Basal ganglia dysfunctions and development of innovative therapeutic interventions for epilepsies
Dysfunctions of the basal ganglia play an important role in various neurological diseases such as different movement disorders, but also in epilepsies. The basal ganglia and associated regions are involved in propagation and modulation of epileptic seizure activity emanating from the limbic system. Furthermore, the basal ganglia show plastic network changes in response to repeated seizure activity and they are involved in mechanisms of pharmacoresistance in epilepsies.
We investigate the physiology and pathophysiology of the basal ganglia and associated brain regions in epilepsies on the network level, neuronal level, and subcellular level by using various experimental methods (behavioral pharmacology, neurophysiology, immunohistochemistry, neurochemistry, cell biology).
Apart from pathophysiological studies, our main attention is focused on experimental therapeutic interventions. We investigate network therapies such as intracerebral pharmacotherapies, neuronal transplantations, and (as non-pharmacological adjunctive therapy) therapeutic endurance training, but also the effectiveness of new drug candidates. Our aim is to develop new approaches for the treatment of epilepsies in animals and humans.
In DFG-supported studies, we work on different intracerebral treatment strategies. For example, we perform preclinical studies, in which appropriate drugs are infused chronically or in which appropriate neuronal cell lines or embryonic neuronal precursor cells are grafted into specific basal ganglia regions with the aim to induce long-lasting anticonvulsant effects.
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In the project „Targeted drug microinfusion into the subthalamic nucleus as a strategy to treat epilepsies“ (GE1103/9-1), we refine the chronic, intracerebral pharmacotherapy as a strategy to treat intractable epilepsies. Several rationally chosen drugs and treatment regimens will be investigated.
