The e-Lab studies the chronobiology of epilepsy, or in other words: “why do seizure occur when they do”. Clinical evidence teaches us that seizures occur in groups and at periodic intervals, strongly suggesting a non-random generative process. Presumably, multi-faceted influences coalesce to determine times of high risk for seizures, including the sleep-wake cycle, the circadian cycle, and more recently discovered multidien (multiday) cycles in epilepsy. We are now investigating how these cyclical influences activate the “neuronal seizure switch” at a precise moment in time. In a translational approach, we study these neural mechanisms using neurostimulation in patients and animal models. We also use our increasing knowledge to design forecasting algorithms, capable of anticipating times of seizures, and minimally-invasive implantable devices to help collect better data.
