Harnessing the brain's plasticity to acquire epilepsy resilience

Date:
January 18, 2022
Source:
Tohoku University
Summary:
Patients with epilepsy must take medicine to manage seizures. Even
then, only 65% are able to control their symptoms, rendering
invasive surgery the only cure. Now, a research group has
investigated a new stimulation paradigm that could cultivate
greater resistance to epilepsy.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Around 1% of the world's population lives with epilepsy; yet only 65% of epilepsy patients can manage their symptoms with medication. Currently, surgically removing the lesion in the brain responsible for the condition
is the only radical cure for epilepsy. Still, many patients have to take medication for the rest of their life to deal with their seizures.


==========================================================================
A research group led by professor Ko Matsui from the Super-network Brain Physiology Lab at Tohoku University reported on a stimulation paradigm
used on experimental animals that could potentially cultivate resilience
to epilepsy.

Frequent seizure-evoking stimulation to the brain has been shown to
induce epileptogenesis and epileptic brain conditions. To the researcher's surprise, however, repeated stimulation resulted in a dramatic decrease
in the seizure response to the stimulus.

"Our brain has an infinite ability for plasticity," says Matsui. "If
an epileptic state can be created, we must query whether it is also
conceivable to reverse the transition or to override the existing hyper-excitable circuit with an additional suppressive system."
Using optogenetics technology to control the activity, Dr. Yoshiteru
Shimoda, Matsui and their team demonstrated that a specific stimulation paradigm prompted the release of the endogenous inhibitory transmitter adenosine from glial cells. This converted the rat's brain to a state
strongly resistant to seizures.

Details of their findings were published in Neurobiology of Diseaseonline.

Matsui is cautiously optimistic. "Although epileptogenesis unfortunately
could not be reversed, we showed we could invoke the homeostatic nature
of the brain circuit to contain hyper-excitation." For the current
study, light-sensitive proteins were genetically expressed in neurons
to regulate moderate neuron-to-glial signaling at will. Such optogenetic technology would be difficult to apply in human patients, noted Matsui.

"Despite clinical use being a long way off, it is possible to imagine
a future where a therapeutic strategy can directly target glial cells
and enable the creation of an epileptic resistant state." special
promotion Explore the latest scientific research on sleep and dreams
in this free online course from New Scientist -- Sign_up_now_>>> academy.newscientist.com/courses/science-of-sleep-and-dreams ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Tohoku_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Yoshiteru Shimoda, Kaoru Beppu, Yoko Ikoma, Yosuke M. Morizawa,
Satoshi
Zuguchi, Utaro Hino, Ryutaro Yano, Yuki Sugiura, Satoru Moritoh,
Yugo Fukazawa, Makoto Suematsu, Hajime Mushiake, Nobukazu
Nakasato, Masaki Iwasaki, Kenji F. Tanaka, Teiji Tominaga, Ko
Matsui. Optogenetic stimulus-triggered acquisition of seizure
resistance. Neurobiology of Disease, 2022; 163: 105602 DOI:
10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105602 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220118104138.htm

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