Neurotherapeutics
The potential to restore function after paralysis is only one potential benefit of harnessing the power of intracortical signals. Our research team is also exploring the use of these information-rich neural signals to better understand and treat other neurological disorders and diseases, such as epilepsy. We hypothesize that the unprecedented level of detail enabled by recording ensembles of single neurons (10s-100s of neurons) not only will allow us to study how seizures start, but will also lead to the generation of warning signals and the creation of next-generation devices that can reduce or stop seizures. We are testing this hypothesis with the help of patients with seizures who are already scheduled for pre-surgical recordings for epilepsy management. This work is contributing to a radical rethinking of how seizures start and stop and is focused on yielding new treatments for epilepsy.
Related Publications
Truccolo W, Ahmed OJ, Harrison MT, Eskandar EN, Cosgrove GR, Madsen JR, Blum AS, Potter NS, Hochberg LR, Cash SS
Neuronal ensemble synchrony during human focal seizures.
J Neurosci. 2014 Jul 23;34(30):9927-44.
Park YS, Hochberg LR, Eskandar EN, Cash SS, Truccolo W.
Early detection of human focal seizures based on cortical multiunit activity.
Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2014; 2014:5796-9.
Truccolo W, Donoghue JA, Hochberg LR, Eskandar EN, Madsen JR, Anderson WS, Brown EN, Halgren E, and Cash SS
Single-neuron dynamics in human focal epilepsy
Nature Neuroscience. 2011 May;14(5):635-41. Epub 2011 Mar 27. • Editorial: The ups and downs of seizure activity