Epilepsy Research
Leaders
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.
Cooperation
We have an extensive program of collaboration with other research groups at the A.I. Virtanen Institute, Kuopio University Hospital, Turku University Hospital, and neuroscientists in the USA, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, UK, Poland, Australia, and the Czech Republic. In addition we collaborate with multinational pharmaceutical companies to develop new treatments for epilepsy.
Keywords
Leaders
Senior Researchers
Post-doctoral Researchers
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Jenni Kyyriäinen
Project ResearcherA.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences -
Anssi Lipponen
Postdoctoral ResearcherInstitute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences
Doctoral Researchers
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Mette Heiskanen
Postdoctoral ResearcherInstitute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences -
Pedro Andrade de Abreu
Project ResearcherA.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences
Technicians
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Jarmo Hartikainen
Laboratory AssistantA.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences -
Merja Lukkari
Senior Laboratory TechnicianA.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences
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
Publications
49 items-
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. Epilepsy and behavior. 121: 107080 -
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. Teoksessa: -(toim.) , 2020. 2020 IEEE 17th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI). s. 1013-1017. IEEE -
Biomarkers For Epileptogenesis And Its Treatment
Engel, Jerome Jr; Pitkänen, Asla. 2020. Neuropharmacology. 167: 107735 -
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. International journal of molecular sciences. 21: 2418 -
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. Scientific reports. 10: 9012 -
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. Journal of neurotrauma. 37: 2580-2594 -
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. Neuroscience. 433: 21-35 -
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. Brain pathology. 30: 897-912 -
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. eLife. 9: e52798 -
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. Neurobiology of disease. 145: 1-20