A model of human cortical microcircuits for the study of the development of epilepsy

Abstract

Brain lesions and structural abnormalities may lead to the development of epilepsy. However, it is not well known which specific alterations in cortical circuitry are necessary to create an epileptogenic region. In the present work we use computer simulations to test the hypothesis that the loss of chandelier cells, which are powerful inhibitory interneurons, might be a key element in the development of seizures in epileptic patients. We used circuit diagrams based on real data to model a 0.5mm3 region of human neocorticaltissue. We found that a slight decrease in the number of chandelier cells may cause epileptiform activity in the network. However, when this decrease affects other cell types, the global behaviour of the model is not qualitatively altered. Thus, our work supports the hypothesis that chandelier cells are fundamental in the development of epilepsy.