Children's Hospitals Today - Summer 2023 - 9

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are two amygdalae in the brain-one in
each cerebral hemisphere.
When electrodes in the amygdala
were stimulated, apnea was still
consistently produced when the amygdala
was stimulated. Also, none of the pediatric
patients in the study were aware they
had stopped breathing or showed any
visible signs of respiratory distress,
suggesting that the amygdala inhibits
breathing and the sensation of needing
to breathe. When other structures of
the brain were stimulated, they failed to
save lives and drastically improve the
outcomes for patients.
" We are working on surgical strategies
to alter this focal site in the amygdala
in patients with intractable epilepsy
who are at high risk of SUDEP, " Dlouhy
says. " This is a huge population worldwide,
and we hope to have a potential
preventative strategy in the next couple
of years. "
Addressing persistent
depression
Boes and his team also used brain
mapping techniques to better understand
the consequences of surgical lesions of
that resection of the right hippocampus
and parahippocampal gyrus was
associated with worsening mood,
strengthening the belief that the amygdala
specifically is a critical structure for
determining mood.
Given that mood disorders are a major
health issue for people with epilepsy,
this research could inspire new treatment
options for pediatric and adult
patients who do not respond well to
other forms of treatment.
" These findings could inform a new
therapeutic avenue for treating depression, "
Boes says. " If the amygdala is a
critical structure for depression, then there
is a potential it can be stimulated with
deep brain stimulation to treat depression. "
" We are working on surgical
strategies to alter this focal site
in the amygdala in patients
with intractable epilepsy who
are at high risk of SUDEP. "
Brian Dlouhy, MD
produce apnea, further suggesting
that central apnea is tied specifically to
the amygdala.
Dlouhy and his fellow researchers
believe that identifying the brain structures
responsible for seizure-induced apnea
could be the key to preventing SUDEP,
as well as other apnea related conditions
like sudden infant death syndrome
and sudden cardiac death. With these
findings, researchers are looking to expand
their research into potential treatment
and prevention options that could
the amygdala. The amygdala is thought
to contribute to symptoms of depression
and anxiety. Boes evaluated whether
patients would experience improved
mood when the amygdala was surgically
removed as a treatment for epilepsy.
While mood disorders such as depression
and mania are common among people
with chronic health conditions, it has a
larger prevalence in people with epilepsy.
In their study, published February
2023 in Brain Structure and Function,
Boes and colleagues determined that
resection of the right amygdala was
significantly associated with mood
improvement. However, it also showed
A bright future for
brain mapping
As brain mapping technology
continues to advance, researchers
believe it could play a significant
role in paving the way for better
diagnostic tools and targeted
treatments, bringing new hope
and life-saving potential to a
field that has historically had
more questions than answers.
" Much of the clinical work
dealing with the brain must treat it as
a 'black box' where we do not know
what happens behind the scenes, " Boes
says. " Once we have a better understanding,
it will inform improvements
in how we diagnose, treat, and care
for brain disorders. "
To learn more about UI Stead Family
Children's Hospital, visit uichildrens.org
http://www.uichildrens.org
Children's Hospitals Today - Summer 2023

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