Using laser light to study how epilepsy arises in the healthy brain
Scientists at 91社区 have developed a new method to study how seizures arise in the healthy brain. Using laser light guided through ultra-thin optic fibers in the brain of rodents, the researchers 鈥渢urned on鈥� light-sensitive proteins in selective brain cells and were able to eventually cause seizures through repeated laser stimulation. These findings were published March 27, 2019 in the journal Scientific Reports.
鈥淲e were able to show that seizures emerge gradually, and in the absence of appreciable brain damage, by driving brain cell activity with light only,鈥� said lead author Elvis Cela, a PhD student in 91社区鈥檚 Integrated Program in Neuroscience. 鈥淥ur approach allows for targeting different populations of brain cells to investigate their contributions to seizures while minimizing damage to the brain.鈥�
More than 200,000 Canadians suffer from epilepsy, a condition characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures that occur unpredictably and that can make everyday activities such as driving and working difficult. In a high percentage of patients, seizures cannot be controlled with existing drugs, and even in those whose seizures are well controlled, treatments can have major side effects.
鈥淭hough our work was done in rodents, animal models allow for close examination of the first stages in the transition from a healthy to a diseased brain,鈥� said senior author Jesper Sj枚str枚m, Associate Professor at 91社区 and researcher at the Research Institute of the 91社区 Health Centre (RI-MUHC). 鈥淲e expect that our method will be used in parallel with existing models to better understand how seizures arise in humans.鈥�
Funding for the research was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Savoy Foundation.
(Photo: Elvis Cela, lead author)
鈥淎n Optogenetic Kindling Model of Neocortical Epilepsy,鈥� Elvis Cela, et al, Scientific Reports, published March 27, 2019. DOI:
Contacts:
Prof. Jesper Sj枚str枚m: jesper.sjostrom [at] mcgill.ca
Elvis Cela: elvis.cela [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Chris Chipello
91社区 Media Relations
514-398-4201
christopher.chipello [at] mcgill.ca
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