A new wave in brain monitoring: Non-invasive detection of intracranial composition changes

Objective

Intracranial pressure monitoring is vital for early detection of neurological deterioration in patients with acute brain injuries. However, current methods are highly invasive, and as a result, up to 44% of neurocritical patients do not receive such monitoring, placing them at risk of life threatening, irreversible brain damage. The NEWROWAVE project seeks to address this critical unmet need by pioneering non-invasive detection of pathological intracranial composition changes using electrical capacitive measurements (ECM). Recent studies by Prof. Kurtcuoglu and his team at the UZH have demonstrated that ECM can capture physiological intracranial volume shifts driven by the dynamic exchange of blood and cerebrospinal fluid between cranial and spinal compartments. Building on these findings, this project will advance non-invasive neuromonitoring by improving our understanding of intracranial volume composition changes from ECM in both the healthy brain and following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Specifically, it will: (1) establish an ECM baseline in healthy humans, (2) assess the feasibility of detecting intracranial volume changes via ECM in neurocritical SAH patients, and (3) evaluate whether ECM can provide an early warning signal to trigger invasive pressure monitoring in this patient population. By converging neuroscience and medical engineering, NEWROWAVE aims to improve the safety, accessibility, and timeliness of neuromonitoring, with the potential to transform neurocritical care. This fellowship will be a key step in my path to becoming an independent academic researcher committed to translational neuroscience and advancing health innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration.