Modern concepts of seizure modeling

Abstract

Seizures are complex phenomena spanning multiple spatial and temporal scales, from ion dynamics to communication between brain regions, from milliseconds (spikes) to days (interseizure intervals). Because of the existence of such multiple scales, the experimental evaluation of the mechanisms underlying the initiation, propagation, and termination of epileptic seizures is a difficult problem. Theoretical models and numerical simulations provide new tools to investigate seizure mechanisms at multiple scales. In this chapter, we review different theoretical approaches and their contributions to our understanding of seizure mechanisms.

Keywords: Dentate gyrus; Epilepsy; Extracellular ions; Gap junctions; Hippocampus; Homeostatic synaptic plasticity; Lumped models; Neural fields; Neural mass; Posttraumatic epilepsy; Seizure modeling; Stochastic models; Thalamocortical loop.