The enigma of epilepsy and subclinical epileptiform activity in Alzheimer's and related diseases
Symposium title: The enigma of epilepsy and subclinical epileptiform activity in Alzheimer's and related diseases
The symposium:
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases (AD, PD) and Lewy bodies dementia (LBD) are the most common neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) in aging, characterized by the progressive loss of neurons and disruption of neuronal connection leading to a decline of brain functions, cognitive deficits, and loss of autonomy towards dementia. Despite extensive research, no complete understanding or effective treatments for these conditions have been achieved. In NDDs patients, an emerging aspect is the presence of late-onset epilepsy or subclinical epileptiform activity due to abnormal cortical neural synchronization and excitatory/inhibitory balance. The present symposium aims at discussing this enigma through four presentations.
Prof. Ivan Rektor (University of Brno, Czech Republic) will illustrate his recent findings about the multimodal localization of seizure onset in epileptic patients negative to MRI.
Prof. Saak Ovsepian (University of Greenwich, UK) will clarify the specificity of neuronal protein response to neurodegenerative processes and the effects of concomitant epilepsy and other comorbidities.
Dr. Susanna Lopez (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) will demonstrate the abnormalities of cortical source activities of resting state electroencephalographic rhythms in patients with and without prodromal Alzheimer's disease and subclinical epileptiform activity.
Prof. Irena Rektorová (University of Brno, Czech Republic) will elucidate the imaging (fMRI), electrophysiology (EEG), and non-invasive brain stimulation findings on hyperconnectivity in neurodegenerative diseases.
Finally, Prof. Laura Bonanni (University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy) will discuss the dis-rhythmicity of resting state EEG reflecting abnormal cortical neural synchronization in prodromal stages of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Symposium schedule:
1. Opening remarks and speakers’ presentation by Prof. Claudio Babiloni, 5 minutes;
2. Prof. Ivan Rektor, University of Brno (Czech Republic), “Multimodal methods in identification of seizure onset zone in MR negative epilepsy“, 20 minutes presentation + 5 minutes discussion;
3. Prof. Saak Ovsepian, University of Greenwich (UK) “Molecular biomarkers of neuronal injury in epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases“, 20 minutes presentation + 5 minutes discussion;
4. Dr. Susanna Lopez, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), “Cortical source activities of resting- state electroencephalographic rhythms in Alzheimer’s disease with subclinical epileptiform activity“, 20 minutes presentation + 5 minutes discussion;
15.30-16.00 pm: Coffee break
5. Prof. Irena Rektorova, University of Brno (Czech Republic), “Study of network hyperconnectivity in brain neurodegeneration using fMRI, EEG and non-invasive brain stimulation“, 20 minutes presentation + 5 minutes discussion;
6. Prof. Laura Bonanni, University of Chieti-Pescara (Italy), “Electroencephalographic dis- rhythmicity reflecting abnormal cortical neural synchronization in prodromal stages of Lewy body disease“, 20 minutes presentation + 5 minutes discussion;
7. Closing remarks by Prof. Claudio Babiloni, 5 minutes.
The seminar will also be offered via Zoom at
https://uniroma1.zoom.us/j/
ID meeting 982 9771 6200
Date, schedule, and avenue of the symposium:
June 22, 2023, 2:00-5:00 p.m. CET (Italian time)
Aula Magna A Cesare Gerin, Department of Legal Medicine, Building CU023 (ground level), Sapienza University of Rome (entrance "Sapienza Store" from Viale Regina Elena 334 or entrance 4 at Via Cesare de Lollis, 23, Rome).
Host and Chair:
Prof. Claudio Babiloni, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy; claudio.babiloni@
Invited Speakers:
1. Prof. Ivan Rektor, University of Brno (Czech Republic),
2. Prof. Saak Ovsepian, University of Greenwich (UK),
3. Dr. Susanna Lopez, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy),
4. Prof. Irena Rektorová, University of Brno (Czech Republic),
5. Prof. Laura Bonanni, University of Chieti-Pescara (Italy).
Presenters' short CV:
Prof. Ivan Rektor, CSc, FCMA, FEAN, FANA, is internationally recognized for his achievements in the clinical, educational, and research fields of stress, epileptology, movement disorders, and music in the brain. He is a Professor of Neurology at the Masaryk University, Department of Neurology, St. Anne University Hospital, and the Research Group Leader at CEITEC – Central European Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Centre. He was Chair of the Neurology Department at the St. Anna University Hospital (1992- 2012) and vice-rector of the Masaryk University (2006-2011) in Brno.
Prof. Saak V. Ovsepian is a Professor in Biosciences at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Greenwich. His expertise is in molecular and cellular neurobiology, neuroimaging, translational biology, and neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. His work elucidates a wide range of questions in neurobiology, synaptic physiology, and pathobiology of brain diseases through neurophysiology, molecular probes, and imaging. Professor Ovsepian studied medicine, biology, and philosophy. Throughout his career, he served as Director of Neuroimaging at the International Centre of Neurotherapeutics in Dublin, Head of Electrophysiology at the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, and Senior Investigator at the Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging in Munich. From 2018 to 2021, he worked as Director of the Experimental Neurobiology program and Head of the Department of Experimental Neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health in Prague. Between 2016-2021 he was an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Science and Health of Dublin University.
Dr. Susanna Lopez holds a master's degree in Biomedical Engineering (2014) and a Ph.D. in Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences and Psychiatry (curriculum in Neurophysiology; 2018), both from Sapienza University of Rome. Her Ph.D. thesis dealt with the back-translation of EEG biomarkers from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients to mouse models. During this period, she has developed deep expertise in the recording and advanced analysis of EEG biomarkers in clinical and preclinical AD models. She is a Post-Doc Researcher in Prof. Claudio Babiloni's lab at the Sapienza University of Rome. She is involved in several projects to understand the neurophysiological mechanisms of cortical neural synchronization during resting state and cognitive-motor tasks in healthy subjects and along pathological aging, as revealed by EEG techniques. She is involved specifically in evaluating EEG biomarkers of functional connectivity and their association with pathological and MRI biomarkers along neurodegenerative diseases.
Prof. Irena Rektorová graduated from the Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, in 1994. She is a Professor of Neurology at the Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. She is Head of the Centre for Cognitive Impairment and Dementia at the Department of Neurology, St. Anne's Teaching Hospital, and Head of the Applied Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno. She is a board-certified neurologist, and her main interests lie in movement disorders and Parkinson's disease, particularly cognitive impairment and dementia. Dr. Rektorová is a Secretary of the International Association of Parkinsonism and Related Disorders
Prof. Laura Bonanni is an Associate Professor in Neurology at the University d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy. Her research mainly deals with the study of Dementia with Lewy bodies as related to the pathogenesis and phenomenology of cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Due to the relevance of the results obtained in the studies on DLB, Prof. Bonanni has received national and international conspicuous contributions to finance the continuation of research and recognized scientific awards, including teaching at the University of Cincinnati and the designation as Italian leader in several international research projects. Prof. Bonanni is the coordinator of the Italian group study on Dementia with Lewy Bodies, which brings together 133 dementia centers; she is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Society of Neurology for Dementia (SINdem) and of the Board of Directors of the European DLB Consortium (E-DLB).