Main goals

To better understand the neuro-pathophysiology of human epileptic seizures by quantitative EEG analysis

Group members and their position

1 MD, PhD Group Leader (Prof. Kaspar Schindler)
1 Oberarzt II (Dr. Heidemarie Gast)
1 MD PhD (Dr. Frédéric Zubler)
1 MD (Dr. Eugenio Abela)
1 PhD (Dr. Andreas Steimer)

Previous and current research

The focus of our research is to quantitatively characterize peri-seizure changes of intra- and extracranially recorded EEG signals in order to derive diagnostically and therapeutically helpful information that is complementary to classical visual EEG interpretation. We apply single- and multi-variate time series analysis techniques from information theory, random matrix theory and graph theory

Future projects

1. To increase the spatiotemporal resolution of intracranial EEG recordings by using microwires and very high sampling rates (up to 32kHz).
2. To apply methods from machine-learning to detect patterns within the massively increased amount of EEG signal data yielded by increasing spatiotemporal recording Resolution.

Techniques / methods

Extra- and intracranial EEG; computer simulations.

Equipment

– Long-term video-EEG monitoring unit (Inselspital, University of Bern)
– 48 core computer cluster

Selected publications

Jiruska P, de Curtis M, Jefferys JG, Schevon CA, Schiff SJ, Schindler K.
Synchronization and desynchronization in epilepsy: controversies and hypotheses.
J Physiol. 2013 Feb 15;591(Pt 4):787-97.

Rummel C, Goodfellow M, Gast H, Hauf M, Amor F, Stibal A, Mariani L, Wiest R,
Schindler K. A systems-level approach to human epileptic seizures.
Neuroinformatics. 2013 Apr;11(2):159-73.

Schindler K, Gast H, Goodfellow M, Rummel C. On seeing the trees and the
forest: single-signal and multisignal analysis of periictal intracranial EEG.
Epilepsia. 2012 Sep;53(9):1658-68.

Selected lectures, seminars, colloquia

Lecturer “Epilepsy” for Medical Students, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Lecturer Annual Course of the Academy of the Swiss Society of Clinical Neurophysiology (SSNC), Coures of Electroencephalography (“EEG Academy”).

Funding

Swiss National Science Foundation