Clinical Research
The faculty of SUNY Downstate's Epilepsy Center is involved in a variety of clinical research activities, including:
- • Clinical trials of investigational new antiepileptic medications
• Investigations on the interaction of seizures and sleep
• Clinical trials for prevention of epilepsy following severe traumatic brain injury
• Electroencephalographic studies of the evolution of epileptogenesis following severe traumatic brain injury
• Development of quality of life instruments for children and adolescents with epilepsy
Basic Science Research
SUNY Downstate Medical Center has internationally-recognized expertise in research involving the basic mechanisms of epilepsy. While a substantial effort is devoted to studying neuronal excitability, the primary focus at this institution is on the mechanisms which oppose and thus regulate excitability, namely GABAergic inhibition. When activity proceeds in a focused and coherent manner, the process is associated with normal behavior, healthy cortical development, and normal learning and memory formation. When the process becomes deranged and goes unchecked, the result is seizure activity and epilepsy. Consequently, the cellular and synaptic mechanisms of inhibition are central to understanding the processes leading to excitotoxicity and epileptogenesis, and their exploration is a necessary step in developing clinical therapies for pathogenic states resulting from neuronal hyperexcitability.
The areas of investigation include:
- • the structure of the GABAergic inhibitory circuit and its functional relationships in the neocortex and hippocampus
• transmitter modulation of hippocampal neuronal network and
their role in the mechanisms of epileptogenesis
• modulation of hippocampal circuits by neuroactive steroids and its possible relevance for the premenstrual syndrome, catamenial epilepsy, and seizure susceptibility
• the maturation of GABA-mediated inhibition
• modeling of electrophysiological processes pertinent to epilepsy
• the role of gene expression in the pathophysiology of neuronal disorders, particularly stroke and epilepsy
These studies mainly involve the use of biophysical approaches, such as voltage clamping and patch clamping applied to brain slices. A number of complementary techniques are also being brought to bear upon these issues, including molecular and computational methodologies. This work has been well-funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Epilepsy Society.
Epilepsy Center Staff
Neurologists and Pediatric Neurologists
Larry S. Benardo, M.D., Ph.D., Director
Susan T. Herman, M.D., Clinical Director
Geetha Chani, M.D.
Somchai Laowattana, M.D.
Romaine Schubert, M.D.
Pradumna Singh, M.D.
Helen Valsamis, M.D.
Nurse Practitioners
Judy Schaffer, R.N., M.S.N, A.N.P.
Neuropsychologists
David Desmond, Ph.D.
Laurie Lax, Ph.D.
EEG Technologists
Maria Dominguez, R. EEG Tech.
Deborah Wood, R. EEG Tech.
Beatrice Brandon
Administrative Staff
Bernadette Schacciaferro
Mary Noto
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