Claire Meehan

Department of Neuroscience, KU

Title: Going Out With a Bang? Excitability, Motoneurone Disease and the Mid-Life Crisis

Abstract: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease preferentially affecting motoneurones in the brain and spinal cord. The underlying pathophysiology is still not fully understood and may involve a complex interplay between a number of different factors. Until recently, the only standard treatment has been Riluzole which targets the excitability of the motoneurone and the motor circuitry in which it is embedded. Although this provides only modest benefits in terms of survival, it does point to a clear role for neuronal excitability in the disease progression. In this talk I will present work from our laboratory exploring the role of neuronal excitability in this disease and discuss how our results may apply to patients