2023
Decreased but diverse activity of cortical and thalamic neurons in consciousness-impairing rodent absence seizures
McCafferty C, Gruenbaum B, Tung R, Li J, Zheng X, Salvino P, Vincent P, Kratochvil Z, Ryu J, Khalaf A, Swift K, Akbari R, Islam W, Antwi P, Johnson E, Vitkovskiy P, Sampognaro J, Freedman I, Kundishora A, Depaulis A, David F, Crunelli V, Sanganahalli B, Herman P, Hyder F, Blumenfeld H. Decreased but diverse activity of cortical and thalamic neurons in consciousness-impairing rodent absence seizures. Nature Communications 2023, 14: 117. PMID: 36627270, PMCID: PMC9832004, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35535-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsThalamic neuronsAbsence seizuresSeizure onsetNeuronal firingConsciousness-impairing seizuresFemale rat modelLow-frequency electroencephalographic activityFunctional magnetic resonanceBehavioral arrestRat modelRhythmic firingTransient initial peakFiring increasesSeizuresNeuronal mechanismsElectroencephalographic activityNeuronsBrain state changesBrief episodesFiring decreasesInitial peakFiringMagnetic resonanceDistinct patternsOnset
2022
Human visual consciousness involves large scale cortical and subcortical networks independent of task report and eye movement activity
Kronemer S, Aksen M, Ding J, Ryu J, Xin Q, Ding Z, Prince J, Kwon H, Khalaf A, Forman S, Jin D, Wang K, Chen K, Hu C, Agarwal A, Saberski E, Wafa S, Morgan O, Wu J, Christison-Lagay K, Hasulak N, Morrell M, Urban A, Todd Constable R, Pitts M, Mark Richardson R, Crowley M, Blumenfeld H. Human visual consciousness involves large scale cortical and subcortical networks independent of task report and eye movement activity. Nature Communications 2022, 13: 7342. PMID: 36446792, PMCID: PMC9707162, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35117-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSubcortical networksConscious visual perceptionVisual perception taskNeurophysiology of consciousnessExecutive control networkMajor brain networksDefault mode networkFrontal eye fieldOvert reportPerception taskVisual consciousnessConscious perceptionFusiform cortexVisual perceptionAnterior insulaConscious experienceSalience networkBrain networksMode networkAnterior cingulateEye fieldTask reportControl networkFMRI changesNeural circuitsEvaluating consciousness and awareness during focal seizures: responsiveness testing versus recall testing
Ramirez V, Litvinov B, Gunawardane NA, Zhao CW, Yotter C, Quraishi IH, Blumenfeld H. Evaluating consciousness and awareness during focal seizures: responsiveness testing versus recall testing. Epileptic Disorders 2022, 24: 899-905. PMID: 35904040, PMCID: PMC10042123, DOI: 10.1684/epd.2022.1472.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsConsciousnessElectroencephalographyEpilepsies, PartialEpilepsyHumansRetrospective StudiesSeizuresConceptsFocal seizuresResponsiveness testingCurrent International LeagueClinical practice settingEEG-video monitoringEpilepsy monitoring unitImportant clinical settingsEpilepsy guidelinesPatient groupFocal epilepsyIctal eventsClinical careInternational LeagueSeizuresPatientsClinical settingPractice settingsClassification guidelinesFurther studiesEpilepsyResponsivenessRecall of experiencesPreliminary findingsRecall testingSettingMore than a feeling: Scalp EEG and eye signals in conscious tactile perception
Gusso MM, Christison-Lagay KL, Zuckerman D, Chandrasekaran G, Kronemer SI, Ding JZ, Freedman NC, Nohama P, Blumenfeld H. More than a feeling: Scalp EEG and eye signals in conscious tactile perception. Consciousness And Cognition 2022, 105: 103411. PMID: 36156359, DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103411.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEye metricsHigh-density scalp EEGConscious tactile perceptionPerception taskReport taskNeural basisConscious perceptionPhysiological arousalVisual stimuliMicrosaccade rateTactile perceptionTactile stimuliScalp EEGSensory perceptionP300 eventEye signalsPerceptionPresent behaviorPupil diameterStimuliTaskEmpirical studyEEGConsciousnessNeuroscienceA machine‐learning approach for predicting impaired consciousness in absence epilepsy
Springer M, Khalaf A, Vincent P, Ryu JH, Abukhadra Y, Beniczky S, Glauser T, Krestel H, Blumenfeld H. A machine‐learning approach for predicting impaired consciousness in absence epilepsy. Annals Of Clinical And Translational Neurology 2022, 9: 1538-1550. PMID: 36114696, PMCID: PMC9539371, DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51647.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2017
A Switch and Wave of Neuronal Activity in the Cerebral Cortex During the First Second of Conscious Perception
Herman WX, Smith RE, Kronemer SI, Watsky RE, Chen WC, Gober LM, Touloumes GJ, Khosla M, Raja A, Horien CL, Morse EC, Botta KL, Hirsch LJ, Alkawadri R, Gerrard JL, Spencer DD, Blumenfeld H. A Switch and Wave of Neuronal Activity in the Cerebral Cortex During the First Second of Conscious Perception. Cerebral Cortex 2017, 29: 461-474. PMID: 29194517, PMCID: PMC6319177, DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx327.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCerebral cortexVisual cortexHuman cerebral cortexDirect electrical recordingHz gamma powerDefault mode networkConscious perceptionNeuronal activityAssociation cortexBrain disordersIntracranial electrodesCortexMonophasic wavesMode networkCortex networkGamma powerGamma activationVisual thresholdFirst secondElectrical recordingsStimulus processingInitial activationStimuliActivationFindings
2016
Restoring Conscious Arousal During Focal Limbic Seizures with Deep Brain Stimulation
Kundishora AJ, Gummadavelli A, Ma C, Liu M, McCafferty C, Schiff ND, Willie JT, Gross RE, Gerrard J, Blumenfeld H. Restoring Conscious Arousal During Focal Limbic Seizures with Deep Brain Stimulation. Cerebral Cortex 2016, 27: 1964-1975. PMID: 26941379, PMCID: PMC5964488, DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw035.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFocal limbic seizuresDeep brain stimulationLimbic seizuresBrain stimulationImpaired consciousnessNetwork inhibition hypothesisRisk of mortalityNovel therapeutic approachesDual-site stimulationCentral lateral nucleusDisorders of consciousnessQuality of lifeFocal limbicSurgical therapyRefractory epilepsyFocal seizuresNucleus oralisBilateral stimulationIntralaminar thalamusRat modelTherapeutic approachesLateral nucleusBehavioral arousalConscious arousalResponsive neurostimulation
2012
Impaired consciousness in epilepsy
Blumenfeld H. Impaired consciousness in epilepsy. The Lancet Neurology 2012, 11: 814-826. PMID: 22898735, PMCID: PMC3732214, DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(12)70188-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsCerebral CortexConsciousnessConsciousness DisordersElectroencephalographyEpilepsyHumansNeuroimagingConceptsConsciousness systemQuality of lifeImpaired consciousnessEmotional healthDiverse seizure typesNormal human lifeComplex partial seizuresImpairment of consciousnessImproved treatment strategiesBehavioral testingBrain dysfunctionPartial seizuresSeizure typesTreatment strategiesEpileptic seizuresConsciousnessEpilepsySeizuresHuge consequencesNeuroimagingAlertnessAnatomical structuresSame setImpairmentLife