Scientists: Charles E. Ribak, Ph.D.

Research Focus

Working to understand: temporal lobe epilepsy

Scientific Focus: My laboratory uses a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy that involves injecting a chemoconvulsant, pilocarpine. The main region of the brain affected in this type of epilepsy is the hippocampus. I have contributed in recent years by showing newly generated neurons in the dentate gyrus of the adult hippocampus form basal dendrites that are involved in recurrent excitatory circuitry. This type of circuitry may be the basis for seizure activity in these rats. Recently, I have examined the role of neuroglia in epilepsy and discovered a new type of neuronal death involving microglia. This form of neuronal death occurs in brain regions where adult neurogenesis is found and thus may be involved in the homeostasis of the number of neurons in these brain regions.

Selected/Recent Publications

Publications Listed on PubMed

Ribak, C.E., Shapiro, L.A., Perez, Z.D. and Spigelman, I., Microglia-associated granule cell death in the normal adult dentate gyrus. Brain Structure & Function, 214:25-35 (2009).

Shapiro, L.A., Perez, Z.D., Foresti, M.L., Arisi, G.M. and Ribak, C.E., Morphological and ultrastructural features of Iba1-immunolabeled microglial cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Brain Res. 1266: 29-36 (2009). Cover Photo-micrograph.

Díaz-Cintra, S., Xue, B., Spigelman, I., Van, K., Wong, A.M., Obenaus, A. and Ribak, C.E., Dentate granule cells form hilar basal dendrites in a rat model of hypoxia-ischemia. Brain Res. 1285: 182-187 (2009).

Merchán-Pérez, A., Rodriguez, J.R., Ribak, C.E. and DeFelipe, J., Proximity of excitatory and inhibitory axon terminals adjacent to pyramidal cell bodies provides a putative basis for nonsynaptic interactions. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 106: 9878-9883 (2009).

Sultan-Styne, K., Toledo, R., Walker, C., Kallkopf, A., Ribak, C.E. and Guthrie, K.M., Long-term survival of olfactory sensory neurons after target depletion. J. Comp. Neurol. 515: 696-710 (2009).

Shapiro LA, Ng K, Zhou QY, Ribak CE.
Subventricular zone-derived, newly generated neurons populate several olfactory and limbic forebrain regions. Epilepsy Behav. 2009 Jan;14 Suppl 1:74-80. Epub 2008 Oct 26.

Shapiro LA, Ribak CE, Jessberger S.
Structural changes for adult-born dentate granule cells after status epilepticus. Epilepsia. 2008 Jun;49 Suppl 5:13-8. Review.

Toni N, Laplagne DA, Zhao C, Lombardi G, Ribak CE, Gage FH, Schinder AF.
Neurons born in the adult dentate gyrus form functional synapses with target cells. Nat Neurosci. 2008 Aug;11(8):901-7. Epub 2008 Jul 11.

Thind KK, Ribak CE, Buckmaster PS.
Synaptic input to dentate granule cell basal dendrites in a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy. J Comp Neurol. 2008 Jul 10;509(2):190-202.

Jacquin MF, Arends JJ, Xiang C, Shapiro LA, Ribak CE, Chen ZF.
In DRG11 knock-out mice, trigeminal cell death is extensive and does not account for failed brainstem patterning. J Neurosci. 2008 Apr 2;28(14):3577-85.

Shapiro LA, Wang L, Ribak CE.
Rapid astrocyte and microglial activation following pilocarpine-induced seizures in rats. Epilepsia. 2008;49 Suppl 2:33-41.