Peak Alpha Frequency as an EEG Biomarker for Angelman Syndrome
Peak Alpha Frequency as an EEG Biomarker for Angelman Syndrome
Exciting scientific progress over the past ten years has led to clinical trials that have the potential to impact the symptoms of Angelman syndrome at its root cause. What all clinical trials have in common is the need to reliably measure clinically meaningful improvement as a results of treatment. If individuals with AS improve but this improvement cannot be quantified, a clinical trial will be deemed a failure and can set the community back years. Measurable biomarkers are needed to quantify change in clinical trials and give a clear objective sense of improvement over time. Electroencephalography (EEG) meets many of the criteria of a good biomarker: (1) it is safe and non-invasive, (2) differences in AS are measurable and reliable, and (3) the degree of differences in AS is linked to the severity of AS symptoms. Current EEG biomarkers work well in children with AS, but their value wanes with age. With this grant, the team is developing new EEG biomarkers specifically designed for clinical trials in older children, adolescents, and adults with AS. Development of new biomarkers will ensure that improvement can be accurately measured during a clinical trial in individuals of all ages.
Principle Investigator
Michael Sidorov, PhD
Mike Sidorov is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Neuroscience Research at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC. He joined Children’s National in 2019 after receiving his Ph.D. in neuroscience from MIT and postdoctoral training at UNC. Dr. Sidorov’s work has focused on Angelman syndrome for the past 10+ years. His lab uses rodent models to study AS at the circuit and behavioral levels and uses quantitative methods to develop and validate EEG biomarkers for use in clinical trials and beyond.
