Epilepsy is a devastating neurological disease characterized by reoccurring spontaneous seizures. During seizures, neural networks experience hyper-synchronous bouts of electrical activity, which can lead to uncontrolled motor movements and loss of consciousness. In the Ewell lab, we primarily study Temporal Lobe Epilepsy - a form of epilepsy that engages the regions of the brain that support learning and memory.
A Miswired Hippocampus
Within 72 hours of pharmacalogically induced status epilepticus inflammation can be seen in all major sub-regions of the hippocmapus: CA1, CA3, and the DG. These changes are among the first in a cascade of changes that lead to dysfunctional hippocampal processing -and ultimately epilepsy. Eventually cell loss is observed in the CA1, CA3, and hilus regions. Futhermore, the DG undergoes severe changes, with cell death in the hilus and axonal sprouting of the principal granule cells. In the Ewell lab, we are interested in how structural changes impact function. We employ in vitro and in vivo electorphysiology to assess network level dynamics during the course of epilepsy.
A Misfiring Hippocampus
Past work has focused on the dynamics of interneuron and principal cell recruitment during spontaneous seizures and interictal high frequency oscillations. If you are interested, read our seizure study or our pHFO study.
We are now working to gain better understanding of cell types involved these various types of epilepsy - related pathologies and develop cell type specific intervention. Furthermore, in our current work we have a adopted a focal epilepsy model in which major hippocampal damage is confined to one side of the brain. We are working to understand the cellular mechanisms that support focal seizures versus generalized seizures - both of which occur spontaneously in this model.