 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| | | |||||||
|
|
||||||||
 |
|
Electrophysiology
in Human Tissue and Animal Models Research While many animal models of epilepsy have been developed, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the human pathology so that the models can be evaluated. We have the opportunity to examine human material resected for the treatment of medically intractable seizures and found that in there are numerous changes in the network properties in one part of the hippocampus, the dentate gyrus. We have primarily focused on alterations in the inhibitory system and have described several changes in both the inhibitory circuitry as well as in the regulation of the availability of GABA, the primary inhibitory transmitter in the central nervous system. Many of these changes also occur in an animal model of temporal lobe epilepsy, the kainate-treated rat, and we are currently studying them in greater detail. In addition to the studies examining circuit changes in chronically epileptic tissue, we are interested in the role non-synaptic mechanisms can play in the regulation of neuronal excitability in both control and epileptic tissue and in how abnormal synaptic activity can be regulated by neuromodulators including peptides and ligands for a variety of receptors. As part of this effort, we are examining synaptic plasticity in the human material with an eye to examining the link between alterations in synaptic function and brain function. I work primarily with Dr. Peter Patrylo, an Associate Research Scientist in Neurosurgery. In addition, we have an extensive collaboration with the other members of the Epilepsy Surgery Program that includes members from the Departments of Neurology, Diagnostic Radiology, Pediatrics as well as Neurosurgery. Dr. Williamson
can be reached at 203-785-5359
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
