Dr. Rosangela Follmann, assistant professor of computer science in the School of Information Technology, became interested in neuroscience as a Ph.D. student.
“During my time as a student, we were building an abstract model for information processing and pattern retrieval,” Follmann said. “In a discussion with my mentor, we talked about how interesting it would be to see how actual people would do that same task. We did an experiment and compared our models, and that is when I first started thinking about how the brain works.
“After my Ph.D. studies, I did a post doc, where I studied sensory processing,” Follmann continued. “I wanted to know how different senses get integrated in the brain. What does the brain do with all of that information? For example, when you are eating, your brain is processing taste, smell, and textures all at once. This led the way to my current studies, which are focusing on normal and abnormal brain activities.”
Follmann’s goal is to understand abnormal behavior in the brain and how it comes to be, and she does this by studying seizures.
“Seizures are characterized by excessive synchronization of neurons in the brain,” she said. “We need synchronization in the brain for tasks like memory storage (neurons that fire together, wire together), or breathing patterns, but too much synchronization is not a good thing. Certain modes of synchronization starts at a focal point in the brain and then spreads.”
Follmann works with a cross-disciplinary team on this research project.
“One of our recent publications analyzed this synchronization and created a methodology to detect it,” Follmann said. “We could detect when it was occurring, and therefore, distinguish between normal and abnormal synchrony, as in the case of a seizure.
“Seizures affect about 1% of the population. Being able to predict when they might occur can be a game changer. Some seizures can be controlled by medication; some cannot. Any additional understanding that we can provide can be really helpful.”
Follmann’s team created a machine learning model using an open-source data set containing EEG signals from epileptic patients. This allowed them to create the framework necessary to predict the pre-seizure state, allowing the patients to have 60 seconds of warning prior to a seizure. The challenge remains to implement the idea in real time, with epileptic patients.
Follmann started studying febrile seizures, which are elicited by high temperatures. These seizures occur in children, not adults, and are associated with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). They are related to fever, but also related to being dressed too warmly, as it is difficult for infants to regulate their own temperature.
Starting with an abstract model to run simulations on, Follmann wanted to see how temperature would affect brain activity.
“We have preliminary data showing that higher temperatures can increase the synchronization of the neurons, which therefore increases the likelihood of seizures.”
Partnerships and collaborations are the key to success with this research project. “I am focused on the simulations and the implementations of the computational model,” explains Follmann. “I’m collaborating with experimentalists as well as people that are more theoretical so that our models have both an experimental and theoretical base.”
Follmann’s research team includes partners from biology, physics, and math at ISU, in addition to her computer science skill set.
“You always need to put a lot of effort into the collaboration and be accountable for what you are bringing to the project,” she said. “You need to take responsibility for your part and combine it with the other members of the group in an effective way.”
Follmann’s research has an impact on her teaching as well.
“I teach a 300-level course with a project option, and one of the project topics is related to my research. We give students the opportunity to implement the simulations. The project consists of applying those techniques and trying to make the simulation run faster, more efficiently,” she said. “The students love it. They get to see firsthand the impact of their work and how it can make a difference in people’s lives.” Follmann also involves students in her research projects, giving them the opportunity to present at the ISU symposium and at national conferences.
Moving forward, Follmann’s research will dive into the effect of temperature on brain activity.
“What is the influence of climate change and overall rising in temperatures?” she said. “We live in this environment and will be exposed to that. Extreme weather events, like heat waves, impact the brain and your whole body.”
Ultimately, Follmann wants to develop tools and frameworks that can analyze data and implement measures to help others.
“Thinking about seizures, we would like to create a real-time analysis framework,” Follmann said. “We got an EEG device reading brain signals and wirelessly sending them to a computer. We would like to analyze these signals in real time and have our algorithm tell if it is normal activity or not. If we can create the workflow, possibly we will be able to detect seizures before they happen, and hopefully prevent them.”
