Aaron, 4 Students Publish New Epilepsy Research

Gloster Aaron, assistant professor of biology and assistant professor of neuroscience and behavior, has published a new study in PLoS ONE, an international, peer-reviewed online publication. The study is co-authored by four Wesleyan students: Jeffrey Walker BA ’08/ MA ’09, Greg Storch BA ’10/MA ’11, Bonnie Quach-Wong ’12 and Julian Sonnenfeld ’11.

In this study, the researchers were able to produce a cortical slice preparation that allows activity to propagate from neurons in one cortical hemisphere to the other hemisphere through the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is the largest structure that connects the right and left halves of our brain. By examining this activity in slices, the neurons can be studied and manipulated under a microscope while activity is ongoing. The slices will stay “alive” for many hours, if handled correctly. The researchers used this method to study seizure-like events, particularly their ability to propagate across the callosum in these slices.

The article can be viewed online at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0031415.