Edmond Scientific Presents at Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting

November 2016, San Diego — Edmond Scientific Company (ESC) researchers presented their latest findings to the scientific community, and shared experiences with their colleagues at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in San Diego.  SfN’s goal is to advance the shared understanding of the brain and nervous system, and the purpose of the annual SfN meeting is to share research; learn new techniques, theories, and other efforts that could be applied to ESC supported research in neurodegenerative disorders and injury, and integrative physiology and behavior.  ESC supported research was presented during on the topics of “Age-dependent susceptibility to seizure and neuronal loss” and “Anticonvulsant, antiepileptic and neuroprotective effects of ketamine, valproate and midazolam polytherapy”.  The first topic addresses the increased susceptibility of the aged population (65 years and older) to status epilepticus (SE) and recurrent seizure activity, as well as the neuropathological underpinnings of this increased vulnerability.  ESC research reported on the effects of toxic exposure in adult and aged populations on seizure activity and neuronal loss, and related it to the loss of hippocampal interneurons and reduced inhibition which may lead to increased susceptibility to the development of seizures in an aged population.  The second topic related to researching better treatments against pharmaco-resistant seizures using combinations of drugs aimed at reversing the effects of maladaptive receptor trafficking.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the research was performed under contract to the US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) to reduce the extensive neuropathology and long-term performance deficits of uncontrolled seizures as a result of exposure to toxic Chemical Warfare Nerve Agents (CWNAs).  However, the research also has direct relevance to other aged-related medical research areas that focus on neuronal loss and neurotoxicity due to natural and artificial causes.