title: Modeling cortical spreading depression.
abstract: Cortical spreading depression is a wave of electrical silence and biochemical changes that spreads across the cerebral cortex. Recently there has been a growing recognition that it may be an important pathophysiological event in a number of neurological disorders. In this paper, we describe a reaction-diffusion model of the extracellular potassium changes that are a central part of this process. Simulations with the model show that an appropriate stimulus evokes a moving wave of increased potassium with many similarities to that seen experimentally. The resultant model is a useful computational tool for future study of the effects of spreading depression on the cortex.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park 20742.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Reggia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Montgomery
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D013181:Cortical Spreading Depression / Q000502:physiology*; D004058:Diffusion; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011188:Potassium