Optical Control Of Focal Epilepsy With Caged Compounds

Focal seizures are often resistant to treatment with antiepileptic medications, and surgery to remove the affected area of the brain can cause permanent neurological deficits and may fail to control the seizures. Drs. Rothman and Rode will develop drugs that will be locally applied to the affected brain region that are only active when activated by a light (caged compounds). The goal of their research is to terminate seizures using compounds activated by light without affecting the function of the rest of the brain. If successful, this method could provide another mechanism for treating epilepsy without the side effects.