Analysis of epileptic neural networks based on the temporal distribution of interictal spikes

The widespread availability of digital EEG equipment and inexpensive computational resources make feasible the extraction of quantitative new information from the EEG such as the temporal distribution of interictal spikes in patients with epilepsy. Unfortunately, there is no theoretical basis for analyzing the detected spikes to determine long-term seizure risk in this population. We have developed potentially useful algorithms for spike detection as well as analyses that are based on in vitro studies of the interaction between synapses and network function. These tools may provide new insights into the nature of epileptic networks and their evolution over time.