UCLA Neuroscience Program Ph.D. Admissions Neuroscience Faculty UCLA and Beyond  



Jerome Engel Jr.
Neurobiology of Epilepsy


Laboratory Address:
Reed 1250
Work Address:
Reed 1250


Phone Numbers:
310-825-5745 Office
310-825-5745 Laboratory


Selected Publications:

Le Van Quyen M, Bragin A, Staba R, Crepon B, Wilson CL, Engel J Jr. Cell type-specific firing during ripple oscillations in the hippocampal formation of humans.. J Neurosci. 2008; 28(24): 6104-10.
Akhtari M, Bragin A, Cohen M, Moats R, Brenker F, Lynch MD, Vinters HV, Engel J JR. Functionalized magnetonanoparticles for MRI diagnosis and localization in epilepsy.. Epilepsia 2008; 49(8): 1419-30.
Bragin A, Claeys P, Vonck K, Van Roost D, Wilson C, Boon P, Engel J Jr. Analysis of Initial Slow Waves (ISWs) at the Seizure Onset in Patients with Drug Resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.. Epilepsia 2007; .
Avanzini G, Engel J Jr. Dealing with Drug Dependency: A Commentary on ILAE's Partnership with the Pharmaceutical Industry.. Epilepsia 2007; .
Staba RJ, Frighetto L, Behnke EJ, Mathern GW, Fields T, Bragin A, Ogren J, Fried I, Wilson CL, Engel J Jr. Increased Fast ripple to ripple Ratios Correlate with Reduced Hippocampal Volumes and Neuron Loss in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients.. Epilepsia 2007; 48(11): 2130-2138.
Co JP, Elia M, Engel J Jr, Guerrini R, Mizrahi EM, Moshe SL, Plouin P. Proposal of an algorithm for diagnosis and treatment of neonatal seizures in developing countries.. Epilepsia 2007; 48(6): 1158-64.
Lin JJ, Salamon N, Lee AD, Dutton RA, Geaga JA, Hayashi KM, Luders E, Toga AW, Engel J Jr, Thompson PM. Reduced neocortical thickness and complexity mapped in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis.. Cereb Cortex 2007; 17(9): 2007-18.
Bragin A, Wilson CL, Engel J Jr. Voltage depth profiles of high-frequency oscillations after kainic acid-induced status epilepticus.. Epilepsia 2007; 48(Suppl 5): 35-40.
Engel J Jr, Berg A, Andermann F, Avanzini G, Berkovic S, Blume W, Dulac O, van Emde Boas, Fejerman N, Plouin P, Scheffer I, Seino M, Williamson P, Wolf P. Are epilepsy classifications based on epileptic syndromes and seizure types outdated?. Epileptic Disord 2006; 8(2): 159-60.
Zeitzer JM, Morales-Villagran A, Maidment NT, Behnke EJ, Ackerson LC, Lopez-Rodriguez F, Fried I, Engel J Jr, Wilson CL. Extracellular adenosine in the human brain during sleep and sleep deprivation: an in vivo microdialysis study.. Sleep 2006; 29(4): 455-61.
Berg AT, Engel J Jr. Hippocampal atrophy and the prognosis of epilepsy: some answers, more questions.. Neurology 2006; 67(1): 12-3.
Engel J Jr. ILAE classification of epilepsy syndromes.. Epilepsy Res 2006; 70(Suppl 1): S5-10.
Engel J Jr. Report of the ILAE classification core group.. Epilepsia 2006; 47(9): 1558-68.
de Boer HM, Engel J Jr, Prilipko LL. "Out of the shadows": a partnership that brings progress!. Epilepsia 2005; 46(Suppl 1): 61-2.
Bragin A, Azizyan A, Almajano J, Wilson CL, Engel J Jr. Analysis of chronic seizure onsets after intrahippocampal kainic acid injection in freely moving rats.. Epilepsia 2005; 46(10): 1592-8.
Bragin A, Wilson CL, Fields T, Fried I, Engel J Jr. Analysis of seizure onset on the basis of wideband EEG recordings.. Epilepsia 2005; 46(Suppl 5): 59-63.
Engel J Jr. Classification is not EZ.. Epileptic Disord 2005; 7(4): 317-20.
Engel J Jr. Epilepsy and seizure disorder.. Epilepsia 2005; 46(8): 1333.
Griggs JJ, Engel J Jr. Epilepsy surgery and the racial divide.. Neurology 2005; 64(1): 8-9.
Fisher RS, van Emde Boas W, Blume W, Elger C, Genton P, Lee P, Engel J Jr. Epileptic seizures and epilepsy: definitions proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE).. Epilepsia 2005; 46(4): 470-2.
Bookheimer S, Schrader LM, Rausch R, Sankar R, Engel J Jr. Reduced anesthetization during the intracarotid amobarbital (Wada) test in patients taking carbonic anhydrase-inhibiting medications.. Epilepsia 2005; 46(2): 236-43.
Lin JJ, Salamon N, Dutton RA, Lee AD, Geaga JA, Hayashi KM, Toga AW, Engel J Jr, Thompson PM. Three-dimensional preoperative maps of hippocampal atrophy predict surgical outcomes in temporal lobe epilepsy.. Neurology 2005; 65(7): 1094-7.
Bragin A, Wilson CL, Almajano J, Mody I, Engel J Jr. High-frequency oscillations after status epilepticus: epileptogenesis and seizure genesis.. Epilepsia 2004; 45(9): 1017-23.
Staba RJ, Wilson CL, Bragin A, Jhung D, Fried I, Engel J Jr. High-frequency oscillations recorded in human medial temporal lobe during sleep.. Ann Neurol 2004; 56(1): 108-15.
Bragin A, Karsten SL, Almajano J, Wilson CL, Geschwind DH, Engel J Jr. Large-scale microarray gene expression analysis in discrete electrophysiologically identified neuronal clusters.. J Neurosci Methods 2004; 133(1-2): 49-55.
Engel J Jr. Models of focal epilepsy.. Suppl Clin Neurophysiol 2004; 57: 392-9.
Schrader LM, Stern JM, Koski L, Nuwer MR, Engel J Jr. Seizure incidence during single- and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in individuals with epilepsy.. Clin Neurophysiol 2004; 115(12): 2728-37.
Engel J Jr. The goal of epilepsy theraphy: no seizures, no side effects, as soon as possible.. CNS Spectr 2004; 9(2): 95-7.
Mintzer S, Cendes F, Soss J, Andermann F, Engel J JR, Dubeau F, Olivier A, Fried I. Unilateral hippocampal sclerosis with contralateral temporal scalp ictal onset.. Epilepsia 2004; 45(7): 792-802.
Engel J Jr. A Greater Role for Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy: Why and When?. Epilepsy Curr 2003; 3(2): 37-40.
Engel J Jr, Wilson C, Bragin A. Advances in understanding the process of epileptogenesis based on patient material: what can the patient tell us?. Epilepsia 2003; 44(Suppl 12): 60-71.
Engel J Jr. Bringing epilepsy out of the shadows.. Neurology 2003; 60(9): 1412.
Swarztrauber K, Dewar S, Engel J Jr. Patient attitudes about treatments for intractable epilepsy.. Epilepsy Behav 2003; 4(1): 19-25.
Engel J Jr, Wiebe S, French J, Sperling M, Williamson P, Spencer D, Gumnit R, Zahn C, Westbrook E, Enos B; Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology; American Epilepsy Society; American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Practice parameter: temporal lobe and localized neocortical resections for epilepsy: report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology, in association with the American Epilepsy Society and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.. Neurology 2003; 60(4): 538-47.
Engel J Jr, Wiebe S, French J, Sperling M, Williamson P, Spencer D, Gumnit R, Zahn C, Westbrook E, Enos B. Practice parameter: temporal lope and localized neocortical resections for epilepsy.. Epilepsia 2003; 44(6): 741-51.
Engel J Jr. Early versus late surgery for intractable seizures.. Adv Exp Med Biol 2002; 497: 99-105.
Eliashiv DS, Elsas SM, Squires K, Fried I, Engel J Jr. Ictal magnetic source imaging as a localizing tool in partial epilepsy.. Neurology 2002; 59(10): 1600-10.
Bragin A, Wilson CL, Engel J Jr. Increased afterdischarge threshold during kindling in epileptic rats.. Exp Brain Res 2002; 144(1): 30-7.
Bragin A, Wilson CL, Staba RJ, Reddick M, Fried I, Engel J Jr. Interictal high-frequency oscillations (80-500 Hz) in the human epileptic brain: entorhinal cortez.. Ann Neurol 2002; 52(4): 407-15.
Bragin A, Mody I, Wilson CL, Engel J Jr. Local generation of fast ripples in epileptic brain.. J Neurosci 2002; 22(5): 2010-21.
Staba RJ, Wilson CL, Bragin A, Fried I, Engel J Jr. Quantitative analysis of high-frequency oscillations (80-500 Hz) recorded in human epileptic hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.. J Neurophysiol 2002; 88(4): 1743-52.
Bragin A, Wilson CL, Engel J Jr. Rate of interictal events and spontaneous seizures in epileptic rats after electrical stimulation of hippocampus and its afferents.. Epilepsia 2002; 43(Suppl 5): 81-5.
Goldman RI, Stern JM, Engel J Jr, Cohen MS. Simultaneous EEG and fMRI of the alpha rhythm.. Neuroreport 2002; 13(18): 2487-92.
Staba RJ, Wilson CL, Fried I, Engel J Jr. Single neuron burst firing in the human hippocampus during sleep.. Hippocampus 2002; 12(6): 724-34.
Staba RJ, Wilson CL, Bragin A, Fried I, Engel J Jr. Sleep states differentiate single neuron activity recorded from human epileptic hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, adn subiculum.. J Neurosci 2002; 22(13): 5694-704.
Engel J Jr. So what can we conclude--do seizures damage the brain?. Prog Brain Res 2002; 135: 509-12.
Zeitzer JM, Maidment NT, Behnke EJ, Ackerson LC, Fried I, Engel J Jr, Wilson CL. Ultradian sleep-cycle variation of serotonin in the human lateral ventricle.. Neurology 2002; 59(8): 1272-4.
Engel J Jr; International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) A proposed diagnostic scheme for people with epileptic seizures and with epilepsy: report of the ILAE Task Force on Classification and Terminology.. Epilepsia 2001; 42(6): 796-803.
Engel J Jr. Classification of epileptic disorders.. Epilepsia 2001; 42(3): 316.
Engel J Jr. Finally, a randomized, controlled trial of epilepsy surgery.. N Engl J Med 2001; 345(5): 365-7.
Blume WT, Luders HO, Mizrahi E, Tassinari C, van Emde Boas W, Engel J Jr. Glossary of descriptive terminology for ictal semiology: report of the ILAE task force on classification and terminology.. Epilepsia 2001; 42(9): 1212-8.
Engel J Jr. Intractable epilepsy: definitioin and neurobiology.. Epilepsia 2001; 42(Suppl 6): 3.
Engel J Jr. Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: what have we learned?. Neuroscientist 2001; 7(4): 340-52.
Bragin, A Wilson, CL Engel, J Chronic epileptogenesis requires development of a network of pathologically interconnected neuron clusters: a hypothesis.. Epilepsia. . 2000; 41 Suppl 6: S144-52.
Bragin A, Hetke J, Wilson CL, Anderson DJ, Engel J Jr, Buzsaki G Multiple site silicon-based probes for chronic recordings in freely moving rats: implantation, recording and histological verification.. J Neurosci Methods 2000; 98(1): 77-82.
Bragin A, Engel J Jr, Wilson CL, Fried I, Buzsaki G High-frequency oscillations in human brain.. Hippocampus 1999; 9(2): 137-42.
Lopez-Rodriguez, F Altshuler, L Kay, J Delarhim, S Mendez, M Engel, J Personality disorders among medically refractory epileptic patients.. The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences. . 1999; 11(4): 464-9.
Engel, J. Jr. and Pedley, T. A. (Eds) Epilepsy: A comprehensive Textbook.. Philadelphia, Lippencott Raven Press 1998; Vol. 1, 2 & 3: pp 2,976.
Savic I, Bookheimer SY, Fried I, Engel J Jr Olfactory bedside test. A simple approach to identify temporo-orbitofrontal dysfunction.. Arch Neurol 1997; 54(2): 162-8.
Engel, J. Jr. Current concepts: Surgery for seizures.. N. Engl. J. Med. 1996; 334: 647-652.
Engel, J. Jr. Excitation and inhibition in epilepsy.. Can. J. Neurol. Sci. 1996; 23: 167-174.
Rocha, L Maidment, NT Evans, CJ Ackermann, RF Engel, J Opioid peptide release and mu-receptor binding during amygdala kindling in rats: regional discordances.. Epilepsy research. Supplement. . 1996; 12: 215-28.
Bragin, A Karsten, SL Almajano, J Wilson, CL Geschwind, DH Engel, J Large-scale microarray gene expression analysis in discrete electrophysiologically identified neuronal clusters.. Journal of neuroscience methods. . 2004; 133(1-2): 49-55.
Engel, J Wiebe, S French, J Sperling, M Williamson, P Spencer, D Gumnit, R Zahn, C Westbrook, E Enos, B Practice parameter: temporal lobe and localized neocortical resections for epilepsy.. Epilepsia. . 2003; 44(6): 741-51.
Swarztrauber, K Dewar, S Engel, J Patient attitudes about treatments for intractable epilepsy.. Epilepsy & behavior : E&B. . 2003; 4(1): 19-25.
Goldman, RI Stern, JM Engel, J Cohen, MS Simultaneous EEG and fMRI of the alpha rhythm.. Neuroreport. . 2002; 13(18): 2487-92.
Zeitzer, JM Maidment, NT Behnke, EJ Ackerson, LC Fried, I Engel, J Wilson, CL Ultradian sleep-cycle variation of serotonin in the human lateral ventricle.. Neurology. . 2002; 59(8): 1272-4.
Bragin, A Wilson, CL Staba, RJ Reddick, M Fried, I Engel, J Interictal high-frequency oscillations (80-500 Hz) in the human epileptic brain: entorhinal cortex.. Annals of neurology. . 2002; 52(4): 407-15.
Bragin, A Mody, I Wilson, CL Engel, J Local generation of fast ripples in epileptic brain.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. . 2002; 22(5): 2012-21.
Goldman, RI Stern, JM Engel, J Cohen, MS Acquiring simultaneous EEG and functional MRI.. Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. . 2000; 111(11): 1974-80.
Savic, I Thomas, AM Ke, Y Curran, J Fried, I Engel, J In vivo measurements of glutamine + glutamate (Glx) and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) levels in human partial epilepsy.. Acta neurologica Scandinavica. . 2000; 102(3): 179-88.
Fried, I Wilson, CL Maidment, NT Engel, J Behnke, E Fields, TA MacDonald, KA Morrow, JW Ackerson, L Cerebral microdialysis combined with single-neuron and electroencephalographic recording in neurosurgical patients. Technical note.. Journal of neurosurgery. . 1999; 91(4): 697-705.
Bragin, A Engel, J Wilson, CL Vizentin, E Mathern, GW Electrophysiologic analysis of a chronic seizure model after unilateral hippocampal KA injection.. Epilepsia. . 1999; 40(9): 1210-21.
Bragin, A Engel, J Wilson, CL Fried, I Mathern, GW Hippocampal and entorhinal cortex high-frequency oscillations (100--500 Hz) in human epileptic brain and in kainic acid--treated rats with chronic seizures.. Epilepsia. . 1999; 40(2): 127-37.
Wilson, CL Khan, SU Engel, J Isokawa, M Babb, TL Behnke, EJ Paired pulse suppression and facilitation in human epileptogenic hippocampal formation.. Epilepsy research. . 1998; 31(3): 211-30.
Isokawa, M Levesque, M Fried, I Engel, J Glutamate currents in morphologically identified human dentate granule cells in temporal lobe epilepsy.. Journal of neurophysiology. . 1997; 77(6): 3355-69.
Eliashiv, SD Dewar, S Wainwright, I Engel, J Fried, I Long-term follow-up after temporal lobe resection for lesions associated with chronic seizures.. Neurology. . 1997; 48(5): 1383-8.
Savic, I Altshuler, L Baxter, L Engel, J Pattern of interictal hypometabolism in PET scans with fludeoxyglucose F 18 reflects prior seizure types in patients with mesial temporal lobe seizures.. Archives of neurology. . 1997; 54(2): 129-36.
Research Interest:

Our laboratories are engaged in understanding the fundamental neuronal mechanisms underlying epileptic and nonepileptic functions of the human limbic system. A variety of in vivo noninvasive and invasive studies, including microelectrode recordings and microdialysis of limbic structures, are carried out in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy during the course of their evaluation for surgical treatment. Following surgery, in vitro electrophysiological, microanatomical and molecular biological studies are performed on resected temporal lobe tissue. Parallel animal studies involve rats made epileptic by intrahippocampal injections of kainic acid. The results of this multidisciplinary human and animal research indicate that enhanced inhibitory, as well as excitatory, mechanisms contribute to the generation of some epileptic seizures, and that disturbed inhibition may also mediate postictal, as well as interictal, nonepileptic behavioral disturbances.