Unified dynamics of interictal events and absence seizures

The dynamics of interictal events between absence seizures and their relationship to seizures themselves are investigated by employing a neural field model of the corticothalamic system. Interictal events are modeled as being due to transient parameter excursions beyond the seizure threshold, in the present case by sufficiently temporally varying the connection strength between the cerebral cortex and the thalamus. Increasing connection strength drives the system into ∼3-Hz seizure oscillations via a supercritical Hopf bifurcation once the linear instability threshold is passed. Depending on the time course of the excursion above threshold, different interictal activity event dynamics are seen in the time series of corticothalamic fields. These resemble experimental interictal time series observed via electroencephalography. It is found that the morphology of these events depends on the magnitude and duration of the excursion above threshold. For a large-amplitude excursion of short duration, events resemble interictal spikes, where one large spike is seen, followed by small damped oscillations. For a short excursion with long duration, events like observed interictal periodic sharp waves are seen. When both amplitude and duration above threshold are large, seizure oscillations are seen. Using these outcomes, proximity to seizure can be estimated and tracked.