Control Aspects of a Theoretical Model for Epileptic Seizures

We discuss the key features of theoretical models of networks of coupled chaotic oscillators that produce seizure-like events and bear striking similarities to dynamics of epileptic seizures. Our long-term objective is to understand the basic functional mechanisms that can produce seizures and may ultimately lead to strategies for seizure suppression and control. We show that, from a dynamical systems point of view, a plausible cause of seizures is a pathological feedback in the brain circuitry. This suggests new seizure control approaches, as well as systematic methods to tune existing ones. While the suggested models and control approaches are far from being considered optimal for epileptic seizures, they have interesting physical interpretation and implications for treatments of epilepsy. They also have close ties with a variety of recent practical observations in the human and animal epileptic brain, and with theories from adaptive systems, optimization and chaos.