Neuronal Resolution Imaging of Seizure Onset Activity In Vivo
Massachusetts General Hospital
2024
Lauren Lau, PhD
This proposal aims to provide a deeper understanding of how seizures begin. Studying the onset of seizures in animal models of epilepsy is challenging because the seizures are often rare and unpredictable. Epileptiform discharges (EDs) are unusual electrical signals in the brain that resemble seizures but are shorter, occur more frequently, and don’t cause behavioral symptoms. However, the relationship between EDs and seizures is unclear. Dr. Lau will study patterns of neuronal activity using high-resolution imaging techniques to compare EDs and seizure onset in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). An understanding of seizure initiation at the level of individual neurons would help improve our understanding of how seizures begin and potentially help identify new targets for therapy.
