Understanding how the brain controls seizures and behavior

Researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center want to understand how the brain works and what causes epileptic seizures by safely recording brain signals from people who already have electrodes placed in their brain for medical reasons. The study takes advantage of electrodes that are already surgically inserted to monitor seizures, and asks participants to perform simple tasks while their brain activity is recorded. This research helps scientists learn more about how different parts of the brain communicate and control behavior.

Many people with epilepsy have electrodes placed in their brain as part of their medical care to help doctors find where seizures start. Rather than let this valuable information go unused, researchers want to use these same recordings to study how the healthy brain works and what goes wrong during a seizure. This knowledge could lead to better treatments for epilepsy and other brain conditions in the future.