Gauging and controlling excitability in cortical disorders.
Cecilia Friedrichs-Maeder1, Grégory Lepeu2, Maxime O Baud1
1Sleep-Wake-Epilepsy Center, Center for Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Inselspital Bern, University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern.
Current Opinion in Neurology
|February 17, 2025
Summary
Cortical excitability, the brain cortex's responsiveness, is key for understanding and treating neurological disorders like epilepsy. Monitoring these dynamics offers new therapeutic strategies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Cortical excitability is the brain cortex's responsiveness to stimuli.
- It is a crucial factor in neurological and psychiatric disorders, including epilepsy.
- Understanding cortical excitability dynamics is vital for therapeutic interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review theoretical, experimental, and translational advances in cortical excitability.
- To differentiate between physiological and pathological cortical excitability.
- To propose methods for monitoring cortical excitability to guide therapies.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent studies utilizing dynamical systems theory.
- Analysis of brain resilience to perturbations under varying excitability.
- Examination of natural fluctuations in cortical excitability.
Main Results:
- Dynamical systems theory has advanced the understanding of brain resilience and excitability.
- Natural fluctuations in cortical excitability can create windows of vulnerability for dysfunction.
- Measuring and monitoring cortical excitability is essential for clinical application.
Conclusions:
- Practical methods for assessing cortical excitability have wide-ranging potential.
- Therapeutic strategies (pharmacological, neurostimulation) should integrate knowledge of cortical dynamics.
- Advancements in understanding cortical dynamics can improve clinical practice for brain disorders.
