
Epilepsy Research
Our goal is to
a) understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of epileptogenesis after traumatic brain injury,
b) to develop interventions to prevent epileptogenesis or alleviate the disease severity.
Epilepsy is a serious and common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, which are caused by abnormal synchronized neuronal discharges. As many as 6 million people in Europe currently have active epilepsy. This has major implications not only for health, but also for independent living, education and employment, mobility, and personal relationships.
Our research goal is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of epileptogenesis after traumatic brain injury and to develop interventions to prevent epileptogenesis or alleviate the disease severity.
Research interest
- to develop clinically relevant models of acquired epilepsy
- to understand the molecular mechanisms of acquired epileptogenesis
- to identify novel treatment targets for antiepileptogenesis and disease modification
- to find biomarkers for epileptogenesis and functional outcome after brain injury
Main achievements
- development of new clinically relevant models of epilepsy, in which epileptogenic process is initiated by status epilepticus or traumatic brain injury
- the first demonstration of disease-modification of the epileptogenic process by pharmacotherapy
- identification of mechanisms of molecular changes during epileptogenesis (ongoing)
- multimodal MRI imaging of neuronal tissue changes during epileptogenic process (together with Prof. Olli Gröhn’s research group at A.I. Virtanen Institute )
Methodological approach
Most of the research is done in experimental models of epilepsy. We also examine tissue from patients, work we do in collaboration with the Pathology and Neurosurgery Departments of the University Hospital. In our studies we apply various methods that range from classical neuroanatomy, molecular analysis (gene array, proteomics, bioinformatics), single-cell electrophysiology to behavior and magnetic resonance imaging of epileptic process.
Keywords
Group members - UEF
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Asla Pitkänen Professor , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Xavier Ekolle Ndode Ekane Senior Researcher , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Noora Puhakka Project Researcher , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Jenni Kyyriäinen Project Researcher , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Anssi Lipponen Project Researcher , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Natallie Kajevu Early Stage Researcher , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Mette Heiskanen Early Stage Researcher , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Niina Lapinlampi Scholarship Researcher , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Shalini Das Gupta Postgraduate student , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Pedro Andrade Project Researcher , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Jarmo Hartikainen Laboratory Assistant , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
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Merja Lukkari Senior Laboratory Technician , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular ...
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Eleonora Niskanen Project Controller
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Elina Hämäläinen Project Researcher , Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences
Leader(s)
Senior Researchers
Post-doctoral Researchers
Doctoral Researchers
Technicians
Supporting Staff
Project researcher
Other group members
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Johanna Hiltunen jokhiltu@student.uef.fi
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Tomi Paananen tomi.paananen@uef.fi
Cooperation partners
Publications
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Biomarkers for posttraumatic epilepsy Pitkänen, Asla; Paananen, Tomi; Kyyriäinen, Jenni; Das Gupta, Shalini; Heiskanen, Mette; Vuokila, Niina; Bañuelos-Cabrera, Ivette; Lapinlampi, Niina; Kajevu, Natallie; Andrade, Pedro; Ciszek, Robert; Lara-Valderrábano, Leonardo; Ekolle Ndode-Ekane, Xavier; Puhakka, Noora. 2021. Biomarkers for posttraumatic epilepsy Epilepsy and behavior 121 Part B: 107080. 2021
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A Computational Diffusion MRI Framework for Biomarker Discovery in a Rodent Model of Post-Traumatic Epileptogenesis A Computational Diffusion MRI Framework for Biomarker Discovery in a Rodent Model of Post-Traumatic Epileptogenesis. Cabeen, Ryan P; Immonen, Riikka; Harris, Neil G; Gröhn, Olli; Smith, Gregory; Manninen, Eppu; Garner, Rachael; Duncan, Dominique; Pitkänen, Asla; Toga, Arthur W / 2020 IEEE 17th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI). 2020. 2020
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Biomarkers For Epileptogenesis And Its Treatment Engel, Jerome Jr; Pitkänen, Asla. 2020. Biomarkers For Epileptogenesis And Its Treatment Neuropharmacology 167: 107735. 2020
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Chronic Regulation of miR-124-3p in the Perilesional Cortex After Experimental and Human TBI Vuokila, Niina; Aronica, Eleonora; Korotkov, Anatoly; van Vliet, Erwin Alexander; Nuzhat, Salma; Puhakka, Noora; Pitkänen, Asla. 2020. Chronic Regulation of miR-124-3p in the Perilesional Cortex After Experimental and Human TBI International journal of molecular sciences 21 7: 2418. 2020
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Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction-based quantification of circulating microRNAs using small RNA concentration normalization Das Gupta, Shalini; Ndode-Ekane, Xavier Ekolle; Puhakka, Noora; Pitkänen, Asla. 2020. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction-based quantification of circulating microRNAs using small RNA concentration normalization Scientific reports 10: 9012. 2020
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Early increase in cortical T2 relaxation is a prognostic biomarker for the evolution of severe cortical damage, but not for epileptogenesis, after experimental traumatic brain injury Manninen, Eppu Matias; Chary, Karthik; Lapinlampi, Niina; Andrade, Pedro; Paananen, Tomi; Sierra Lopez, Alejandra; Tohka, Jussi; Gröhn, Olli; Pitkanen, Asla. 2020. Early increase in cortical T2 relaxation is a prognostic biomarker for the evolution of severe cortical damage, but not for epileptogenesis, after experimental traumatic brain injury Journal of neurotrauma 37 23: 2580-2594. 2020
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Elevated acute plasma miR-124-3p level relates to evolution of larger cortical lesion area after traumatic brain injury Vuokila, Niina; Gupta, Shalini Das; Huusko, Riina; Tohka, Jussi; Puhakka, Noora; Pitkänen, Asla. 2020. Elevated acute plasma miR-124-3p level relates to evolution of larger cortical lesion area after traumatic brain injury Neuroscience 433: 21-35. 2020
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Increased expression of miR142 and miR155 in glial and immune cells after traumatic brain injury may contribute to neuroinflammation via astrocyte activation Korotkov, Anatoly; Puhakka, Noora; Gupta, Shalini Das; Vuokila, Niina; Broekaart, Diede W M; Anink, Jasper J; Heiskanen, Mette; Karttunen, Jenni; van Scheppingen, Jackelien; Huitinga, Inge; Mills, James D; van Vliet, Erwin A; Pitkänen, Asla; Aronica, Eleonora. 2020. Increased expression of miR142 and miR155 in glial and immune cells after traumatic brain injury may contribute to neuroinflammation via astrocyte activation Brain pathology 30 5: 897-912. 2020
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Kainate receptors regulate development of glutamatergic synaptic circuitry in the rodent amygdala Ryazantseva, Maria; Englund, Jonas; Shintyapina, Alexandra; Huupponen, Johanna; Shteinikov, Vasilii; Pitkänen, Asla; Partanen, Juha; Lauri, Sari. 2020. Kainate receptors regulate development of glutamatergic synaptic circuitry in the rodent amygdala eLife 9: e52798. 2020
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Long-lasting blood-brain barrier dysfunction and neuroinflammation after traumatic brain injury van Vliet, Erwin A; Ndode-Ekane, Xavier Ekolle; Lehto, Lauri J; Gorter, Jan A; Andrade, Pedro; Aronica, Eleonora; Gröhn, Olli; Pitkänen, Asla. 2020. Long-lasting blood-brain barrier dysfunction and neuroinflammation after traumatic brain injury Neurobiology of disease 145: 1-20. 2020