Epilepsy-associated alterations in hippocampal excitability

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojdeh Navidhamidi ◽  
Maedeh Ghasemi ◽  
Nasrin Mehranfard
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Limbic Structure ◽  
Membrane Excitability ◽  
Limbic Seizures ◽  
Spontaneous Seizures ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Hippocampal Network

AbstractThe hippocampus exhibits a wide range of epilepsy-related abnormalities and is situated in the mesial temporal lobe, where limbic seizures begin. These abnormalities could affect membrane excitability and lead to overstimulation of neurons. Multiple overlapping processes refer to neural homeostatic responses develop in neurons that work together to restore neuronal firing rates to control levels. Nevertheless, homeostatic mechanisms are unable to restore normal neuronal excitability, and the epileptic hippocampus becomes hyperexcitable or hypoexcitable. Studies show that there is hyperexcitability even before starting recurrent spontaneous seizures, suggesting although hippocampal hyperexcitability may contribute to epileptogenesis, it alone is insufficient to produce epileptic seizures. This supports the concept that the hippocampus is not the only substrate for limbic seizure onset, and a broader hyperexcitable limbic structure may contribute to temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) seizures. Nevertheless, seizures also occur in conditions where the hippocampus shows a hypoexcitable phenotype. Since TLE seizures most often originate in the hippocampus, it could therefore be assumed that both hippocampal hypoexcitability and hyperexcitability are undesirable states that make the epileptic hippocampal network less stable and may, under certain conditions, trigger seizures.

Changes in Granule Cell Firing Rates Precede Locally Recorded Spontaneous Seizures by Minutes in an Animal Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

2008 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 2431-2442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R. Bower ◽  
Paul S. Buckmaster
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Dentate Gyrus ◽  
Firing Rate ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Granule Cells ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Seizure Onset ◽  
Electrographic Seizure ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Spontaneous Seizures

Although much is known about persistent molecular, cellular, and circuit changes associated with temporal lobe epilepsy, mechanisms of seizure onset remain unclear. The dentate gyrus displays many persistent epilepsy-related abnormalities and is in the mesial temporal lobe where seizures initiate in patients. However, little is known about seizure-related activity of individual neurons in the dentate gyrus. We used tetrodes to record action potentials of multiple, single granule cells before and during spontaneous seizures in epileptic pilocarpine-treated rats. Subsets of granule cells displayed four distinct activity patterns: increased firing before seizure onset, decreased firing before seizure onset, increased firing only after seizure onset, and unchanged firing rates despite electrographic seizure activity in the immediate vicinity. No cells decreased firing rate immediately after seizure onset. During baseline periods between seizures, action potential waveforms and firing rates were similar among the four subsets of granule cells in epileptic rats and in granule cells of control rats. The mean normalized firing rate of granule cells whose firing rates increased before seizure onset deviated from baseline earliest, beginning 4 min before dentate gyrus electrographic seizure onset, and increased progressively, more than doubling by seizure onset. It is generally assumed that neuronal firing rates increase abruptly and synchronously only when electrographic seizures begin. However, these findings show heterogeneous and gradually building changes in activity of individual granule cells minutes before spontaneous seizures.

scholarly journals A Hypothesis Regarding how Sleep can Calibrate Neuronal Excitability in the Central Nervous System and thereby Offer Stability, Sensitivity and the Best Possible Cognitive Function

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sture Hansson
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Slow Wave Sleep ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Function Of Sleep

The function of sleep in mammal and other vertebrates is one of the great mysteries of biology. Many hypotheses have been proposed, but few of these have made even the slightest attempt to explain the essence of sleep - the uncompromising need for reversible unconsciousness. During sleep, epiphenomena - often of a somatic character - occur, but these cannot explain the core function of sleep. One answer could be hidden in the observations made for long periods of time of the function of the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is faced with conflicting requirements on stability and excitability. A high level of excitability is desirable, and is also a prerequisite for sensitivity and quick reaction times; however, it can also lead to instability and the risk of feedback, with life-threatening epileptic seizures. Activity-dependent negative feedback in neuronal excitability improves stability in the short term, but not to the degree that is required. A hypothesis is presented here demonstrating how calibration of individual neurons - an activity which occurs only during sleep - can establish the balanced and highest possible excitability while also preserving stability in the CNS. One example of a possible mechanism is the observation of slow oscillations in EEGs made on birds and mammals during slow wave sleep. Calibration to a genetically determined level of excitability could take place in individual neurons during the slow oscillation, so that action potentials are generated during the oscillations “up-phase”. This can only take place offline, which explains the need for sleep. The hypothesis can explain phenomena such as the need for unconsciousness during sleep, with the disconnection of sensory stimuli, slow EEG oscillations, the relationship of sleep and epilepsy, age, the effects of sleep on neuronal firing rate and the effects of sleep deprivation and sleep homeostasis. This is with regard primarily to mammals, including humans, but also all other vertebrates.

Roles of Very Fast Ripple (500–1000Hz) in the Hippocampal Network During Status Epilepticus

2020 ◽  
pp. 2150002
Author(s):  
Jianmin Hao ◽  
Yan Cui ◽  
Bochao Niu ◽  
Liang Yu ◽  
Yuhang Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Status Epilepticus ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Phase Locking ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Slow Oscillations ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
High Frequency Oscillations ◽  
Epileptiform Discharges ◽  
Hippocampal Network

Very fast ripples (VFRs, 500–1000[Formula: see text]Hz) are considered more specific than high-frequency oscillations (80–500[Formula: see text]Hz) as biomarkers of epileptogenic zones. Although VFRs are frequent abnormal phenomena in epileptic seizures, their functional roles remain unclear. Here, we detected the VFRs in the hippocampal network and tracked their roles during status epilepticus (SE) in rats with pilocarpine-induced temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). All regions in the hippocampal network exhibited VFRs in the baseline, preictal, ictal and postictal states, with the ictal state containing the most VFRs. Moreover, strong phase-locking couplings existed between VFRs and slow oscillations (1–12[Formula: see text]Hz) in the ictal and postictal states for all regions. Further investigation indicated that during VFRs, the build-up of slow oscillations in the ictal state began from the temporal lobe and then spread through the whole hippocampal network via two different pathways, which might be associated with the underlying propagation of epileptiform discharges in the hippocampal network. Overall, we provide a functional description of the emergence of VFRs in the hippocampal network during SE, and we also establish that VFRs may be the physiological representation of the pathological alterations in hippocampal network activity during SE in TLE.

Na+ Channel Expression and Neuronal Function in the Na+/H+ Exchanger 1 Null Mutant Mouse

2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Xia ◽  
Peng Zhao ◽  
Jin Xue ◽  
Xiang Q. Gu ◽  
Xiaolu Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Density ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Mutant Mice ◽  
Na Channel ◽  
Membrane Excitability ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Ca1 Neurons ◽  
Channel Expression

Mice lacking Na+/H+ exchanger 1 (NHE1) suffer from recurrent seizures and die early postnatally. Although the mechanisms for seizures are not well established, our previous electrophysiological work has shown that neuronal excitability and Na+ current density are increased in hippocampal CA1 neurons of these mutant mice. However, it is unknown whether this increased density is related to altered expression or functional regulation of Na+ channels. In this work, we asked three questions: is the increased excitability limited to CA1 neurons, is the increased Na+ current density related to an increased Na+ channel expression, and, if so, which Na+channel subtype(s) is upregulated? Using neurophysiological, autoradiographic, and immunoblotting techniques, we showed that both CA1 and cortical neurons have an increase in membrane excitability and Na+ current density; Na+ channel density is selectively upregulated in the hippocampus and cortex ( P < 0.05); and Na+ channel subtype I is significantly increased in the hippocampus and Na+channel subtype II is increased in the cortex. Our results demonstrate that mice lacking NHE1 upregulate their Na+ channel expression in the hippocampal and cortical regions selectively; this leads to an increase in Na+ current density and membrane excitability. We speculate that neuronal overexcitability due to Na+ channel upregulation in the hippocampus and cortex forms the basis of epileptic seizures in NHE1 mutant mice.

scholarly journals Premature changes in neuronal excitability account for hippocampal network impairment and autistic-like behavior in neonatal BTBR T+tf/J mice

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giada Cellot ◽  
Laura Maggi ◽  
Maria Amalia Di Castro ◽  
Myriam Catalano ◽  
Rosanna Migliore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Pyramidal Cells ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Gabaergic Neurotransmission ◽  
Principal Cells ◽  
Hippocampal Network ◽  
Ca3 Pyramidal Cells ◽  
Experimental Findings

Abstract Coherent network oscillations (GDPs), generated in the immature hippocampus by the synergistic action of GABA and glutamate, both depolarizing and excitatory, play a key role in the construction of neuronal circuits. In particular, GDPs-associated calcium transients act as coincident detectors for enhancing synaptic efficacy at emerging GABAergic and glutamatergic synapses. Here, we show that, immediately after birth, in the CA3 hippocampal region of the BTBR T+tf/J mouse, an animal model of idiopathic autism, GDPs are severely impaired. This effect was associated with an increased GABAergic neurotransmission and a reduced neuronal excitability. In spite its depolarizing action on CA3 pyramidal cells (in single channel experiments E GABA was positive to E m ), GABA exerted at the network level an inhibitory effect as demonstrated by isoguvacine-induced reduction of neuronal firing. We implemented a computational model in which experimental findings could be interpreted as the result of two competing effects: a reduction of the intrinsic excitability of CA3 principal cells and a reduction of the shunting activity in GABAergic interneurons projecting to principal cells. It is therefore likely that premature changes in neuronal excitability within selective hippocampal circuits of BTBR mice lead to GDPs dysfunction and behavioral deficits reminiscent of those found in autistic patients.

Altered Inhibition in Lateral Amygdala Networks in a Rat Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

2006 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 2143-2154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruba Benini ◽  
Massimo Avoli
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Reversal Potential ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Limbic Seizures ◽  
Inhibitory Mechanisms ◽  
Field Activity ◽  
Lateral Nucleus

Clinical and experimental evidence indicates that the amygdala is involved in limbic seizures observed in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Here, we used simultaneous field and intracellular recordings from horizontal brain slices obtained from pilocarpine-treated rats and age-matched nonepileptic controls (NECs) to shed light on the electrophysiological changes that occur within the lateral nucleus (LA) of the amygdala. No significant differences in LA neuronal intrinsic properties were observed between pilocarpine-treated and NEC tissue. However, spontaneous field activity could be recorded in the LA of 21% of pilocarpine-treated slices but never from NECs. At the intracellular level, this network activity was characterized by robust neuronal firing and was abolished by glutamatergic antagonists. In addition, we could identify in all pilocarpine-treated LA neurons: 1) large amplitude depolarizing postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) and 2) a lower incidence of spontaneous hyperpolarizing PSPs as compared with NECs. Single-shock stimulation of LA networks in the presence of glutamatergic antagonists revealed a biphasic inhibitory PSP (IPSP) in both NECs and pilocarpine-treated tissue. The reversal potential of the early GABAA receptor–mediated component, but not of the late GABAB receptor–mediated component, was significantly more depolarized in pilocarpine-treated slices. Furthermore, the peak conductance of both fast and late IPSP components had significantly lower values in pilocarpine-treated LA cells. Finally, paired-pulse stimulation protocols in the presence of glutamatergic antagonists revealed a less pronounced depression of the second IPSP in pilocarpine-treated slices compared with NECs. Altogether, these findings suggest that alterations in both pre- and postsynaptic inhibitory mechanisms contribute to synaptic hyperexcitability of LA networks in epileptic rats.

scholarly journals P38 Regulates Kainic Acid-Induced Seizure and Neuronal Firing via Kv4.2 Phosphorylation

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5921
Author(s):  
Jia-hua Hu ◽  
Cole Malloy ◽  
Dax A. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Kainic Acid ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Membrane Excitability ◽  
Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
K Current

The subthreshold, transient A-type K+ current is a vital regulator of the excitability of neurons throughout the brain. In mammalian hippocampal pyramidal neurons, this current is carried primarily by ion channels comprising Kv4.2 α-subunits. These channels occupy the somatodendritic domains of these principle excitatory neurons and thus regulate membrane voltage relevant to the input–output efficacy of these cells. Owing to their robust control of membrane excitability and ubiquitous expression in the hippocampus, their dysfunction can alter network stability in a manner that manifests in recurrent seizures. Indeed, growing evidence implicates these channels in intractable epilepsies of the temporal lobe, which underscores the importance of determining the molecular mechanisms underlying their regulation and contribution to pathologies. Here, we describe the role of p38 kinase phosphorylation of a C-terminal motif in Kv4.2 in modulating hippocampal neuronal excitability and behavioral seizure strength. Using a combination of biochemical, single-cell electrophysiology, and in vivo seizure techniques, we show that kainic acid-induced seizure induces p38-mediated phosphorylation of Thr607 in Kv4.2 in a time-dependent manner. The pharmacological and genetic disruption of this process reduces neuronal excitability and dampens seizure intensity, illuminating a cellular cascade that may be targeted for therapeutic intervention to mitigate seizure intensity and progression.

scholarly journals Distinctive Properties and Powerful Neuromodulation of Nav1.6 Sodium Channels Regulates Neuronal Excitability

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1595
Author(s):  
Agnes Zybura ◽  
Andy Hudmon ◽  
Theodore R. Cummins
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Membrane Excitability ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels ◽  
Complex Modes ◽  
Firing Properties ◽  
And Function

Voltage-gated sodium channels (Navs) are critical determinants of cellular excitability. These ion channels exist as large heteromultimeric structures and their activity is tightly controlled. In neurons, the isoform Nav1.6 is highly enriched at the axon initial segment and nodes, making it critical for the initiation and propagation of neuronal impulses. Changes in Nav1.6 expression and function profoundly impact the input-output properties of neurons in normal and pathological conditions. While mutations in Nav1.6 may cause channel dysfunction, aberrant changes may also be the result of complex modes of regulation, including various protein-protein interactions and post-translational modifications, which can alter membrane excitability and neuronal firing properties. Despite decades of research, the complexities of Nav1.6 modulation in health and disease are still being determined. While some modulatory mechanisms have similar effects on other Nav isoforms, others are isoform-specific. Additionally, considerable progress has been made toward understanding how individual protein interactions and/or modifications affect Nav1.6 function. However, there is still more to be learned about how these different modes of modulation interact. Here, we examine the role of Nav1.6 in neuronal function and provide a thorough review of this channel’s complex regulatory mechanisms and how they may contribute to neuromodulation.

scholarly journals Modeling temperature- and Cav3 subtype-dependent alterations in T-type calcium channel mediated burst firing

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando R. Fernandez ◽  
Mircea C. Iftinca ◽  
Gerald W. Zamponi ◽  
Ray W. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Channel ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Peripheral Tissues ◽  
Window Current ◽  
Modeling Data ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Firing Neuron ◽  
Cav3 Channel

AbstractT-type calcium channels are important regulators of neuronal excitability. The mammalian brain expresses three T-type channel isoforms (Cav3.1, Cav3.2 and Cav3.3) with distinct biophysical properties that are critically regulated by temperature. Here, we test the effects of how temperature affects spike output in a reduced firing neuron model expressing specific Cav3 channel isoforms. The modeling data revealed only a minimal effect on baseline spontaneous firing near rest, but a dramatic increase in rebound burst discharge frequency for Cav3.1 compared to Cav3.2 or Cav3.3 due to differences in window current or activation/recovery time constants. The reduced response by Cav3.2 could optimize its activity where it is expressed in peripheral tissues more subject to temperature variations than Cav3.1 or Cav3.3 channels expressed prominently in the brain. These tests thus reveal that aspects of neuronal firing behavior are critically dependent on both temperature and T-type calcium channel subtype.

scholarly journals Dynamic structural neuroplasticity during and after epileptogenesis in a pilocarpine rat model of epilepsy

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soomaayeh Heysieattalab ◽  
Leila Sadeghi
Keyword(s):  
Rat Model ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Structural Plasticity ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Spontaneous Seizures ◽  
Maladaptive Plasticity ◽  
Male Wistar Rats ◽  
Spontaneous Recurrent Seizures ◽  
Latent Phase

Abstract Background The role of neuroplasticity in epilepsy has been widely studied in experimental models and human brain samples. However, the results are contradictory and it remains unclear if neuroplasticity is more related to the cause or the consequence of epileptic seizures. Clarifying this issue can provide insights into epilepsy therapies that target the disease mechanism and etiology rather than symptoms. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the dynamic changes of structural plasticity in a pilocarpine rat model of epilepsy. Methods A single acute dose of pilocarpine (380 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected into adult male Wistar rats to induce status epilepticus (SE). Animal behavior was monitored for 2 h. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to evaluate neurogenesis in the CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) regions of hippocampus using biomarkers Ki67 and doublecortin (DCX). The Golgi-Cox method was performed to analyze dendritic length and complexity. All experiments were performed in control rats (baseline), at 24 h after SE, on day 20 after SE (latent phase), after the first and 10th spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS; chronic phase), and in non-epileptic rats (which did not manifest SRS 36 days after pilocarpine injection). Results SE significantly increased the number of Ki67 and DCX-positive cells, suggesting neurogenesis during the latent phase. The dendritic complexity monitoring showed that plasticity was altered differently during epilepsy and epileptogenesis, suggesting that the two processes are completely separate at molecular and physiological levels. The numbers of spines and mushroom-type spines were increased in the latent phase. However, the dendritogenesis and spine numbers did not increase in rats that were unable to manifest spontaneous seizures after SE. Conclusion All parameters of structural plasticity that increase during epileptogenesis, are reduced by spontaneous seizure occurrence, which suggests that the development of epilepsy involves maladaptive plastic changes. Therefore, the maladaptive plasticity biomarkers can be used to predict epilepsy before development of SRS in the cases of serious brain injury.

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