F. Edward Dudek

Professor and Chairman of Physiology
e-mail: ed.dudek@hsc.utah.edu

Research Interests  |  Publications





Biosketch/Research Interests

We are investigating the mechanisms by which electrical signals are transmitted between neurons in the mammalian brain. We are particularly interested in local neuronal interactions, which are critical for information processing. Most of our work involves the hippocampus and hypothalamus. The hippocampal research is aimed at the cellular basis of epilepsy, and our work in the hypothalamus is directed at the mechanisms responsible for hormone secretion and circadian rhythms. We use a wide range of methods, with an emphasis on anatomical and electrophysiological techniques in the brain slice preparation.

Our laboratory has studied synaptic and non-synaptic mechanisms of neuronal communication under normal conditions and in models of epilepsy. We have examined recurrent excitatory circuits mediated by chemical synapses, electrotonic coupling through gap junctions, and electrical field effects (ephaptic interactions). Particular emphasis has been on the mechanisms that synchronize neurons during seizure activity. We have been studying these processes in the kainate-treated rat, an animal model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms that underlie seizure generation and epilepsy.

The hypothalamic research has focused on the cellular mechanisms by which neurons and neuroendocrine cells integrate signals from the brain. This work has previously involved the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, which are responsible for secretion of the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin. More recently, we have studied the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which generates the circadian rhythm in mammals. Our specific aim has been to understand the electrophysiological properties of hypothalamic neurons, and the mechanisms of neurotransmission.

We intend to extend our neuroanatomical and electrophysiological studies on the hippocampus and hypothalamus. We will continue to use intracellular staining and whole-cell patch-clamp techniques to determine structure-function relationships in these two critical areas of the mammalian brain.

Publications

(Go to the complete list in PDF Format.)

RESEARCH ARTICLES (2004-current)

Kononenko NI, Dudek FE. 2004. Mechanism of irregular firing of suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons in rat hypothalamic slices. J Neurophysiol 91:267-273.

Shao L-R, Dudek FE. 2004. Increased excitatory synaptic activity and local connectivity of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells in rats with kainate-induced epilepsy. J Neurophysiol. 92:1366-1373.

Grabenstatter, H.L., Ferraro, D.J., Williams, P.A., Chapman, P.L., and Dudek, F.E. 2005. Use of chronic epilepsy models in antiepileptic drug discovery: the effect of topiramate on spontaneous motor seizures in rats with kainate-induced epilepsy. Epilepsia 46:8-14.

Shao, L.-R. and Dudek, F.E. 2005. Electrophysiological evidence using focal flash photolysis of caged glutamate that CA1 pyramidal cells receive excitatory synaptic input from the subiculum. JNeurophysiol. 93:3007-3001.

Bramley, J.R., Sollars, P.J., Pickard, G.E. and Dudek, F.E. 2005. 5-HT1B receptor-mediated presynaptic inhibition of GABA release in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. J. Neurophysiol. 93:3157-3164.

Kononenko, N.I. and Dudek, F.E. 2005. Noise of the slowly inactivating Na current in suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons. Neuroreport 16:981-985.

Shao, L.R. and Dudek, F.E. 2005. Changes in mIPSCs and sIPSCs after kainate treatment: evidence for loss of inhibitory input to dentate granule cells and possible compensatory responses. J. Neurophysiol. 94:952-960.

Kuehl-Kovarik, M.D., Partin, K.M., Handa, R.J. and Dudek, F.E. 2005. Spike-dependent depolarizing afterpotentials contribute to endogenous bursting in gonadotropin releasing neurons. Neuroscience 134:295-300.

Shao, L.R. and Dudek, F.E. 2005. Detection of increased local excitatory circuits in the hippocampus during epileptogenesis using focal flash photolysis of caged glutamate. Epilepsia 5:100-106.

White, A.M., Williams, P.A., Ferraro, D.J., Clark, S., Kadam, S.D., Dudek, F.E. and Staley, K.J. 2006. Efficient unsupervised algorithms for the detection of seizures in continuous EEG recordings from rats after brain surgery. J. Neurosci. Methods 152:255-266.

Kononenko, N.I. and Dudek, F.E. 2006. Persistent calcium current in rat suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons. Neuroscience 138:377-388.

Williams, P., White, A., Ferraro, D., Clark, S., Staley, K. and Dudek, F.E. 2006. The use of radiotelemetry to evaluate electrographic seizures in rats with kainate-induced epilepsy. J. Neurosci. Methods 155:39-48.

 

 

  
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