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Dusing MR, LaSarge CL, Drake AW, Westerkamp GC, McCoy C, Hetzer SM, Kraus KL, Pedapati EV, Danzer SC. Transient Seizure Clusters and Epileptiform Activity Following Widespread Bilateral Hippocampal Interneuron Ablation. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0317-23.2024. [PMID: 38575351 PMCID: PMC11036118 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0317-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Interneuron loss is a prominent feature of temporal lobe epilepsy in both animals and humans and is hypothesized to be critical for epileptogenesis. As loss occurs concurrently with numerous other potentially proepileptogenic changes, however, the impact of interneuron loss in isolation remains unclear. For the present study, we developed an intersectional genetic approach to induce bilateral diphtheria toxin-mediated deletion of Vgat-expressing interneurons from dorsal and ventral hippocampus. In a separate group of mice, the same population was targeted for transient neuronal silencing with DREADDs. Interneuron ablation produced dramatic seizure clusters and persistent epileptiform activity. Surprisingly, after 1 week seizure activity declined precipitously and persistent epileptiform activity disappeared. Occasional seizures (≈1/day) persisted to the end of the experiment at 4 weeks. In contrast to the dramatic impact of interneuron ablation, transient silencing produced large numbers of interictal spikes, a significant but modest increase in seizure occurrence and changes in EEG frequency band power. Taken together, findings suggest that the hippocampus regains relative homeostasis-with occasional breakthrough seizures-in the face of an extensive and abrupt loss of interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary R Dusing
- Department of Anesthesia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
| | - Candi L LaSarge
- Department of Anesthesia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
| | - Austin W Drake
- Department of Anesthesia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
| | - Grace C Westerkamp
- Division of Child Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
| | - Carlie McCoy
- Division of Neurosurgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
| | - Shelby M Hetzer
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
| | - Kimberly L Kraus
- Department of Anesthesia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
| | - Ernest V Pedapati
- Division of Child Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
| | - Steve C Danzer
- Department of Anesthesia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
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2
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Whitebirch AC, Santoro B, Barnett A, Lisgaras CP, Scharfman HE, Siegelbaum SA. Reduced Cholecystokinin-Expressing Interneuron Input Contributes to Disinhibition of the Hippocampal CA2 Region in a Mouse Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6930-6949. [PMID: 37643861 PMCID: PMC10573827 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2091-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
A significant proportion of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients experience drug-resistant seizures associated with mesial temporal sclerosis, in which there is extensive cell loss in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 subfields, with a relative sparing of dentate gyrus granule cells and CA2 pyramidal neurons (PNs). A role for CA2 in seizure generation was suggested based on findings of a reduction in CA2 synaptic inhibition (Williamson and Spencer, 1994) and the presence of interictal-like spike activity in CA2 in resected hippocampal tissue from TLE patients (Wittner et al., 2009). We recently found that in the pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (PILO-SE) mouse model of TLE there was an increase in CA2 intrinsic excitability associated with a loss of CA2 synaptic inhibition. Furthermore, chemogenetic silencing of CA2 significantly reduced seizure frequency, consistent with a role of CA2 in promoting seizure generation and/or propagation (Whitebirch et al., 2022). In the present study, we explored the cellular basis of this inhibitory deficit using immunohistochemical and electrophysiological approaches in PILO-SE male and female mice. We report a widespread decrease in the density of pro-cholecystokinin-immunopositive (CCK+) interneurons and a functional impairment of CCK+ interneuron-mediated inhibition of CA2 PNs. We also found a disruption in the perisomatic perineuronal net in the CA2 stratum pyramidale. Such pathologic alterations may contribute to an enhanced excitation of CA2 PNs and CA2-dependent seizure activity in the PILO-SE mouse model.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Impaired synaptic inhibition in hippocampal circuits has been identified as a key feature that contributes to the emergence and propagation of seizure activity in human patients and animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Among the hippocampal subfields, the CA2 region is particularly resilient to seizure-associated neurodegeneration and has been suggested to play a key role in seizure activity in TLE. Here we report that perisomatic inhibition of CA2 pyramidal neurons mediated by cholecystokinin-expressing interneurons is selectively reduced in acute hippocampal slices from epileptic mice. Parvalbumin-expressing interneurons, in contrast, appear relatively conserved in epileptic mice. These findings advance our understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying inhibitory disruption in hippocampal circuits in a mouse model of spontaneous recurring seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Whitebirch
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10027
| | - Bina Santoro
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10027
| | - Anastasia Barnett
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10027
| | - Christos Panagiotis Lisgaras
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016
- The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York 10962
| | - Helen E Scharfman
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016
- The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York 10962
| | - Steven A Siegelbaum
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10027
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3
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Stöber TM, Batulin D, Triesch J, Narayanan R, Jedlicka P. Degeneracy in epilepsy: multiple routes to hyperexcitable brain circuits and their repair. Commun Biol 2023; 6:479. [PMID: 37137938 PMCID: PMC10156698 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04823-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to its complex and multifaceted nature, developing effective treatments for epilepsy is still a major challenge. To deal with this complexity we introduce the concept of degeneracy to the field of epilepsy research: the ability of disparate elements to cause an analogous function or malfunction. Here, we review examples of epilepsy-related degeneracy at multiple levels of brain organisation, ranging from the cellular to the network and systems level. Based on these insights, we outline new multiscale and population modelling approaches to disentangle the complex web of interactions underlying epilepsy and to design personalised multitarget therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Manfred Stöber
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
- Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Department of Neurology, Goethe University, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Danylo Batulin
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- CePTER - Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research, Goethe University, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
- Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics, Goethe University, 60486, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jochen Triesch
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Rishikesh Narayanan
- Cellular Neurophysiology Laboratory, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Peter Jedlicka
- ICAR3R - Interdisciplinary Centre for 3Rs in Animal Research, Faculty of Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35390, Giessen, Germany.
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Magloire V, Savtchenko LP, Jensen TP, Sylantyev S, Kopach O, Cole N, Tyurikova O, Kullmann DM, Walker MC, Marvin JS, Looger LL, Hasseman JP, Kolb I, Pavlov I, Rusakov DA. Volume-transmitted GABA waves pace epileptiform rhythms in the hippocampal network. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1249-1264.e7. [PMID: 36921605 PMCID: PMC10615848 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Mechanisms that entrain and pace rhythmic epileptiform discharges remain debated. Traditionally, the quest to understand them has focused on interneuronal networks driven by synaptic GABAergic connections. However, synchronized interneuronal discharges could also trigger the transient elevations of extracellular GABA across the tissue volume, thus raising tonic conductance (Gtonic) of synaptic and extrasynaptic GABA receptors in multiple cells. Here, we monitor extracellular GABA in hippocampal slices using patch-clamp GABA "sniffer" and a novel optical GABA sensor, showing that periodic epileptiform discharges are preceded by transient, region-wide waves of extracellular GABA. Neural network simulations that incorporate volume-transmitted GABA signals point to a cycle of GABA-driven network inhibition and disinhibition underpinning this relationship. We test and validate this hypothesis using simultaneous patch-clamp recordings from multiple neurons and selective optogenetic stimulation of fast-spiking interneurons. Critically, reducing GABA uptake in order to decelerate extracellular GABA fluctuations-without affecting synaptic GABAergic transmission or resting GABA levels-slows down rhythmic activity. Our findings thus unveil a key role of extrasynaptic, volume-transmitted GABA in pacing regenerative rhythmic activity in brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Magloire
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Leonid P Savtchenko
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Thomas P Jensen
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sergyi Sylantyev
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK; Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Ashgrove Road West, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Olga Kopach
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Nicholas Cole
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Olga Tyurikova
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Dimitri M Kullmann
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Matthew C Walker
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jonathan S Marvin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Loren L Looger
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; GENIE Project Team, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Jeremy P Hasseman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA; GENIE Project Team, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Ilya Kolb
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA; GENIE Project Team, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Ivan Pavlov
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Dmitri A Rusakov
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
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5
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Aussel A, Ranta R, Aron O, Colnat-Coulbois S, Maillard L, Buhry L. Cell to network computational model of the epileptic human hippocampus suggests specific roles of network and channel dysfunctions in the ictal and interictal oscillations. J Comput Neurosci 2022; 50:519-535. [PMID: 35971033 DOI: 10.1007/s10827-022-00829-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying the generation of hippocampal epileptic seizures and interictal events and their interactions with the sleep-wake cycle are not yet fully understood. Indeed, medial temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with hippocampal abnormalities both at the neuronal (channelopathies, impaired potassium and chloride dynamics) and network level (neuronal and axonal loss, mossy fiber sprouting), with more frequent seizures during wakefulness compared with slow-wave sleep. In this article, starting from our previous computational modeling work of the hippocampal formation based on realistic topology and synaptic connectivity, we study the role of micro- and mesoscale pathological conditions of the epileptic hippocampus in the generation and maintenance of seizure-like theta and interictal oscillations. We show, through the simulations of hippocampal activity during slow-wave sleep and wakefulness that: (i) both mossy fiber sprouting and sclerosis account for seizure-like theta activity, (ii) but they have antagonist effects (seizure-like activity occurrence increases with sprouting but decreases with sclerosis), (iii) though impaired potassium and chloride dynamics have little influence on the generation of seizure-like activity, they do play a role on the generation of interictal patterns, and (iv) seizure-like activity and fast ripples are more likely to occur during wakefulness and interictal spikes during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Aussel
- Laboratoire Lorrain de Recherche en Informatique et ses applications (LORIA UMR 7503), University of Lorraine, 54506, Nancy, France. .,Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy, University of Lorraine, CRAN-CNRS UMR 7039, Nancy, France.
| | - Radu Ranta
- Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy, University of Lorraine, CRAN-CNRS UMR 7039, Nancy, France
| | - Olivier Aron
- Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy, University of Lorraine, CRAN-CNRS UMR 7039, Nancy, France.,Department of Neurology, CHU de Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - Sophie Colnat-Coulbois
- Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy, University of Lorraine, CRAN-CNRS UMR 7039, Nancy, France.,Department of Neurology, CHU de Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - Louise Maillard
- Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy, University of Lorraine, CRAN-CNRS UMR 7039, Nancy, France.,Department of Neurology, CHU de Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - Laure Buhry
- Laboratoire Lorrain de Recherche en Informatique et ses applications (LORIA UMR 7503), University of Lorraine, 54506, Nancy, France
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6
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Gentiletti D, de Curtis M, Gnatkovsky V, Suffczynski P. Focal seizures are organized by feedback between neural activity and ion concentration changes. eLife 2022; 11:68541. [PMID: 35916367 PMCID: PMC9377802 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human and animal EEG data demonstrate that focal seizures start with low-voltage fast activity, evolve into rhythmic burst discharges and are followed by a period of suppressed background activity. This suggests that processes with dynamics in the range of tens of seconds govern focal seizure evolution. We investigate the processes associated with seizure dynamics by complementing the Hodgkin-Huxley mathematical model with the physical laws that dictate ion movement and maintain ionic gradients. Our biophysically realistic computational model closely replicates the electrographic pattern of a typical human focal seizure characterized by low voltage fast activity onset, tonic phase, clonic phase and postictal suppression. Our study demonstrates, for the first time in silico, the potential mechanism of seizure initiation by inhibitory interneurons via the initial build-up of extracellular K+ due to intense interneuronal spiking. The model also identifies ionic mechanisms that may underlie a key feature in seizure dynamics, i.e., progressive slowing down of ictal discharges towards the end of seizure. Our model prediction of specific scaling of inter-burst intervals is confirmed by seizure data recorded in the whole guinea pig brain in vitro and in humans, suggesting that the observed termination pattern may hold across different species. Our results emphasize ionic dynamics as elementary processes behind seizure generation and indicate targets for new therapeutic strategies.
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7
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Exact mean-field models for spiking neural networks with adaptation. J Comput Neurosci 2022; 50:445-469. [PMID: 35834100 DOI: 10.1007/s10827-022-00825-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Networks of spiking neurons with adaption have been shown to be able to reproduce a wide range of neural activities, including the emergent population bursting and spike synchrony that underpin brain disorders and normal function. Exact mean-field models derived from spiking neural networks are extremely valuable, as such models can be used to determine how individual neurons and the network they reside within interact to produce macroscopic network behaviours. In the paper, we derive and analyze a set of exact mean-field equations for the neural network with spike frequency adaptation. Specifically, our model is a network of Izhikevich neurons, where each neuron is modeled by a two dimensional system consisting of a quadratic integrate and fire equation plus an equation which implements spike frequency adaptation. Previous work deriving a mean-field model for this type of network, relied on the assumption of sufficiently slow dynamics of the adaptation variable. However, this approximation did not succeed in establishing an exact correspondence between the macroscopic description and the realistic neural network, especially when the adaptation time constant was not large. The challenge lies in how to achieve a closed set of mean-field equations with the inclusion of the mean-field dynamics of the adaptation variable. We address this problem by using a Lorentzian ansatz combined with the moment closure approach to arrive at a mean-field system in the thermodynamic limit. The resulting macroscopic description is capable of qualitatively and quantitatively describing the collective dynamics of the neural network, including transition between states where the individual neurons exhibit asynchronous tonic firing and synchronous bursting. We extend the approach to a network of two populations of neurons and discuss the accuracy and efficacy of our mean-field approximations by examining all assumptions that are imposed during the derivation. Numerical bifurcation analysis of our mean-field models reveals bifurcations not previously observed in the models, including a novel mechanism for emergence of bursting in the network. We anticipate our results will provide a tractable and reliable tool to investigate the underlying mechanism of brain function and dysfunction from the perspective of computational neuroscience.
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Loss of neuronal heterogeneity in epileptogenic human tissue impairs network resilience to sudden changes in synchrony. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110863. [PMID: 35613586 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A myriad of pathological changes associated with epilepsy can be recast as decreases in cell and circuit heterogeneity. We thus propose recontextualizing epileptogenesis as a process where reduction in cellular heterogeneity, in part, renders neural circuits less resilient to seizure. By comparing patch clamp recordings from human layer 5 (L5) cortical pyramidal neurons from epileptogenic and non-epileptogenic tissue, we demonstrate significantly decreased biophysical heterogeneity in seizure-generating areas. Implemented computationally, this renders model neural circuits prone to sudden transitions into synchronous states with increased firing activity, paralleling ictogenesis. This computational work also explains the surprising finding of significantly decreased excitability in the population-activation functions of neurons from epileptogenic tissue. Finally, mathematical analyses reveal a bifurcation structure arising only with low heterogeneity and associated with seizure-like dynamics. Taken together, this work provides experimental, computational, and mathematical support for the theory that ictogenic dynamics accompany a reduction in biophysical heterogeneity.
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Chizhov AV, Amakhin DV, Smirnova EY, Zaitsev AV. Ictal wavefront propagation in slices and simulations with conductance-based refractory density model. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009782. [PMID: 35041661 PMCID: PMC8797236 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms determining ictal discharge (ID) propagation are still not clear. In the present study, we aimed to examine these mechanisms in animal and mathematical models of epileptiform activity. Using double-patch and extracellular potassium ion concentration recordings in rat hippocampal-cortical slices, we observed that IDs moved at a speed of about 1 mm/s or less. The mechanisms of such slow propagation have been studied with a mathematical, conductance-based refractory density (CBRD) model that describes the GABA- and glutamatergic neuronal populations’ interactions and ion dynamics in brain tissue. The modeling study reveals two main factors triggerring IDs: (i) increased interneuronal activity leading to chloride ion accumulation and a consequent depolarizing GABAergic effect and (ii) the elevation of extracellular potassium ion concentration. The local synaptic transmission followed by local potassium ion extrusion and GABA receptor-mediated chloride ion accumulation underlies the ID wavefront’s propagation. In contrast, potassium ion diffusion in the extracellular space is slower and does not affect ID’s speed. The short discharges, constituting the ID, propagate much faster than the ID front. The accumulation of sodium ions inside neurons due to their hyperactivity and glutamatergic currents boosts the Na+/K+ pump, which terminates the ID. Knowledge of the mechanism of ID generation and propagation contributes to the development of new treatments against epilepsy. During an epileptic seizure, neuronal excitation spreads across the brain tissue and is accompanied by significant changes in ionic concentrations. Ictal discharge front spreads at low speeds, less than 1 mm/s. Mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not yet well understood. We study these mechanisms using electrophysiological recordings in brain slices and computer simulations. Our detailed biophysical model describing neuronal populations’ interaction, spatial propagation, and ionic dynamics reproduces the generation and propagation of spontaneously repeating ictal discharges. The simulations are consistent with our recordings of the electrical activity and the extracellular potassium ion concentration. We distinguished between the two alternative mechanisms of the ictal wavefront propagation: (i) the diffusion of potassium ions released from excited neurons, which depolarizes distant neurons and thus supports excitation, and (ii) the axonal spread of excitation followed by the local extracellular potassium ion accumulation that supports the excitation. Our simulations provide evidence in favor of the latter mechanism. Our experiment-based modeling contributes to a mathematical description of brain tissue functioning and potentially contributes to developing new treatments against epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton V. Chizhov
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Neural Interactions, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Computational Physics Laboratory, Ioffe Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- * E-mail:
| | - Dmitry V. Amakhin
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Neural Interactions, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena Yu. Smirnova
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Neural Interactions, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Computational Physics Laboratory, Ioffe Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Aleksey V. Zaitsev
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Neural Interactions, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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10
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Tabatabaee S, Bahrami F, Janahmadi M. The Critical Modulatory Role of Spiny Stellate Cells in Seizure Onset Based on Dynamic Analysis of a Neural Mass Model. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:743720. [PMID: 35002598 PMCID: PMC8739215 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.743720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that excitatory neurons in the brain play a significant role in seizure generation. Nonetheless, spiny stellate cells are cortical excitatory non-pyramidal neurons in the brain, whose basic role in seizure occurrence is not well understood. In the present research, we study the critical role of spiny stellate cells or the excitatory interneurons (EI), for the first time, in epileptic seizure generation using an extended neural mass model inspired by a thalamocortical model originally introduced by another research group. Applying bifurcation analysis on this modified model, we investigated the rich dynamics corresponding to the epileptic seizure onset and transition between interictal and ictal states caused by EI connectivity to other cell types. Our results indicate that the transition between interictal and ictal states (preictal signal) corresponds to a supercritical Hopf bifurcation, and thus, the extended model suggests that before seizure onset, the amplitude and frequency of neural activities gradually increase. Moreover, we showed that (1) the altered function of GABAergic and glutamatergic receptors of EI can cause seizure, and (2) the pathway between the thalamic relay nucleus and EI facilitates the transition from interictal to ictal activity by decreasing the preictal period. Thereafter, we considered both sensory and cortical periodic inputs to study model responses to various harmonic stimulations. Bifurcation analysis of the model, in this case, suggests that the initial state of the model might be the main cause for the transition between interictal and ictal states as the stimulus frequency changes. The extended thalamocortical model shows also that the amplitude jump phenomenon and non-linear resonance behavior result from the preictal state of the modified model. These results can be considered as a step forward to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying the transition from normal activities to epileptic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Tabatabaee
- Human Motor Control and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Bahrami
- Human Motor Control and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahyar Janahmadi
- Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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11
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Modulation in time of the interictal spiking pattern related to epileptic seizures. Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 132:1083-1088. [PMID: 33770591 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that significant changes in the occurrence of interictal epileptiform electroencephalography (EEG) discharges (EDs) are associated with seizures: while some EDs are pro-convulsive, increasing at seizure-occurrence, others are protective, showing decrease related to seizures. METHODS We analyzed 102 consecutive, long-term video-EEG monitoring sessions, from 98 patients. Using a semi-automated spike-detection method, we quantified the occurrence of EDs, grouped according to their location and morphology (clusters) and we constructed graphical representation of data, showing changes in time of the spiking patterns (spike-histograms). We compared the spike-histograms with the time-points of the seizures (pre-, peri- and postictal changes). RESULTS Totally 179 ED-clusters were identified. Modulation of the spiking pattern, associated with seizures, was observed in 66 clusters (37%), from 47 patients (48%). Most of these changes (40 clusters; 61%) were related to increase in the spiking-pattern. CONCLUSIONS Changes in spiking-pattern were associated with more than one third of the EDs. Both increasing and decreasing patterns were observed. SIGNIFICANCE EDs are more often pro-convulsive, with increasing spiking patterns associated with seizures. However, in more than one third of the ED clusters modulated by seizures, the spiking pattern decreased, raising the possibility of an anticonvulsive function of these discharges.
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Rich S, Moradi Chameh H, Sekulic V, Valiante TA, Skinner FK. Modeling Reveals Human-Rodent Differences in H-Current Kinetics Influencing Resonance in Cortical Layer 5 Neurons. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:845-872. [PMID: 33068000 PMCID: PMC7906797 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
While our understanding of human neurons is often inferred from rodent data, inter-species differences between neurons can be captured by building cellular models specifically from human data. This includes understanding differences at the level of ion channels and their implications for human brain function. Thus, we here present a full spiking, biophysically detailed multi-compartment model of a human layer 5 (L5) cortical pyramidal cell. Model development was primarily based on morphological and electrophysiological data from the same human L5 neuron, avoiding confounds of experimental variability. Focus was placed on describing the behavior of the hyperpolarization-activated cation (h-) channel, given increasing interest in this channel due to its role in pacemaking and differentiating cell types. We ensured that the model exhibited post-inhibitory rebound spiking considering its relationship with the h-current, along with other general spiking characteristics. The model was validated against data not used in its development, which highlighted distinctly slower kinetics of the human h-current relative to the rodent setting. We linked the lack of subthreshold resonance observed in human L5 neurons to these human-specific h-current kinetics. This work shows that it is possible and necessary to build human-specific biophysical neuron models in order to understand human brain dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Rich
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Homeira Moradi Chameh
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Vladislav Sekulic
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Taufik A Valiante
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Frances K Skinner
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Departments of Medicine (Neurology) and Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
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Abstract
The increased democratization of the creation, implementation, and attendance of academic conferences has been a serendipitous benefit of the movement toward virtual meetings. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated the transition to online conferences and, in parallel, their democratization, by necessity. This manifests not just in the mitigation of barriers to attending traditional physical conferences but also in the presentation of new, and more importantly attainable, opportunities for young scientists to carve out a niche in the landscape of academic meetings. Here, we describe an early “proof of principle” of this democratizing power via our experience organizing the Canadian Computational Neuroscience Spotlight (CCNS; crowdcast.io/e/CCNS), a free 2-day virtual meeting that was built entirely amid the pandemic using only virtual tools. While our experience was unique considering the obstacles faced in creating a conference during a pandemic, this was not the only factor differentiating both our experience and the resulting meeting from other contemporary online conferences. Specifically, CCNS was crafted entirely by early career researchers (ECRs) without any sponsors or partners, advertised primarily using social media and “word of mouth,” and designed specifically to highlight and engage trainees. From this experience, we have distilled “10 simple rules” as a blueprint for the design of new virtual academic meetings, especially in the absence of institutional support or partnerships, in this unprecedented environment. By highlighting the lessons learned in implementing our meeting under these arduous circumstances, we hope to encourage other young scientists to embrace this challenge, which would serve as a critical next step in further democratizing academic meetings.
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Neurostimulation stabilizes spiking neural networks by disrupting seizure-like oscillatory transitions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15408. [PMID: 32958802 PMCID: PMC7506027 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72335-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
An improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying neuromodulatory approaches to mitigate seizure onset is needed to identify clinical targets for the treatment of epilepsy. Using a Wilson–Cowan-motivated network of inhibitory and excitatory populations, we examined the role played by intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli on the network’s predisposition to sudden transitions into oscillatory dynamics, similar to the transition to the seizure state. Our joint computational and mathematical analyses revealed that such stimuli, be they noisy or periodic in nature, exert a stabilizing influence on network responses, disrupting the development of such oscillations. Based on a combination of numerical simulations and mean-field analyses, our results suggest that high variance and/or high frequency stimulation waveforms can prevent multi-stability, a mathematical harbinger of sudden changes in network dynamics. By tuning the neurons’ responses to input, stimuli stabilize network dynamics away from these transitions. Furthermore, our research shows that such stabilization of neural activity occurs through a selective recruitment of inhibitory cells, providing a theoretical undergird for the known key role these cells play in both the healthy and diseased brain. Taken together, these findings provide new vistas on neuromodulatory approaches to stabilize neural microcircuit activity.
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Doughty PT, Hossain I, Gong C, Ponder KA, Pati S, Arumugam PU, Murray TA. Novel microwire-based biosensor probe for simultaneous real-time measurement of glutamate and GABA dynamics in vitro and in vivo. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12777. [PMID: 32728074 PMCID: PMC7392771 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69636-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate (GLU) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are the major excitatory (E) and inhibitory (I) neurotransmitters in the brain, respectively. Dysregulation of the E/I ratio is associated with numerous neurological disorders. Enzyme-based microelectrode array biosensors present the potential for improved biocompatibility, localized sample volumes, and much faster sampling rates over existing measurement methods. However, enzymes degrade over time. To overcome the time limitation of permanently implanted microbiosensors, we created a microwire-based biosensor that can be periodically inserted into a permanently implanted cannula. Biosensor coatings were based on our previously developed GLU and reagent-free GABA shank-type biosensor. In addition, the microwire biosensors were in the same geometric plane for the improved acquisition of signals in planar tissue including rodent brain slices, cultured cells, and brain regions with laminar structure. We measured real-time dynamics of GLU and GABA in rat hippocampal slices and observed a significant, nonlinear shift in the E/I ratio from excitatory to inhibitory dominance as electrical stimulation frequency increased from 10 to 140 Hz, suggesting that GABA release is a component of a homeostatic mechanism in the hippocampus to prevent excitotoxic damage. Additionally, we recorded from a freely moving rat over fourteen weeks, inserting fresh biosensors each time, thus demonstrating that the microwire biosensor overcomes the time limitation of permanently implanted biosensors and that the biosensors detect relevant changes in GLU and GABA levels that are consistent with various behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Timothy Doughty
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, USA
| | - Imran Hossain
- Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, USA
| | - Chenggong Gong
- Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, USA
| | - Kayla A Ponder
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, USA
| | - Sandipan Pati
- UAB Epilepsy Center/Department of Neurology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Prabhu U Arumugam
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, USA. .,Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, USA.
| | - Teresa A Murray
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, USA.
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