Hippocampal In Silico Models of Seizures and Epilepsy

In silico computational neuroscience models of epileptiform activity and epilepsy-related alterations in brain circuits are constructed from mathematical equations that represent biophysical processes at different scales, from ion channels and synapses, to populations of neurons and large-scale networks encompassing entire brain regions. Computational neuroscience models can be based on simplified mathematical equations that aim to capture only the most important aspects of neural information processing under normal and pathological conditions, or biophysically detailed equations that aim to capture the entire possible range of biophysical dynamics. In this chapter, we review biophysically detailed data-driven network models of hippocampal networks that address clinically relevant biomarkers of epilepsy, such as interictal spikes, and pathological high-frequency oscillations, such as fast ripples. We also discuss a new generation of detailed computational models of large-scale structural and functional connectivity in the hippocampus, and the potential applications of graph analysis to such models that may aid clinical intervention strategies. We conclude with a summary of the current state of full-scale computational models of the hippocampus that aim to combine detailed connectivity descriptions with biophysical dynamics.