The possible role of electromagnetic induction in the regulation of absence seizures: evidence from a computational model

In this paper, we establish a cortical-thalamic-basal ganglia mean-field computational network that includes a newly determined direct glutamatergic thalamic-subthalamic projection. In this model, we consider the role of the thalamic-subthalamic projection and electromagnetic induction in regulating the spike and wave discharges (SWDs) during absence epilepsy, through numerical simulation. We observe that the thalamic-subthalamic projection can significantly inhibit SWDs, through two direct pallidothalamic inhibitory pathways. We find that the specific relay nuclei might be a potential target for deep brain stimulation in controlling absence seizures. Interestingly, electromagnetic induction from a memristor can assist the thalamic-subthalamic projection and external current stimulation in controlling SWDs. More importantly, electromagnetic induction can significantly reduce the side effects caused by external current stimulation. Since electromagnetic radiation is a non-invasive technique, our computational results theoretically confirm that it may be a safe and feasible means for clinical intervention in absence epilepsy.