Epilepsy News
New data from Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology illuminate research in depression
November 3, 2006
Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsEdge Corporation :
2006 NOV 6 - (NewsRx.com) -- Scientists discuss in "Unilateral cortical spreading depression is an early marker of audiogenic kindling in awake rats" new findings in depression. "Spreading depression (SD), a self-propagating wave of reversible cellular depolarization, is thought to play an important role in brain pathophysiology. SD and seizures are closely related events but little is known about involvement of SD in chronic epileptogenesis," scientists in Russia report.
"Here we show that cortical SD is the first and highly reproducible manifestation of audiogenic kindling induced by repeated sound stimulation of WAG/Rij rats with genetic audiogenic and absence epilepsy. Repetition of sound-induced running seizures in freely moving rats led to an appearance and gradual intensification of post-running facial and forelimb clonic convulsions coupled with afterdischarge in the fronto-parietal cortex. Before the development of these traditional manifestations of audiogenic kindling, an unilateral cortical SD wave began to be triggered by audiogenic seizures. Once cortical SD appeared, it became a permanent component of subsequent seizures. SD was always recorded in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the running direction. Only at the late stages of audiogenic kindling SD developed bilaterally. To estimate the contribution of SD in postictal effects of audiogenic seizures, we compared cortical activity after seizures induced SD or not. It was found that only seizures with cortical SD were followed by postictal suppression of spontaneous spike-wave discharges displayed by WAG/Rij rats," wrote L.V. Vinogradova and colleagues, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology.
The researchers concluded: "The results show that (1) cortical SD is readily triggered by brief sensory-induced seizures in awake animals; (2) SD may be responsible for postictal changes in cortical activity; (3) unilateral initiation of SD suggests asymmetrical recruitment of the cortex into seizure network during audiogenic kindling."
Vinogradova and colleagues published their study in Epilepsy Research (Unilateral cortical spreading depression is an early marker of audiogenic kindling in awake rats. Epilepsy Research, 2006;71(1):64-75).
For additional information, contact L.V. Vinogradova, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova Street 5a, Moscow 117485, Russia.
The publisher's contact information for the journal Epilepsy Research is: Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Keywords: Russia, Adolescent Medicine, Central Nervous System Disease, Depression, Epilepsy, Psychiatry, Seizures.
This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2006, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com.
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