Congressional language has recently specified high priority """"""""benchmarks"""""""" for epilepsy research, the first of which is identification of a surrogate marker for epileptogenicity. Our current research, and the investigations proposed here, focus on the identification and characterization of one of the first putative surrogate markers for epileptogenicity, an interictal electrophysiological epileptiform event termed """"""""fast ripples"""""""" (FR). We have used in vivo microelectrode recordings to describe interictal FR and other high frequency oscillations in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) and hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and in the intrahippocampal kainic acid (KA) rat model of this disorder. We have described the field potential and unit correlates of interictal FR, demonstrated that these interictal events occur preferentially in areas capable of generating spontaneous seizures, particularly those associated with HS, localized FR generation to small neuronal clusters in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, and begun to show that their pathophysiological substrates are the same as those responsible for the generation of spontaneous hippocampal seizures in MTLE with HS. We now propose to extend these studies to determine the anatomical and electrophysiological characteristics of FR during the transition to hypersynchronous seizures which do not propagate and low voltage fast seizures which do and to localize neuronal elements activated in induction of these events. These studies at the systems level complement investigations into fundamental mechanisms of FR at the cellular and molecular levels, being carried out with our program project grant (NS02808). In addition, we propose to carry out genomic screening in the KA rat using DNA microarray technology, to distinguish patterns of gene expression change specific to areas generating interictal FR that could underlie epileptogenicity from nonepileptogenic patterns of gene expression change that result from lesion and epileptic activity. We will also use in situ hybridization to identify the cells exhibiting these gene expression changes. The long-term goal of this research direction is not only to gain insights that will elucidate fundamental mechanisms of epileptogenicity, ictal onset and propagation, but also ultimately to identify one or more surrogate markers of epileptogenicity which can be used to screen potential antiepileptic and antiepileptogenic compounds, identify the boundaries of the epileptogenic region for resective surgery, adjust antiepileptic drug treatment in individual patients, and perhaps predict which patients will develop epilepsy after cerebral insults.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37NS033310-13
Application #
7154123
Study Section
Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience 5 (BDCN)
Program Officer
Fureman, Brandy E
Project Start
1994-08-01
Project End
2007-11-30
Budget Start
2006-12-01
Budget End
2007-11-30
Support Year
13
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$402,499
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Neurology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
092530369
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Engel Jr, Jerome (2018) Epileptogenesis, traumatic brain injury, and biomarkers. Neurobiol Dis :
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Shimamoto, Shoichi; Waldman, Zachary J; Orosz, Iren et al. (2018) Utilization of independent component analysis for accurate pathological ripple detection in intracranial EEG recordings recorded extra- and intra-operatively. Clin Neurophysiol 129:296-307
Li, Lin; Kriukova, Kseniia; Engel Jr, Jerome et al. (2018) Seizure development in the acute intrahippocampal epileptic focus. Sci Rep 8:1423
Engel Jr, Jerome; Bragin, Anatol; Staba, Richard (2018) Nonictal EEG biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment. Epilepsia Open 3:120-126
Engel Jr, Jerome (2018) The current place of epilepsy surgery. Curr Opin Neurol 31:192-197
Jozwiak, Sergiusz; Becker, Albert; Cepeda, Carlos et al. (2017) WONOEP appraisal: Development of epilepsy biomarkers-What we can learn from our patients? Epilepsia 58:951-961
Engel Jr, Jerome (2016) What can we do for people with drug-resistant epilepsy? The 2016 Wartenberg Lecture. Neurology 87:2483-2489
Weiss, Shennan Aibel; Alvarado-Rojas, Catalina; Bragin, Anatol et al. (2016) Ictal onset patterns of local field potentials, high frequency oscillations, and unit activity in human mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia 57:111-21
Bragin, Anatol; Li, Lin; Almajano, Joyel et al. (2016) Pathologic electrographic changes after experimental traumatic brain injury. Epilepsia 57:735-45

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