Therapeutic time window of low-frequency stimulation at entorhinal cortex for amygdaloid-kindling seizures in rats

Abstract

The present study was designed to determine whether low-frequency stimulation (LFS) of the entorhinal cortex (EC) has an anticonvulsive effect, and whether LFS delivered at different times plays different roles. We found that LFS of the EC immediately or 4 s after kindling stimulation had an anticonvulsive effect, and that the latter had a better effect on both kindling and kindled seizures. However, LFS delivered after the cessation of afterdischarge or 10 s after the kindling stimulation, augmented the epileptic activity. So the EC is a potential target for LFS to interfere with epilepsy. Our findings suggest that even in the duration of afterdischarge, there exists a "time window" for LFS treatment, indicating that the time delay of closed-loop stimulation is crucial for LFS treatment. © 2010 International League Against Epilepsy.