abstract: Following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) 5-50% of patients will develop post traumatic epilepsy (PTE). Pediatric patients are most susceptible with the highest incidence of PTE. Currently, we cannot prevent the development of PTE and knowledge of basic mechanisms are unknown. This has led to several shortcomings to the treatment of PTE, one of which is the use of anticonvulsant medication to the population of TBI patients that are not likely to develop PTE. The complication of identifying the two populations has been hindered by the ability to find a marker to the pathogenesis of PTE. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that following TBI, the cortex undergoes distinct cellular and synaptic reorganization that facilitates cortical excitability and promotes seizure development. Chapter 2 of this dissertation details excitatory and inhibitory changes in the rat cortex after severe TBI. This dissertation aims to identify cortical changes to a single cell level after severe TBI using whole cell patch clamp and electroencephalogram electrophysiology. The work of this dissertation concluded that excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity in cortical controlled impact (CCI) animals showed the development of distinct burst discharges that were not present in control animals. The results suggest that CCI induces early "silent" seizures that are detectable on EEG and correlate with changes to the synaptic excitability in the cortex. The synaptic changes and development of burst discharges may play an important role in synchronizing the network and promoting the development of PTE. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Biology 2014

Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder primarily caused by mutations in the X-linked gene methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2). The mosaic brain environment in heterozygous (MECP2+/-) females consists of both MeCP2-wildtype (MeCP2+) and Mecp2-mutant (MeCP2-) neurons. To separate possible cell autonomous and cell non-autonomous effects three-dimensional morphological analysis was performed on individually genotyped layer V pyramidal neurons in the primary motor cortex of heterozygous (Mecp2+/-) and wild-type (Mecp2+/+) mature female mice (>8 months old) from the Mecp2tm1.1Jae line. Mecp2+/+ neurons and Mecp2+ were found to be indistinguishable while Mecp2- neurons have significantly reduced basal dendritic length (p<0.05), predominantly in the region 70-130 μm from the cell body, culminating in a total reduction of 15%. Mecp2- neurons have three (17%) fewer total branch points, lost specifically at the second and third branch orders. Thus the reduced total dendritic length in Mecp2- neurons is a result of fewer higher-order branches. Soma and nuclear areas of 30 Mecp2+/- female mice (5-21 months) with X chromosome inactivation (XCI) ratios ranging from 12% to 56% were analyzed. On average Mecp2- somata and nuclei were 15% and 13% smaller than Mecp2+ neurons respectively. The variation observed in the soma and nuclear sizes of Mecp2- neurons was not due to age, but was found to be correlated with the XCI ratio. Animals with a balanced XCI ratio (approximately 50% Mecp2-) were found to have Mecp2- neurons with a less severe cellular phenotype (11-17% smaller than Mecp2+). Animals with a highly skewed XCI ratio favouring expression of the wild-type allele (less than 30% Mecp2-) were found to have a more severe Mecp2- cellular phenotype (17-22% smaller than Mecp2+). These data support indicate that mutations in Mecp2 exert both cell autonomous and cell non- autonomous effects on neuronal morphology. / Graduate

Le cortex cérébral des mammifères est divisé en plusieurs domaines tangentiels appelés des aires fonctionnelles, députées à l'élaboration des afférences motrice et sensorielles, la mise en oeuvre des plans moteurs. Chaque aire fonctionnelle est constituée par six couches de neurones de projections avec différentes morphologies, connectivité et codes moléculaires. Plusieurs facteurs de transcription spécifiant différentes sous-Classes de neurones ont été identifiés à ce jour. Fezf2 et Ctip2 induisent la spécification des neurones sous-Cérébraux, alors que Satb2 induit l'identité calleuse, essentiellement en réprimant la transcription de Ctip2 par le recrutement du complexe NURD au locus de Ctip2. Dans cette étude, je montre que la population de cellules co-Exprimant des marqueurs moléculaires des neurones calleux et sous-Cérébraux, Satb2 et Ctip2, sont d’abord spécifié dans les couches V et VI du néocortex rostro-Médiale chez la souris au stades périnataux, et augmente progressivement entre P0 et P21. En absence de COUP-TFI, un facteur de transcription impliqué dans l'aréalisation, le nombre de cellules co-Exprimant Satb2 et Ctip2 augmente fortement dans la couche V de l’aire somatosensorielle primaire éventuelle. J'ai démontré que l’expression ectopique et prématurée de LMO4 dans la lignée mutante pour COUP-TFI, de-Réprime Ctip2 dans les cellules Satb2 positives en perturbant l’assemblage du complexe NURD au locus de Ctip2. En plus, par l'utilisation d'une lignée transgénique exprimant la GFP dans les neurones de la couche V et de colorants vitaux, j'ai analysé la morphologie, la connectivité et Les propriétés électrophysiologiques de cette classe hybride de neurones. / The mammalian cerebral cortex is subdivided into several tangential domains calledfunctional areas, deputed to the elaboration of motor and sensory inputs and implementation of motor plans. Each functional area is constituted by six layers of projection neurons with different morphologies, connectivity and molecular codes.Several transcription factors specifying different subclasses of neurons have been identified so far. Fezf2 and Ctip2 promote the specification of subcerebralPNs, whereas Satb2 promotes callosal identity, mainly by repressing Ctip2transcription through the recruitment of the NURD complex to the Ctip2 locus.However, little is known about the mechanisms specifying their features in a timeandareal-Specific manner. In this study I show that a population of cells co-Expressing molecular markers of CPN and SCPN neurons, Satb2 and Ctip2, becomes first specified in layers V and VI of rostro-Medial mouse neocortex at perinatal stages and progressively increases between P0 and P21 in somatosensory areas. I found that in neocortices lacking COUP-TFI, a transcription factor involved in arealization, the number of Satb2/Ctip2 co-Expressing cells increases abnormally in layer V of the prospective somatosensory area. I demonstrated that LMO4 ectopic and premature expression of LMO4 in COUP-TFI mutant transgenic line derepresses Ctip2 in Satb2 positive cells by disturbing the assembly of the NURD complex at Ctip2 locus. Moreover, by the use of a transgenic line expressing GFP in layer V neurons and of vital dyes, I analysed morphology, connectivity and electrophysiological activity of this hybrid class of neurons.development. Toget