Michelle Paff
Michelle Paff
My research focuses on investigating neural networks underlying emotional regulation in epilepsy patients undergoing invasive seizure monitoring. Epilepsy is associated with high rates of psychiatric comorbidities, especially anxiety and depression, and a bidirectional relationship between epilepsy and psychiatric disorders has been recognized. Emotional dysregulation is a key feature of many forms of psychopathology, and is common in people with epilepsy. Repeated seizures lead to changes in brain connectivity, which can alter brain networks that normally function to coordinate emotional regulation, and this can lead to vulnerability to stress and inability to recover from negative experiences. Through network analysis in epilepsy patients undergoing invasive seizure monitoring, we can begin to understand how changes in brain connectivity can contribute to emotional dysregulation and risk of developing co-morbid affective disorders. This knowledge will inform the development of neuromodulatory techniques to treat both epilepsy and psychiatric disorders.