Epileptic transitions: model predictions and experimental validation.
The essence of epilepsy is that a patient displays (long) periods of normal EEG activity (i.e., nonepileptiform) intermingled occasionally with epileptiform paroxysmal activity. The mechanisms of transition between these two types of activity are not well understood. To provide more insight into the dynamics of the neuronal networks leading to seizure generation, the authors developed a computational model of thalamocortical circuits based on relevant patho(physiologic) data. The model exhibits bistability, i.e., it features two operational states, ictal and interictal, that coexist. The transitions between these two states occur according to a Poisson process. An alternative scenario for transitions can be a random walk of network parameters that ultimately leads to a paroxysmal discharge. Predictions of bistable computational model with experimental results from different types of epilepsy are compared.
Suffczynski
Piotr
P
Laboratory of Biomedical Physics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland. suffa@fuw.edu.pl
Lopes da Silva
Fernando
F
Parra
Jaime
J
Velis
Demetrios
D
Kalitzin
Stiliyan
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008959:Models, Neurological; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology