Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Neuroscience

Supervisor

Stan Leung

2nd Supervisor

Seyed Mirsattari

Joint Supervisor

Abstract

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of drug-refractory epilepsy. The clinical application of non-invasively mapped networks using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) in humans has been rather limited due to heterogeneous (varying etiology, drugs, onset, latent period, etc.) patient groups. We employed a pharmacological (kainic acid) rodent model of TLE to measure the extent of functional network disruptions using rsfMRI, and study selected behaviors and olfactory to hippocampus transmission. Graph theoretical network modelling and analysis revealed significant increase in functional connectivity connectivity to the temporal lobe (hippocampus) in epileptic-rats compared to controls in the limbic (nucleus accumbens, medial dorsal thalamus), and ``default mode’’ network (retrosplenial, sensorimotor, auditory and posterior parietal cortices). Loss in righting reflex that occurred in response to a lower isoflurane concentration in kainate-treated rats compared to controls was also revealed. These results suggest extensive disruptions in brain networks affected by TLE.

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