Peter J. West

About

Dr. Peter J. West is a faculty member associated with the Anticonvulsant Drug Development (ADD) Program at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy. His research involves projects related to epilepsy and seizure disorders, including work on the Controlled Cortical Impact Post Traumatic Epilepsy slice electrophysiology project. Dr. West mentors undergraduate researchers who have received University Research Opportunity Program (UROP) awards to support their work on epilepsy-related studies. His lab contributes to the longstanding ADD Program, which has been a national model for epilepsy research since its founding in 1975 and is the longest-running NIH-funded program of its kind. The program focuses on discovery and development of anticonvulsant drugs to improve the lives of people living with epilepsy and seizure disorders.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Pharmacology
• Psychiatry
• Anesthesia
• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics
• Psychology

Selected publications

• Hypothalamic Hamartomas

  Neurology · 2021 · 49 citations

  and other patterning genes are involved in HH pathogenesis. About 50%-80% of children with HH have severe rage and aggression and a majority of patients exhibit externalizing disorders. Behavioral disruption and intellectual disability may predate epilepsy. Neuropsychological, sleep, and endocrine disorders are typical. The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of the current understanding of HH and to highlight opportunities for future research.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Development of an antiseizure drug screening platform for Dravet syndrome at the NINDS contract site for the Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program

  Epilepsia · 2021 · 46 citations

  OBJECTIVE: mouse. METHODS: mice had seizures. RESULTS: survive to adulthood and all have hyperthermia-induced seizures. The results suggest that hyperthermia-induced seizures in this model of DS are highly refractory to a battery of ASDs. Exceptions were clobazam, tiagabine, levetiracetam, and the combination of clobazam and valproic acid with add-on stiripentol, which elevated seizure thresholds. SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, the data demonstrate that the proposed model for DS is suitable for screenin…

  PublisherDOI

• Spontaneous recurrent seizures in an intra-amygdala kainate microinjection model of temporal lobe epilepsy are differentially sensitive to antiseizure drugs

  Experimental Neurology · 2021 · 34 citations

  1st authorCorresponding

  The discovery and development of novel antiseizure drugs (ASDs) that are effective in controlling pharmacoresistant spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs) continues to represent a significant unmet clinical need. The Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (ETSP) has undertaken efforts to address this need by adopting animal models that represent the salient features of human pharmacoresistant epilepsy and employing these models for preclinical testing of investigational ASDs. One such model that has…

  PublisherDOI

• Evaluation of subchronic administration of antiseizure drugs in spontaneously seizing rats

  Epilepsia · 2020 · 32 citations

  OBJECTIVE: Approximately 30% of patients with epilepsy do not experience full seizure control on their antiseizure drug (ASD) regimen. Historically, screening for novel ASDs has relied on evaluating efficacy following a single administration of a test compound in either acute electrical or chemical seizure induction. However, the use of animal models of spontaneous seizures and repeated administration of test compounds may better differentiate novel compounds. Therefore, this approach has been i…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Screening of prototype antiseizure and anti‐inflammatory compounds in the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus model of epilepsy

  Epilepsia Open · 2021-10-20 · 28 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: Infection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) in C57Bl/6J mice results in handling-induced seizures and is useful for evaluating compounds effective against infection-induced seizures. However, to date only a few compounds have been evaluated in this model, and a comprehensive study of antiseizure medications (ASMs) has not yet been performed. Furthermore, as the TMEV infection produces marked neuroinflammation, an evaluation of prototype anti-inflammatory compounds i…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Karen S. Wilcox

  University of Utah

  23 shared

• Erica Webster

  Université de Montréal

  22 shared

• J. Helen Cross

  Epilepsy Research UK

  22 shared

• Clifford B. Saper

  Hadassah Medical Center

  22 shared

• Lisa Soeby

  Université de Montréal

  22 shared

• William D. Gaillard

  George Washington University Hospital

  22 shared

• Arthur Cukiert

  22 shared

• Andreas Schulze‐Bonhage

  Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland

  22 shared

Labs

• ADD LabPI

  The ADD Program Students page at the University of Utah showcases students involved in addiction, delirium, and CNS disorders research, highlighting their academic pursuits and contributions to the field.

Similar researchers at University of Utah

• Randall Petersonh-105
• Dr. Peter J. Westh-94