QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (26) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fanselow, E. E. Articles by Nicolelis, M. A. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fanselow, E. E. Articles by Nicolelis, M. A. L.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

The Journal of Neuroscience, November 1, 2000, 20(21):8160-8168

Reduction of Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizure Activity in Awake Rats by Seizure-Triggered Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation

Erika E. Fanselow¹, Ashlan P. Reid², and Miguel A. L. Nicolelis^{1, 2}

Departments of ¹ Neurobiology and ² Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710

Stimulation of the vagus nerve has become an effective method for desynchronizing the highly coherent neural activity typically associated with epileptic seizures. This technique has been used in several animal models of seizures as well as in humans suffering from epilepsy. However, application of this technique has been limited to unilateral stimulation of the vagus nerve, typically delivered according to a fixed duty cycle, independently of whether ongoing seizure activity is present. Here, we report that stimulation of another cranial nerve, the trigeminal nerve, can also cause cortical and thalamic desynchronization, resulting in a reduction of seizure activity in awake rats. Furthermore, we demonstrate that providing this stimulation only when seizure activity begins results in more effective and safer seizure reduction per second of stimulation than with previous methods. Seizure activity induced by intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazole was recorded from microwire electrodes in the thalamus and cortex of awake rats while the infraorbital branch of the trigeminal nerve was stimulated via a chronically implanted nerve cuff electrode. Continuous unilateral stimulation of the trigeminal nerve reduced electrographic seizure activity by up to 78%, and bilateral trigeminal stimulation was even more effective. Using a device that automatically detects seizure activity in real time on the basis of multichannel field potential signals, we demonstrated that seizure-triggered stimulation was more effective than the stimulation protocol involving a fixed duty cycle, in terms of the percent seizure reduction per second of stimulation. In contrast to vagus nerve stimulation studies, no substantial cardiovascular side effects were observed by unilateral or bilateral stimulation of the trigeminal nerve. These findings suggest that trigeminal nerve stimulation is safe in awake rats and should be evaluated as a therapy for human seizures. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that seizure-triggered trigeminal nerve stimulation is technically feasible and could be further developed, in conjunction with real-time seizure-predicting paradigms, to prevent seizures and reduce exposure to nerve stimulation.

Key words: epilepsy; trigeminal nerve; seizure detection; seizure control; pentylenetetrazole; bilateral stimulation

---

Copyright © 2000 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/00/20218160-09$05.00/0

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. M. DeGiorgio, D. A. Shewmon, and T. Whitehurst Trigeminal nerve stimulation for epilepsy Neurology, August 12, 2003; 61(3): 421 - 422. [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Khosravani, P. L. Carlen, and J. L. P. Velazquez The Control of Seizure-Like Activity in the Rat Hippocampal Slice Biophys. J., January 1, 2003; 84(1): 687 - 695. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J. Lanska J.L. Corning and vagal nerve stimulation for seizures in the 1880s Neurology, February 12, 2002; 58(3): 452 - 459. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help