Models of Seizures and Epilepsy

Dr. Pitkänen is currently a Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, Finland. She has over a 30 years’ experience in working and developing animal models of acquired epilepsy and phenotyping of epilepsy models, using histologic and molecular analysis, behavioral tests, long-term video-EEG and MRI imaging. She is a leader in epilepsy research and has participated in several NINDS on Epilepsy Models Workshops and worked in several ILAE Committees related to preclinical modelling and use of models to develop better therapies for epilepsy. She has an h-index of 52 and has over 279 publications. Dr. Buckmaster is an Associate Professor of Comparative Medicine and Neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California. His laboratory uses electrophysiological and anatomical techniques to evaluate neuronal circuitry of temporal lobe structures in normal and epileptic brains. He is a veterinarian with 25 years of experience investigating mechanisms of temporal lobe epilepsy using anatomical and electrophysiological techniques. He has worked with a variety of mammalian species, including primates, carnivores, and rodents. He has an h-index of 29 and has published over 74 articles. Dr. Galanopoulou is an Attending Physician at the Clinical Neuroscience Center and EEG lab at Montefiore, a Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York. She is also the co-chair of the AES/ILAE Translational Research Task Force of the ILAE, which works towards the optimization of the use of animal models of seizures, epilepsies, and comorbidities in epilepsy research. She is a clinical epileptologist with 15 years’ experience with epilepsy basic research using a variety of animal models and particularly models of early life seizures and epilepsies. She has an h-index of 29 and has published over 84 articles. Dr. Moshé is the is the Charles Frost Chair in Neurosurgery and Neurology and Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is the Director of Child Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Dr. He has been President of the International League Against Epilepsy, American Epilepsy Society and American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (1996-1997). He is the recipient of several honors and awards, including Teacher-Investigator Development Award; Jacob Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from NIH; Michael Prize for Achievement in Epilepsy Research; The American Epilepsy Society Research Award; Ambassador for Epilepsy Award from the International League Against Epilepsy; the Gloor Award from the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society; J.E. Purkyne Honorary Medal in Biomedical Research by the Czech Academy of Sciences; the 2008 Mentor of the Year Award from Albert Einstein College of Medicine; The 2010 Global and Awareness Award from Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy; the First Saul R. Korey Award in Translational Science and Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2012; elected Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Fellow of the American Epilepsy Society 2016. Since 1979, his research has focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying age-related differences in epilepsy in humans and in animal models.

• Introduction1. What can we model?2. Comparative biology and species effects on expression of epilepsy3. Strain effects on expression of seizures and epilepsy4. Good welfare practice in modeling seizures and epilepsy5. Ethics in the Use of Animal Models of Seizures and Epilepsy6. Regulatory aspects of drug development7. Use of animal models for epilepsy research and therapy developmentTechnical and methodological issues 8. Monitoring for Seizures in Rodents9. Behavioral characterization and scoring of seizures in rodents10. Seizure mimics11. Characterization of pathology12. Monitoring cardiorespiratory and other physiological parameters during seizures in small animals13. Behavioral and cognitive testing procedures in animal models of epilepsy14. In vivo Imaging in rodentsIn vitro and in silico models 15. Hippocampal in silico models of seizures and epilepsy16. Neocortical/thalamic in silico models of seizures and epilepsy17. iPS cells, stem cells18. Hippocampus in vitro19. Thalamus and cortex in vitro20. Brain slices from human resected tissues21. Organotypic Hippocampal Slice cultures as a Model of Post-traumatic Epileptogenesis22. The in vitro isolated guinea pig brain in the study of ictogenesisNon-mammalian in vivo models  23. Nematode C. elegans: Genetic Dissection of Pathways Regulating Seizure and Epileptic-like Behaviors 24. Drosophila25. Xenopus laevis26. Zebrafish models of epilepsy and epileptic seizuresNaturally occurring seizures and epilepsies in animals27. Veterinarian’s perspective28. Naturally occurring epilepsy and status epilepticus in dogs29. Naturally Occurring Temporal Lobe Epilepsy in Cats30. Naturally occurring epilepsy and status epilepticus in Sea lions31. Baboon Model of Genetic Generalized Epilepsy32. Genetic Models of Reflex Epilepsy and SUDEP in Rats and Mice33. Genetic models of absence epilepsy in rats and miceIn vivo mammalian models of induced seizures and status epilepticus 34. Electrical stimulation35. Systemic Chemoconvulsants Producing Acute Seizures in Adult Rodents36. Focally applied chemoconvulsants37. Models of Chemically-Induced Acute seizures and Epilepsy: Toxic compounds and drugs of addiction38. Pharmacologically induced animal models of absence seizures39. Models of seizures and status epilepticus early in lifeIn vivo mammalian models of acquired epilepsies40. Tetanus toxin41. Post-SE models: Systemic kainic acid42. Post-SE models: Focal kainic acid43. The Pilocarpine Model of Acquired Epilepsy44. Post-Status Epilepticus models: Electrical stimulation45. Post-SE models: Hyperthermia46. Epilepsy after TBI47. Post-infectious epilepsy48. Post-perinatal hypoxia49. Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Model of Stroke-Induced Pediatric Epilepsy50. Post-stroke epilepsy51. Animal Models of Drug-Refractory EpilepsyIn vivo mammalian models of genetic epilepsies with identified gene52. Spontaneous and Gene-Directed Epilepsy Mutations in the Mouse53. Dravet and GEFS+ syndromes54. Tuberous sclerosis and other toropathiesModeling conditions that predispose to seizures or epilepsy55. Kindling (including fast and slow kindlers)56. Human mutations associated with brain malformations resulting in hyperexcitability in rodents57. Dysplasias - Cortical freeze lesion58. Dysplasia – MAM, model of developmental epilepsy59. Dysplasias - In utero irradiation60. Undercut cortex61. Brain tumor–related epilepsy62. Withdrawal seizures63. Perimenstrual seizures and neurosteroid withdrawal64. Metabolic disturbances: Hypo- and hyperglycemic seizures in vivo and in vitro65. Stress66. Blood Brain Barrier disruption67. Experimental models of inflammation in epilepsy research Other specific epilepsy-related syndromes 68. Infantile spasms69. Models of epileptic encephalopathies70. Sudep Animal ModelsAnimal models of other brain diseases with altered seizure susceptibility71. Epilepsy in Models of Alzheimer’s disease72. Animal Models of Acquired Epilepsy and Tauopathies73. Epilepsy in other neurodegenerative disorders: Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases74. Animal models of other brain diseases with altered seizure susceptibility: Autism and Fragile X Syndrome75. Epilepsy in Models of Rett syndrome76. Models of depressionConclusions77. What do models model? What needs to be modeled?