Integrating polyspikes and excitability markers for epileptic network identification.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
- 2Department of Surgery, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, New York, NY, United States.
- 3Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States.
- 4Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, United States.
Abstract
Epilepsy is increasingly recognized as a disorder of distributed brain networks rather than a disease arising from a single seizure focus. Although clinical practice remains centered on localization of the seizure onset zone (SOZ), persistent seizures following apparently successful resection suggest that epileptogenic activity is often supported by broader networks of interconnected regions. A major challenge for both surgical and neuromodulatory treatment is identifying not only where seizures occur, but also which connected brain structures are components of a network that may underlie the generation of seizures. Here, we propose network excitability mapping as a translational framework for characterizing epileptic networks. In this view, epileptic networks can be described along two complementary dimensions: 1) local excitability and 2) network recruitment. We highlight evidence that the aperiodic (1/f) slope of field-potential recordings provides a mechanistically grounded measure of local excitability, while polyspike structure can reflect the degree to which epileptiform activity recruits distributed network nodes. Recent studies, and preliminary data presented here, combining electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and computational modeling suggest that these measures capture distinct but related aspects of epileptic network function. Together, these approaches support a shift from SOZ-based paradigms toward functional mapping of epileptic networks. We argue that combining measures of excitability and recruitment may enable construction of individualized excitability maps capable of informing surgical planning, optimizing neurostimulation, and improving seizure control. Establishing translational biomarkers of network engagement will be critical for advancing precision therapies in epilepsy.
Related
- Identification of soluble immune markers for the diagnosis of aspergillosis and pneumocystosis: an exploratory study
- Associations between markers of cellular ageing and of inflammation in bipolar disorders: Identification of IL-16 as an indicator of “inflamm-ageing”
- Integrating Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein IgG, IL-6, and NK Cell Percentage with Routine Laboratory Markers for COVID-19 Severity Assessment: Development and Validation of the CORIS Nomogram.
- A real-world nomogram integrating predictive markers for disease-free survival in postmenopausal triple-negative breast cancer receiving anthracycline/taxane-based chemotherapy
- Improving MASLD Identification in Patients with T2D: A Computable Phenotype Framework Integrating Structured Data and Clinical Notes
BibTeX
@article{niemeyer2026integrating,
title = {{Integrating polyspikes and excitability markers for epileptic network identification.}},
author = {James E Niemeyer and Benjamin L Barnes and Nitish Seenarine and Meritxell Sainz Barrionuevo and Theodore H Schwartz},
journal = {Frontiers in network physiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fnetp.2026.1966953},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952610},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrating polyspikes and excitability markers for epileptic network identification.
AU - James E Niemeyer
AU - Benjamin L Barnes
AU - Nitish Seenarine
AU - Meritxell Sainz Barrionuevo
AU - Theodore H Schwartz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Frontiers in network physiology
DO - 10.3389/fnetp.2026.1966953
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952610
AB - Epilepsy is increasingly recognized as a disorder of distributed brain networks rather than a disease arising from a single seizure focus. Although clinical practice remains centered on localization of the seizure onset zone (SOZ), persistent seizures following apparently successful resection suggest that epileptogenic activity is often supported by broader networks of interconnected regions. A major challenge for both surgical and neuromodulatory treatment is identifying not only where seizures occur, but also which connected brain structures are components of a network that may underlie the generation of seizures. Here, we propose network excitability mapping as a translational framework for characterizing epileptic networks. In this view, epileptic networks can be described along two complementary dimensions: 1) local excitability and 2) network recruitment. We highlight evidence that the aperiodic (1/f) slope of field-potential recordings provides a mechanistically grounded measure of local excitability, while polyspike structure can reflect the degree to which epileptiform activity recruits distributed network nodes. Recent studies, and preliminary data presented here, combining electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and computational modeling suggest that these measures capture distinct but related aspects of epileptic network function. Together, these approaches support a shift from SOZ-based paradigms toward functional mapping of epileptic networks. We argue that combining measures of excitability and recruitment may enable construction of individualized excitability maps capable of informing surgical planning, optimizing neurostimulation, and improving seizure control. Establishing translational biomarkers of network engagement will be critical for advancing precision therapies in epilepsy.
SN - 2674-0109
ER -