Nihal de Lanerolle, DPhil, DSc

My laboratory is engaged in a study of the pathophysiology of seizure foci in the brains of patients with epilepsy. Our work has concentrated on the molecular and cellular organization of hippocampal seizure foci in patients with medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy, who have this seizure focus removed in our epilepsy surgery program for the control of seizures. In the past our work has defined the anatomical, cellular and molecular organization of the hippocampal seizure focus in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Our current work focuses on the molecular characterization these seizure foci through the use of high throughput techniques such as DNA microarray analysis and proteomics. The work completed using these techniques has focused attention on the molecular changes in reactive astrocytes at seizure foci, which appear to play a critical role in causing an excitable environment in the brain. Our studies specially focus on the role of inflammatory processes in epileptogenesis and the maintenance of seizures.

In parallel with studies on human seizure foci, the laboratory is also developing and characterizing new animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy that better reflect the pathophysiological changes in human seizure foci. These translational studies are aimed at developing and testing new antiepileptic drugs and developing methods for seizure prediction.

In a second line of investigations the laboratory focusses on the neuropathology of the brain in soldiers and large animals exposed to explosive blast pressure waves in order to understand the neural mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders associated with exposure to blast. Completed studies have found for the first time unequivocal evidence of injury to the anterior hippocampaus correlated with memory impairments, and a unique pattern of periventricular axonal injury. Present work is further exploring the relationship of periventricular injury to suicide and depression.

Efficacy of erythropoietin (EPO) and EPO analogues in the treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Neuropathology of blast related traumatic brain injury.

The role of glia in the development of hippocampal seizure foci.