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. 2013 May;21(3):383-90.
doi: 10.1109/TNSRE.2012.2198244. Epub 2012 Jun 5.

Noninvasive transcranial focal stimulation via tripolar concentric ring electrodes lessens behavioral seizure activity of recurrent pentylenetetrazole administrations in rats

Oleksandr Makeyev  1 , Hiram Luna-Munguía, Gabriela Rogel-Salazar, Xiang Liu, Walter G Besio
Affiliations

Noninvasive transcranial focal stimulation via tripolar concentric ring electrodes lessens behavioral seizure activity of recurrent pentylenetetrazole administrations in rats

Oleksandr Makeyev et al. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng. 2013 May.

Abstract

Epilepsy affects approximately 1% of the world population. Antiepileptic drugs are ineffective in approximately 30% of patients and have side effects. We have been developing a noninvasive transcranial focal electrical stimulation with our novel tripolar concentric ring electrodes as an alternative/complementary therapy for seizure control. In this study we demonstrate the effect of focal stimulation on behavioral seizure activity induced by two successive pentylenetetrazole administrations in rats. Seizure onset latency, time of the first behavioral change, duration of seizure, and maximal seizure severity score were studied and compared for focal stimulation treated (n = 9) and control groups (n = 10). First, we demonstrate that no significant difference was found in behavioral activity for focal stimulation treated and control groups after the first pentylenetetrazole administration. Next, comparing first and second pentylenetetrazole administrations, we demonstrate there was a significant change in behavioral activity (time of the first behavioral change) in both groups that was not related to focal stimulation. Finally, we demonstrate focal stimulation provoking a significant change in seizure onset latency, duration of seizure, and maximal seizure severity score. We believe that these results, combined with our previous reports, suggest that transcranial focal stimulation may have an anticonvulsant effect.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic representations of the tripolar concentric ring electrode (A) and the experimental setup (B). The TFS was applied between the outer ring and the central disc of electrode (s). Electrode (g) was the ground.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Time of the first behavior change caused by first and second PTZ administrations in TFS-treated (n = 9 for both administrations) and control groups (n = 10 for both administrations). There was a statistically significant difference in the time of first behavioral change for both TFS-treated (means of 106 s and 41 s, p = 0.012) and control (means of 96 s and 45 s for first and second PTZ administrations respectively, p = 0.016) groups. Details on box plot form can be found in Section 2.7.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Seizure onset latency caused by first and second PTZ administrations in TFS-treated (n = 8 for both administrations, two animals never developed a seizure: one during the first PTZ administration and another during the second administration resulting in undefined seizure onset latency) and control groups (n = 10 for both administrations). Details on box plot form can be found in Section 2.7.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Seizure duration caused by first and second PTZ administrations in TFS-treated (n = 9 and n = 7 for first and second administrations, respectively) and control groups (n = 10 and n = 8 for first and second administrations, respectively). In both groups, two animals expired during the seizure caused by the second PTZ administration resulting in undefined seizure durations. Details on box plot form can be found in Section 2.7.
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