The effect of spinal cord stimulation on epileptic seizures suppression

Abstract

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been applied for the treatment of chronic pain for decades. Recent studies have shown that SCS may also reduce or prevent epileptic seizures, but it is not known which stimulation parameters may be effective. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of several SCS frequencies on seizures induced in rats by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) infusion. The effect was evaluated by analysing electrocorticogram (ECoG) recordings. SCS using 0.3 and 0.8 mA biphasic 100/500 μs pulses delivered at five frequencies was administered in two rats in 60 s stimulation sessions. The present results indicate that 130 and 180 Hz SCS may have anti-epileptic effects and 30 Hz SCS may be pro-convulsive. Further data are needed to validate these results to establish an effective SCS pattern. © 2013 by Walter de Gruyter.