" ... We show that during seizure large-scale neural populations spanning centimetres of cortex coordinate with small neural groups spanning cortical columns, and provide evidence that rapidly propagating waves of activity underlie this increased inter-scale coupling. We develop a corresponding computational model to propose specific mechanisms—namely, the effects of an increased extracellular potassium concentration diffusing in space—that support the observed spatiotemporal dynamics. Understanding the multi-scale, spatiotemporal dynamics of human seizures—and connecting these dynamics to specific biological mechanisms—promises new insights to treat this devastating disease.
Model Type: Neural mass
Model Concept(s): Epilepsy; Spatio-temporal Activity Patterns
Simulation Environment: MATLAB (web link to model)
Implementer(s): Martinet, L-E ; Kramer, M.A [mak at bu.edu]
References:
Martinet LE et al. (2017). Human seizures couple across spatial scales through travelling wave dynamics. Nature communications. 8 [PubMed]