Zempel Lab

As a pediatric epileptologist, the goal of the Zempel lab’s research is to improve the localization of neuronal activity through new imaging modalities that are translatable to humans. By studying a model system of partial seizures which has been adapted to the magnetic resonance environment, allowing the measurement of electrical signals concurrent with imaging. Using conventional and newly developed magnetic resonance techniques, Zempel and his colleagues have localized ongoing seizure activity and characterized the damage that occurs with seizures. He is also characterizing and utilizing new magnetic resonance contrast agents with the goal of using such an agent to localize seizure activity to provide a major advance in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy.

A second focus of Zempel’s research is the quantitative characterization of electrical activity directly recorded from the human brain as part of an evaluation for epilepsy surgery. The ready availability of increasing computational power makes analysis of the characteristics of brain activity feasible in the time frame of the surgery evaluation. Such techniques focus on seizure detection, prediction and characterization of the zone of abnormal brain tissue.

Principal investigator

John Zempel, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurology
Pediatric Epilepsy
Director, EEG Laboratories, St. Louis Children’s Hospital

• Phone: 314-454-4089

  Zempel lab

 

Top areas of pediatric care: autism, EEG, Landau-Kleffner syndrome

Recent publications

• Surgical outcomes of open and laser interstitial thermal therapy approaches for corpus callosotomy in pediatric epilepsy
  September 1, 2023
  Surgical outcomes of open and laser interstitial thermal therapy approaches for corpus callosotomy in pediatric epilepsyAum, D. J., Reynolds, R. A., McEvoy, S., Tomko, S., Zempel, J., Roland, J. L. & Smyth, M. D., Sep 2023, In: Epilepsia. 64, 9, p. 2274-2285 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• Variable Association of Physiologic Changes With Electrographic Seizure-Like Events in Infants Born Preterm
  June 1, 2023
  Variable Association of Physiologic Changes With Electrographic Seizure-Like Events in Infants Born PretermLee, S. S., El Ters, N., Vesoulis, Z. A., Zempel, J. M. & Mathur, A. M., Jun 2023, In: Journal of Pediatrics. 257, 113348.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• Proceedings of the 13th International Newborn Brain Conference: Neonatal Neurocritical Care, Seizures, and Continuous EEG monitoring
  January 1, 2022
  Proceedings of the 13th International Newborn Brain Conference: Neonatal Neurocritical Care, Seizures, and Continuous EEG monitoringAbend, N., Adams, E., Al Balushi, A., Alburaki, W., Appendino, J., Barbosa, V. S., Birca, A., Bonifacio, S., Branagan, A., Chang, T., Chowdhury, R., Christou, H., Chu, C., Cilio, M. R., Comani, S., Corsi-Cabrera, M., Croce, P., Cubero-Rego, L., Dawoud, F., de Vries, L., & 86 othersDehaes, M., Devane, D., Duncan, A., El Ters, N., El-Dib, M., Elshibiny, H., Esser, M., Fairchild, K., Finucane, E., Franceschini, M. A., Gallagher, A., Ghosh, A., Glass, H., Venkata, S. K. R. G., Baillet, T. H., Herzberg, E., Hildrey, […]
• An Amplitude-Integrated EEG Evaluation of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
  January 1, 2022
  An Amplitude-Integrated EEG Evaluation of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal SyndromeLust, C., Vesoulis, Z., Zempel, J., Gu, H., Lee, S., Rao, R. & Mathur, A. M., 2022, (Accepted/In press) In: American journal of perinatology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• Neurophysiological Correlates of Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis
  July 1, 2021
  Neurophysiological Correlates of Fatigue in Multiple SclerosisNewland, P., Chen, L., Sun, P. & Zempel, J., Jul 1 2021, In: Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 17, 7, p. 883-888 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review