Epileptic seizure event leads professor down new path of discovery

The majority of people who are touched by an epileptic seizure event can only endure the terrifying moments and put their faith in doctors to help their loved one. The University of Lethbridge’s Dr. Artur Luczak, however, was in a position to do much more when his infant son suffered a seizure, and what he’s learned about seizures since has flipped the script on understanding how the brain functions during these traumatic events.

When Luczak, a researcher in the U of L’s Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), witnessed his infant son experience an epileptic seizure, it understandably made an indelible impression both personally and professionally. Already deep in research that examines the interaction between neurons in the brain, Luczak turned to look at ictal (seizure) events by applying data techniques to gain a better understanding of how seizures develop in the brain.

“Having my son in my hands when he lost consciousness was the worst experience in my life,” says Luczak of the seizure event. “It really put me on this path to not only do the basic research but also this transitional research, which means in the future we can have a better understanding of the brain and hopefully design some better help for people with epilepsy.”

The prognosis for his son is positive as he fell into that group of infants who sometimes experience febrile seizure events when they develop high fevers. For the many people who are diagnosed as epileptics however, understanding what is happening in their brains is extremely complicated.

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Photo via University of Lethbridge.