Julianna Maisano
30 September 2015
Douglas Coutler’s Science for the Greater Good Lecture Reflection
On Thursday, September 24, 2015, Trinity College alumnus Douglas Coutler ’80, kicked off the College’s Science for the Greater Good lecture series. A Professor of Pediatrics, and a member of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Coutler discussed the research that he as conducted on epilepsy. Dr. Coutler’s research centers on better understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that enable epilepsy to develop (University of Pennsylvania, 2015). To begin his lecture, Dr. Coutler expressed that epilepsy simply does not derive from a single source, but rather many sources. In order to understand how the underlying mechanisms for epileptic seizure and the distinct types of stimuli needed to generate these seizures, Dr. Coutler uses many different physiological, functional imaging, anatomical, and molecular techniques to address this disorder (University of Pennsylvania, 2015).
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, with the most common symptom presented as a seizure. As the uniform component of epilepsy, seizures occur when there is an abnormal amount of synchronous neuronal activity within the brain. a seizure presents itself externally as numerous uncontrolled jerking movements, as a result of the excessive amounts of synchronous activity (Fisher et al., 2005). Dr. Coutler expressed that while there is no known treatment for the underlying disorder, it is known that the hippocampus is a structure involved in epilepsy. Subsequently, it is also known that those who suffer from epilepsy are at an increased risk for unexpected death.
Through his research on the disorder, Dr. Coutler has discovered that the dentate gyrus plays a key role in understating the mechanisms of epilepsy. By examining activity in the dentate gyrus during a seizure, we are able to assimilate, break down, and discover the network of structures that are involved during a seizure. Dr. Coutler found that during an epileptic seizure, the dentate gyrus amplifies neuronal activity into the hippocampus which is not suppose to be there. Subsequently, the dentate gyrus circuit within the hippocampus falls when apart when someone experiences epilepsy early on in their lives (Coutler, 2015).
While not enough is known about the development of epilepsy to single out a certain trigger stimulus, functional studies of the disorder are necessary in order to understand how the entire epileptic system works. Because neurons do not work in isolation, activity of all parts of the brain during an epileptic seizure must be assessed. Neuronal circuit dynamics can be analyzed using MRI, EEG, and MEG imaging, however MCI and VSD imaging are more effective as they are able detect activity at the smallest cellular level. To conclude his lecture, Dr. Coutler expressed gratitude towards about the benefits of being a Trinity College alumnus. He encouraged the audience to take classes outside of their comfort zone, pursue their interests, and when conducting scientific research to look for rigor and keep a broad approach.
References
Douglas, C. (2015, September 24). Epilepsy. Lecture presented at Science for the Greater Good
Lecture Series.
Fisher, R., Boas, W., Blume, W., Elger, C., Genton, P., Lee, P., & Engel,
J. (2005). Epileptic Seizures and Epilepsy: Definitions Proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE). Epilepsia, 46(4), 470-472.
University of Pennsylvania. (2015). Douglas A. Coulter || Department of Neuroscience || School
of Medicine || University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved from, http://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty/index.php/g309/p10704