Graduation Year

2022

Date of Submission

4-2022

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Neuroscience

Second Department

Mathematical Sciences

Reader 1

John Milton

Reader 2

Michael Spezio

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

2022 Sophia E Epstein

Abstract

The majority of seizures are self-limiting. Within a few minutes, the observed neuronal synchrony and deviant dynamics of a tonic-clonic or generalized seizure often terminate. However, a small epilesia partialis continua can occur for years. The mechanisms that regulate subcortical activity of neuronal firing and seizure control are poorly understood. Published studies, however, through PET scans, ketogenic treatments, and in vivo mouse experiments, observe hypermetabolism followed by metabolic suppression. These observations indicate that energy can play a key role in mediating seizure dynamics. In this research, I seek to explore this hypothesis and propose a mathematical framework to model how energy may limit seizure propagation. Expanding upon existing models of neuronal spiking and energy consumption, the model accounts for change in available energy over time. The results of this model indicate constrained energy consumption is a plausible mechanism for mediating seizure termination.

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