Slow waves that typically occur during sleep may also be present during wakefulness in individuals with epilepsy, according to a study led by researchers at UCL. Published in Nature Communications, the study analyzed EEG scans from 25 patients with focal epilepsy who were performing a memory task. The findings revealed that these “wake” slow waves increased in line with brain excitability and reduced the impact of epileptic spikes on brain activity. However, the slow waves also affected cognitive performance, increasing the time required to complete the task. The researchers hope to explore the potential of increasing this activity as a novel treatment for epilepsy.
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