The Journal of Neuroscience, January 15, 2001, 21(2):590-600
Adaptive Electric Field Control of Epileptic Seizures
Bruce J.
Gluckman1, 2,
Hanh
Nguyen1,
Steven L.
Weinstein1, 4, and
Steven J.
Schiff1, 3
1 Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, and Departments
of 2 Physics and Astronomy and 3 Psychology,
George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, and
4 Children's National Medical Center and the George
Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and
Neurology, Washington, DC 20010
We describe a novel method of adaptively controlling epileptic
seizure-like events in hippocampal brain slices using electric fields.
Extracellular neuronal activity is continuously recorded during field
application through differential extracellular recording techniques,
and the applied electric field strength is continuously updated using a
computer-controlled proportional feedback algorithm. This approach
appears capable of sustained amelioration of seizure events in this
preparation when used with negative feedback. Seizures can be induced
or enhanced by using fields of opposite polarity through positive
feedback. In negative feedback mode, such findings may offer a novel
technology for seizure control. In positive feedback mode, adaptively
applied electric fields may offer a more physiological means of neural
modulation for prosthetic purposes than previously possible.
Key words:
electric field; epilepsy; seizure; adaptive; control; hippocampus
Copyright © 2001 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/01/212590-11$05.00/0