Abstracts

The aim of this study was a comparison of the antiepileptic effect between deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and of the anterior thalamic nucleus (ATN), using the same epilepsy model., A guide cannula was stereotactically implanted into the left sensorimotor cortex of male Wistar rats. Focal cortical seizures were induced by a microinjection of kainic acid (KA) into the left sensorimotor cortex. Using this focal seizure model, High-frequency electrical stimulation of STN or ATN was performed intermittently when the animal developed into the seizure status. The seizure frequency of DBS-on and DBS-off was measured from a video-EEG system. The data was analyzed statistically., An intracortical injection of KA was induced focal and secondarily generalized seizures in all animals. The ipsilateral (the side of KA injection) STN-DBS suppressed the seizure frequency to 50-60 % of the DBS-off phase. The effect of bilateral STN-DBS showed no significance than the ipsilateral DBS. When the electrode was implanted into bilateral ATN, no seizure was induced by KA injection. The implantation of the ipsilateral ATN lead to seizure suppression, and the ipsilateral ATN-DBS suppressed seizures more strongly., Both DBS of STN and ATN suppressed KA-induced focal seizures. The antiepileptic effect of ATN-DBS was stronger than STN-DBS in this animal model. The seizure suppression of the electrode implantation alone may be caused by a focal destruction of ATN.,