) held a regional meeting as a first step to promote the implementation of genomics in clinical medicine, public health, and research strengthening in the Americas, with TAG-G members participating.

“Such meetings are vital for fostering collaboration among countries and regions with specific needs and demands. Our TAG-G mandate continues for another year and may be extended for the same group or new members. We will keep advancing these guidelines,” concludes the TAG-G chair.

The article The WHO genomics program of work for equitable implementation of human genomics for global health can be read at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03225-x.

Originally published by Agência FAPESP

By establishing a new metric, researchers envision advancements in diagnosing and treating a disease that is estimated to affect around 4 million people worldwide.

Maria Fernanda Ziegler | Agência FAPESP – In a study that analyzed brain images from more than 2,500 individuals with Parkinson’s disease across 20 countries, scientists identified neurodegeneration patterns and created metrics for each of the disease’s five clinical stages.

The work, published in NPJ Parkinson’s Disease, represents a breakthrough in understanding Parkinson’s. The analyses and the vast data obtained could lead to significant developments, not only in diagnostic advancements but also in enabling new treatments to be tested and monitored like never before.

Read the article:
Laansma, M.A., Zhao, Y., van Heese, E.M., et al. A worldwide study of subcortical shape as a marker for clinical staging in Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinson’s Dis. 10, 223 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-024-00825-9

Approximately 4 million people worldwide are estimated to have Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological condition affecting brain structures linked to movement. The disease progresses variably among patients, potentially taking up to 20 years to transition through all stages.

In its early stages, initial signs include tremors, muscle stiffness, and slowed movements on one side of the body. Later, symptoms become bilateral. In the final stage, patients may rely on wheelchairs as leg stiffness prevents walking.

“For many years, clinical diagnosis, supported by complementary exams, has been well established. However, for the first time, it was possible to correlate the disease’s progression scale—the five stages of clinical symptoms—with quantitative changes in brain images,” explains Fernando Cendes, lead researcher at the Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN), a FAPESP Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center (CEPID) based at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp).

BRAINN is part of the ENIGMA Consortium, an international network of scientists in imaging genomics, neurology, and psychiatry. The group leverages high-resolution MRI, genetic data, and other information to study conditions like epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, autism, and schizophrenia.

Cendes explains that Parkinson’s disease involves changes in the brain’s basal ganglia—regions associated with automatic movements. However, the study revealed progressive alterations in other cortical areas, previously thought to be less involved in the disease.

“We observed that as each disease stage advanced, there was increased atrophy or hypertrophy not only in movement-related structures but also in other cortical areas. These combinations of atrophy and hypertrophy correlate with the disease’s stage,” he says.

Additionally, researchers found shape differences in various brain structures. Some thalamic regions, responsible for relaying sensory information to the cortex, thickened, while others, such as the amygdala, responsible for social behavior and emotion regulation, atrophied.

“These changes are not visible to the naked eye,” Cendes explains. “They are submillimetric measurements. However, with programs and AI, it is possible to identify patterns and monitor these changes in the future.”

 

Driving New Treatments

By establishing a metric to quantify brain changes related to Parkinson’s stages, the study could have several implications, beginning with improving diagnosis.

“The morphometric data we obtained are sensitive and reproducible, supporting clinical diagnosis. With the vast amount of data from this study, AI-assisted programs could aid clinicians,” Cendes says.

Further implications lie in treatments. Currently, Parkinson’s is incurable, and treatments only address dopamine deficiency—the neurotransmitter lost in patients, which triggers brain changes and symptoms.

Over time, the disease affects other brain areas, causing non-motor symptoms like depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, cognitive decline, and, eventually, dementia.

“These findings allow new ways to monitor treatments developed in the future. The ultimate goal is to find a treatment that halts neurodegeneration or at least slows its progression. The metrics we identified are essential to evaluating future therapies, ensuring they work comprehensively—not just on movement-related areas but also on others affected by the disease,” he emphasizes.

Another significant impact of the study is in data science. The large dataset includes diverse countries, study groups, disease stages, and data types.

“The innovation lies not only in identifying metrics related to Parkinson’s stages but also in the data analysis methods. These advances pave the way for future AI-driven studies on other diseases,” Cendes concludes.

The article A worldwide study of subcortical shape as a marker for clinical staging in Parkinson’s disease can be read at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41531-024-00825-9.

Also available on UOL.com.br and Veja.com.br.

On November 11, 2024, the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) hosted the workshop “Single-Cell Omic Fusion: Navigating Spatial Omics in Biomedical Research,” a landmark event for disseminating and exchanging expertise on single-cell and spatial technologies in Brazil. Organized by Dr. Iscia Lopes-Cendes (UNICAMP – Campinas, Brazil) and PhD candidate Jaqueline Geraldis  (UNICAMP – Campinas, Brazil), the workshop brought together experts and students to explore the impact of these innovative approaches on biomedical research.

Launch of Single-Cell and Spatial Omics Brazil

Beyond expanding technical know-how, the workshop marked the official launch of Single-Cell and Spatial Omics Brazil, a scientific community dedicated to fostering collaboration and advancing the field nationwide. With crucial support from the Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN) and UNICAMP, and sponsorship from Illumina, the program featured inspiring talks from renowned specialists such as:

• Dr. Danielle Bruno (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Dublin, Ireland)
• Dr. Sergio Espinola (European Molecular Biology Laboratory – Heidelberg, Germany)
• Dr. Adriana Paes Leme (National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) – Campinas, Brazil)

The participants highlighted the workshop’s impact in promoting productive discussions across all stages of cell-based assays, from sample preparation to data analysis. This exchange of experiences was fundamental for strengthening the scientific network, which pledges to maintain dialogue and expand collaborative initiatives.

We are thrilled by the success of this inaugural meeting and are already planning new events for 2025, aiming to establish Single-Cell and Spatial Omics Brazil as a reference in the field. If you couldn’t join us this time, we invite you to participate in upcoming opportunities and contribute to the evolution of science in Brazil!

Get in touch with us via the link below:

Report in Jornal da UNICAMP

In a small studio at Unicamp, a woman dances delicately. Her arms and legs flow with elegance, creating a harmony with the music and colorful images that come alive on the walls. With each gesture of the dancer, the environment transforms: when she raises her arms and shifts her shoulders, the images burst into a vibrant fusion of colors. When she reins in her movements, the figures calm, returning to a serene light-yellow hue.

In this performance, filmed at the University’s Interdisciplinary Sound Communication Center (NICS), the dancer demonstrates how BehCreative works—a digital cave developed by musicologist and postdoctoral researcher Elena Partesotti. The technology, whose name derives from the phrase “behave creatively,” is an extended digital musical instrument (EDMI) combining virtual and augmented reality, where users manipulate images and sounds through interactive tools.

Using a computer, a motion tracker, projectors, and speakers, BehCreative generates visual and auditory responses based on the user’s movements—each tied to different sounds and color patterns. “The idea is that your body becomes a musical instrument. There’s no physical object. You produce sounds and images with your movements—something aligned with the embodied cognition paradigm,” explains Partesotti, referring to the philosophical theory that human cognitive experiences are shaped by the body’s interaction with its environment.

A prof. Gabriela Castellano investiga como o cérebro se reorganiza. Fotografia: Antonio Scarpinetti, Jornal da UNICAMP

Originally created to explore how sound and movement combine in immersive settings, this EDMI aims to stimulate artistic and creative processes within music therapy. Studies have shown that musical interventions provide important tools for promoting patients’ physical and psychological well-being. These tools trigger the release of hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline—linked to emotions like love and pleasure—and melatonin, which regulates biological processes such as sleep and wakefulness. As a result, they can reduce anxiety and depression, alleviate pain, and improve quality of life for people with cognitive deficits, including Alzheimer’s disease.

More recent research has also highlighted the positive effects of music therapy on brain neuroplasticity—the central nervous system’s ability to adapt to new environmental stimuli—and on the rehabilitation of stroke survivors. For this reason, one of the music therapist’s goals is to evaluate BehCreative’s ability to rehabilitate motor function and cognitive capacity in these patients, a project conducted under the guidance of Professor Gabriela Castellano from the Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics (IFGW).

According to Castellano, the musical instrument is still in prototype phase, but researchers hope that, one day, patients will be able to use it in their own homes as a complementary physiotherapy treatment.

“We know that debilitating diseases are becoming more common due to sedentary lifestyles and an aging population. So there are more and more people with neurological sequelae from various health conditions. And nowadays clinics and physiotherapists can’t keep up with the growing demand from these patients,” observes the professor.

Cognitive Rehabilitation

Castellano is one of the principal researchers at Unicamp’s Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN), which investigates the mechanisms behind epilepsy and strokes and the damage they cause. Before working with Partesotti, Castellano had already been developing extended-reality applications for stroke therapy in partnership with postdoctoral researcher Alexandre Brandão. “We’ve been evaluating what brain changes result from using these applications, aiming to understand how the brain reorganizes afterward. For that, we use neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI and electroencephalography,” she explains.

However, those devices don’t use musical elements and, being focused on motor rehabilitation, require patients to make specific, predetermined movements—limiting user creativity and, consequently, potential cognitive response. That’s why the researchers now plan to apply the same neuroimaging techniques to BehCreative users, to see if engaging in a more creative activity leads to cognitive improvement.

Preliminary tests using functional MRI have already shown that healthy individuals exhibit altered connectivity in emotion-related brain regions after using BehCreative, affecting emotional regulation and boosting users’ creative expression. These findings are slated for publication in the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, one of the world’s leading music therapy journals. But due to COVID-19 restrictions, the initial tests involved only five people, making it difficult to generalize the results. More recently, the study was repeated with 15 healthy users, though that data is still under analysis.

Currently, Partesotti and Castellano are beginning experiments with BehCreative in stroke patients and recruiting new candidates for the research. Over ten days of testing at Unicamp, participants will use the equipment for up to ten minutes, during which they’ll undergo an EEG to record any brain-function changes and receive care from a physiotherapist. “The idea is that people decide how to express themselves using this equipment. We call this creative empowerment—providing tools so they can incorporate what they love into their rehabilitation, aiming for both motor and cognitive improvement,” says the researcher.

The tenth edition of the BRAINN Congress was celebrated in 2024, held from April 3rd to 5th, 2024, in the auditoriums of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). The event was organized by the Brazilian Research Institute on Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN), a Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center (RICD) at FAPESP.

This year, more than 180 researchers, students, and attendees participated in the event, which featured 123 submitted works. These works will be published in the Journal of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology.

International scientists lectured throughout the 3-day event. Dr. Mariana Bento, an assistant professor at the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, discussed the use of machine learning to improve brain imaging. Dr. Matthias Van Osch, a professor of experimental cerebrovascular imaging at Leiden University in the Netherlands, presented non-invasive strategies for obtaining brain images. From Brazil, Dr. Daniel Papoti, an adjunct professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Federal University of ABC, lectured on radiofrequency coil technologies for brain imaging.

Also participating in the event were BRAINN researchers Dr. Fernando Cendes, Dr. Gabriela Castellano, Dr. Iscia Lopes-Cendes, and Dr. Lília Freire Li, with lectures on various topics in neuroscience. The presentations explored topics ranging from the panorama of genetic research in epilepsy over the past 30 years (Iscia) to brain changes post-rehabilitation training (Gabriela) and the challenges and controversies in classroom learning (Lília).

Awards

Each edition, the Congress awards students and researchers with the Best Paper Awards, in the categories “Oral Presentations” and “Poster Presentations”. Check out the list of winners of the 10th edition below:

Oral Session Winners

Undergraduate:

• Mariana L. Han (Faculdade de Medicina da USP) – Insights into Post-COVID Anosmia: unraveling neural alterations through 7T MRI and DTI analysis of olfactory pathways
• Vitor A. Oya (UNICAMP) – Seed-based functional connectivity changes in elderly subjects playing serious games

Master’s:

• Rodrigo M. C. Carvalho (Federal University of ABC) – A Novel Method to Investigate Neurodevelopment Using Ising Temperature and Graph Neural Networks

Doctorate:

• Rafael Batista João (UNICAMP) – Comparisons between traditional and brief, and ultra-brief anxiety and depression inventories in people with epilepsy

Post-Doctorate:

• Gabriel Chaves de Melo (UNICAMP) – Timing Investigation of EEG Functional Connectivity Changes During a Motor Imagery Task

Poster Session Winners

Undergraduate:

• Lucas F. Teodosio (Unicamp) – Analysis of the Neural Correlates of Problem Solving in Physics Measured with Functional Near-Infrared
• Thierry K. Alves Silva Souza (Unicamp) – Hypothalamic Changes and Post-COVID Symptoms

Master’s:

• Caetano Ternes Coimbra (UNICAMP) – Exploring the relationship between physiological and inertial characteristics in induced tremor events

Doctorate:

• Ricardo Brioschi (Unicamp) – Persistent seizures modify supra and infratentorial Gray Matter in Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy

Post-Doctorate:

• Kauê T. N. Duarte (University of Calgary) – Exploratory Prenatal Alcohol Exposure classification in infants using brain MR: 3D Convolutional Neural Networks assisted by Data Augmentation

By Luciana Constantino  |  Agência FAPESP – Considered the largest genetic study of epilepsy in the world, a study published in the journal Nature Genetics reveals specific alterations in DNA that signal a greater risk of the brain disorder. Identifying these alterations will improve diagnosis and advance the possibility of new treatments for the disease.

The researchers identified 26 different areas (loci) of the genome that are linked to epilepsy, with 29 genes thought to play an important role in the disorder. Of these genes, 17 were associated with epilepsy for the first time; ten are linked to the development of the disease when mutated or altered (known as monogenic epilepsy genes) and the other seven are known to already have approved drugs that focus on treating autism spectrum disorders.

Analysis of the subtypes revealed significantly different “genetic architectures” mainly between two subtypes of epilepsy – focal and generalized – and common variations in DNA can explain between 39.6% and 90% of the genetic risk for the latter type.

Coordinated by a consortium of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) involving more than 350 scientists, the study compared data from 29,944 people with the disease to those of 52,538 control subjects. It included epilepsy cases of European (92%), African (3%) and Asian (5%) descent.

Brazil was the only Latin American representative through the Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN), a FAPESP Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center (RIDC) based at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP).

“We at BRAINN were involved in all stages of the work, from the detailed characterization of the patients from a clinical, imaging and neurophysiological point of view – which we’re very good at – to planning the analyses, suggesting how they could be carried out and then checking the results. We were also actively involved in writing the article, which was submitted to the journal over a year ago. Many international studies exclude patients from Brazil because we have such great genomic diversity. However this study did a meta-analysis, which allows us to combine populations with different genomic structures. For the future, we want to expand this diversity even more,” Iscia Teresinha Lopes-Cendes, a professor at UNICAMP’s School of Medical Sciences and co-author of the BRAINN article, told Agência FAPESP.

There are an estimated 2 million Brazilians with epilepsy, at least 25% of whom are uncontrolled, according to the Ministry of Health. Worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50 million people are affected by the disorder, a third of whom are resistant to the treatments available on the market.

A highly hereditary neurological disease with no cure, epilepsy causes seizures, up to 40 or 50 a day in the most severe cases, leading to loss of consciousness and falls. Uncontrolled seizures not only disrupt the patient’s daily routine but also pose a serious risk of sudden and premature death.

Treatment involves a combination of medications, which are not always effective. Most medications reduce the activity of neurons across the board, which controls seizures, but they have side effects. An alternative is surgery to remove the part of the brain affected by the malformation.

Now, the researchers are proposing some medications that are normally used for other conditions, but act on the epilepsy risk genes identified in the study.

Knowledge over time

Recognizing the complexity of the genetic and environmental factors related to epilepsy, the consortium was formed in 2010 to collaborate on investigating large datasets at an international level.

“This is an important milestone for the ILAE Consortium on Complex Epilepsies and shows what can be achieved when scientists collaborate openly and share data from around the world,” said the league’s president, Professor Helen Cross, in a press release.

To arrive at the results suggesting different genetic architectures between focal and generalized forms of epilepsy, genetic data were combined with databases of phenotypic information, expanding the sample to more than 51,600 patients and 1 million “controls.” This discovery of the different genetic framework for the different types of epilepsy provides clues to understanding the various syndromes.

In their work, the scientists point out that the proteins that carry electrical impulses through the gaps between the brain’s neurons are part of the risk for generalized forms of epilepsy. In this sense, they emphasize the importance of accurately characterizing or classifying specific epileptic syndromes (syndromic phenotyping) in order to better understand the genetic basis of the disease.

An advocate of studies with so-called “pure data,” Lopes-Cendes says that she is now working specifically on mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) with hippocampal atrophy. “We’ve been continuously generating data for specific research on the topic. I’d argue that in certain studies, mixing information from different types of epilepsy can ’dilute’ the data and not highlight results that might appear if the group of patients studied was more homogeneous. I think a balance is needed,” she adds.

In early 2023, the researcher and her group published another article that deepened our understanding of MTLE, considered the most common and refractory to pharmacological treatment, by evaluating, for the first time, the profile of messenger RNA (mRNA, a molecule that contains the information for the production of proteins) from surgical tissue obtained from patients.

Because of her work in genetics, Lopes-Cendes was recently invited by the WHO to join the new Technical Advisory Group on Genomics (TAG-G), which is responsible for contributing to the process of accelerating access to genomic knowledge and technologies, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The group consists of 15 scientists from different countries.

The article “GWAS meta-analysis of over 29,000 people with epilepsy identifies 26 risk loci and subtype-specific genetic architecture” can be read at: www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01485-w.