Using a novel model of acquired epilepsy to improve therapeutic treatment.

Epilepsy is a widespread neurological condition affecting 0.5-1.0% of the population, and around 30% of sufferers do not respond to available treatments. In Bath we have been developing a novel model of epilepsy to study the mechanisms underlying the disorder using small slices of rat brain that can be kept alive in a culture medium for several months. Having established the validity of this model and optimal conditions for its use we now want to tackle specific problems relating to the disease (1) What causes the epileptic activity to arise? (2) Why do some preparations become epileptic and others not? (3) How is the epilepsy affected by currently available drugs and novel compounds (4) Why is it affected by the drugs in some cases but not in others? (5) Can we stop epilepsy arising by treating with drugs before it develops? This work will help to devise improved treatments for the condition in both responsive and refractory patients.