Neurofest 2026 presentation
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Resources
Plain-language material explaining epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and the science behind our research — written for a general, non-specialist audience.
We are building this section to share accessible explanations of the conditions we study, such as "What is a seizure?", "How does an epileptic seizure start?", or "What is the relationship between autism and epilepsy?". Check back soon for new material, or contact us if there is something specific you would find useful.
Note: the simulators and Neurofest materials below are currently in Spanish. English versions are being prepared.
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View documentAn interactive simulation of a focal epileptic seizure, generated in real time from a model of coupled excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations. Adjust the strength of inhibition and watch how seizures start and spread through different parts of the brain.
Open simulatorAn interactive simulation of a focal epileptic seizure, generated in real time from a model of coupled excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations. Adjust the strength of inhibition and test your ability to detect where the seizure begins.
Open simulatorAn interactive simulation of a spontaneous focal epileptic seizure, generated in real time from a model of coupled excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations.
Open simulatorAn interactive simulation of a focal epileptic seizure, generated in real time. You can evoke a seizure in hippocampal neurons.
Open simulatorA simulation that shows the ability — or inability — to shift attention in response to a distracting stimulus.
Open simulatorA simulation showing how the workings of a neural network can explain changes in gaze patterns toward different parts of the face.
Open simulatorA simulation of one of the most replicated findings in autism, showing that a larger gap is needed to tell two auditory pulses apart.
Open simulatorA real-time interactive simulation showing how "noise" in a neural network responding to stimuli changes as the level of inhibition is varied. This resembles what happens in the brains of autistic people during sensory overload.
Open simulatorAn interactive simulation showing how the response to the same stimulus can vary with the baseline activity of the circuit. Several neuroimaging studies show that autistic brains respond differently to the same stimulus.
Open simulatorAn interactive simulation of local and global information flow in neural circuits. Moving the slider favors local over global circuits. This represents the greater local connectivity in autistic people, which is thought to be related to repetitive processing and hyperfocus.
Open simulatorAn interactive simulation showing how certain excitability parameters can increase the probability of an epileptic seizure. This may explain the higher likelihood of epileptic seizures in autistic people.
Open simulatorAnimal models of autism show more anxiety than controls, measured as the time spent in the center of an open-field arena.
Open simulatorA simplified model of a basolateral amygdala (BLA) microcircuit, in which excitatory principal neurons interact with PV-type inhibitory interneurons.
Open simulatorA short overview of the autism spectrum. You can print it or share it with the people around you.
View fileA plain-language introduction to seizures, why they happen, and what "hyperexcitability" in the brain really means — written for patients and families, not scientists.
Read moreAutism and epilepsy often occur together. This guide explains, in accessible terms, what current research suggests about why this happens.
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