s): Abstract Uncontrolled epileptic seizures plague more than one million Americans, despite the best medical and surgical treatments available. Novel therapies are desperately needed. We have formed a productive collaboration between a biomedical engineer and a translational clinician-scientist to pioneer a novel approach to suppressing generation of seizures using direct closed-loop multielectrode microstimulation of the epileptic focus. The method is based on our exciting in vitro work in which epileptiform activity in neuronal cultures was completely blocked by low voltage, low frequency microstimulation, distributed across multiple electrodes. The goal of the present project is to translate these results in vivo. We have manufactured a novel custom-designed system to simultaneously stimulate and record from chronically implanted microelectrodes in a closed-loop feedback fashion. We will optimize the parameters and materials to effectively maintain the firing rate of neurons in the epileptic focus in a range from which bursts of action potential - which underlie epileptic seizures - are prevented from occurring. Our success will be measured by demonstrating modulation of electrographic (EEG) and behavioral seizure activity in our rat model of focal onset seizures. If successful, this work will lead to a new treatment for patients disabled by intractable focal onset seizures.

Public Health Relevance

To treat intractable focal-onset epileptic seizures, we propose a novel approach in which electrical stimulation - continuously delivered to the epileptic focus through arrays of microelectrodes - is tuned to maintain neural activity in a range from which epileptic seizures cannot arise. In this approach, which is based on our ability to completely suppress epileptiform bursts of action potentials in a cell culture model, state-control methodology prevents seizures from arising, rather than attempting to abort seizures after they arise. This translational research in a rodent focal epilepsy model hopefully will lead to a much needed novel treatment for patients with disabling, intractable focal-onset seizures. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
1R21NS054809-01A1
Application #
7532610
Study Section
Clinical Neuroscience and Disease Study Section (CND)
Program Officer
Fureman, Brandy E
Project Start
2008-09-01
Project End
2010-08-31
Budget Start
2008-09-01
Budget End
2009-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$203,488
Indirect Cost
Name
Emory University
Department
Neurosurgery
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
066469933
City
Atlanta
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30322
Desai, Sharanya Arcot; Rolston, John D; McCracken, Courtney E et al. (2016) Asynchronous Distributed Multielectrode Microstimulation Reduces Seizures in the Dorsal Tetanus Toxin Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Brain Stimul 9:86-100
Rolston, John D; Desai, Sharanya Arcot; Laxpati, Nealen G et al. (2011) Electrical stimulation for epilepsy: experimental approaches. Neurosurg Clin N Am 22:425-42, v
Hales, Chadwick M; Rolston, John D; Potter, Steve M (2010) How to culture, record and stimulate neuronal networks on micro-electrode arrays (MEAs). J Vis Exp :
Rolston, John D; Laxpati, Nealen G; Gutekunst, Claire-Anne et al. (2010) Spontaneous and evoked high-frequency oscillations in the tetanus toxin model of epilepsy. Epilepsia 51:2289-96
Rolston, John D; Gross, Robert E; Potter, Steve M (2009) NeuroRighter: closed-loop multielectrode stimulation and recording for freely moving animals and cell cultures. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2009:6489-92
Rolston, John D; Gross, Robert E; Potter, Steve M (2009) Common median referencing for improved action potential detection with multielectrode arrays. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2009:1604-7