6A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2002
Researchers use music, simulate seizure trauma
By Adam Pracht
Kansan staff writer
kansan.com
Hear an adaptation of Mozart's Symphony #40 in G minor that represents what happens in the brain during an epileptic seizure.
When Deron McGee had a brain tumor removed four years ago, he began to suffer from a brain disease called epilepsy. Now he is working with a research group to convey the experience of an epileptic seizure in the language he knows best-music.
McGee, associate professor of music and dance at the University of Kansas, said epilepsy was a frightening disease that could cause seizures at any time.
"Try to imagine for a moment not being able to swim or take a bath alone, climb a ladder, hold a baby, drive a car and ride a ski lift because you don't know when you will have your next seizure," he said. "The seizures associated with epilepsy are unpredictable and the unpredictability is part of what makes this such an insidious disease."
McGee, along with two other KU professors, combined their knowledge of music and medicine to help reduce the mystery surrounding this disease that affects one of every 100 people. They composed music to convey both what a seizure feels like and what is happening in the brain.
"Creating a work that average people can relate to will improve the mystery surrounding epilepsy," McGee said. "Music
provides an educational role in this case, and the more people understand anything, the less 'frightening it is."
Ivan Osorio, director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center, presented the idea last June to McGee and Kip Haheim, assistant professor of music and dance.
The three selected a symphony by Mozart and altered it to represent brain waves during an epileptic seizure. They completed the work last September.
The familiar symphony started normally, representing regular brain function.
Haheim explained what each part of the piece represented as he played it.
Osorio had already researched ways to predict seizures and wanted the music to help describe epilepsy to a general audience.
Slowly, a clashing, regular chord took over the music, giving a sense of danger and urgency. Haheim said that represented brain cells firing with regularity, an abnormality that causes the seizures.
The chord faded out and the tune returned. But it was disorganized, as if trying to gather
itself. Haaheim said this conveyed the time after a seizure when the person was disoriented and the brain was trying to recover.
Haaheim said that it took several tries to make the piece both technically accurate and emotionally appealing.
This October, a PBS documentary will feature Osorio's research on epilepsy. In April, Haaheim and McGee will present their paper on the project to the Rocky Mountain Society for Music Theory.
Haaheim said he enjoyed using the arts to help people in a physical wav.
"It's great to be involved in something which has the potential to really help a lot of people," he said. "You rarely get the opportunity to do something like this."
"My job on this was like a translator." Haaheim said. "You take something that is in one language-the medical language-and translate it into the musical language."
Contact Pracht at
Kentucky Place Apartments
apracht@kansan.com. This story was edited by Gillian Titus.
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Kip Haaheim, professor of composition, displays his laptop and recording equipment used to compose his music at his office in 424 Murphy Hall. Haaheim was studying the musical aspect of brain waves project for seizure research.
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