Seizure frequency in pilocarpine-treated rats is independent of circadian rhythm

Bajorat, R., Wilde, M., Sellmann, T., Kirschstein, T. and Köhling, R. (2011) Seizure frequency in pilocarpine-treated rats is independent of circadian rhythm. Epilepsia, 52 (9). e118-e122. ISSN 0013-9580 doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2011.03200.x

Abstract/Summary

Pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) results in chronic spontaneous recurrent seizures resembling human temporal lobe epilepsy. In this and other experimental models, behaviorally monitored seizure frequency was suggested to vary in a circadian fashion, and to increase with time. We re-addressed those hypotheses using continuous video-electroencephalography (EEG) telemetry in rats with SE at 30 days of age. In 11 chronically epileptic animals monitored up to 300 days after SE in a fixed 12 h light/dark cycle, we found that seizure frequency did not correlate with circadian rhythm.