Hippocampal Structure, Function, and Malfunction in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy



The mammalian hippocampal formation subserves normal learning and memory, but when an injury to the temporal lobe occurs, the hippocampus can become a source of devastating epileptic seizures that often cannot currently be controlled. Our lab is interested in understanding how and why an injured hippocampus becomes spontaneously and abnormally hyperactive, and we develop animal models that replicate the human neurological disorder and can be used to develop new therapies.



Currently, we use chronically implanted electrodes and continuous recording methods that enable us to produce a controlled injury and then assess hippocampal hyperexcitability and epilepsy onset. In addition to in vivo electrophysiology, we use anatomical and immunocytochemical methods to characterize the pathology and determine how it is related to the epileptic state.