Grant: Operating Grant

Vietnam and Croatia war epidemiological studies demonstrated that in penetrating cortical wounds (cortical trauma) would cause acute seizures in up to 80% of patients and 50% of them will develop epilepsy several months or years later. The process that develops between initial insult and onset of epilepsy called epileptogenesis. In this grant we will test hypothesis that the major epileptogenic factor in trauma induced epileptogenesis is deafferentation caused by axonal damage and cell loss. Other brain conditions, stroke, tumor Alzhimer's disease are also associated with deafferentation and increased incidence of epilepsy. Trauma induced epilepsy is poorly controlled by currently available medication. In order to understand and to prevent trauma induced epileptogenesis, I propose to investigate physiological and morphological alterations of cortical tissue induced by penetrating wounds. Understanding the network and cellular mechanisms of trauma-induced epileptogenesis will lead to development of new treatment strategies. Prevention of epileptogenesis will prevent epilepsy.