Preemptive low-frequency stimulation decreases the incidence of amygdala-kindled seizures.

PURPOSE: The use of electrical stimulation as a therapy for epilepsy is currently being studied in experimental animals and in patients with epilepsy. This study examined the effect of preemptive, low-frequency, 1-Hz sine wave stimulation (LFS) on the incidence of amygdala-kindled seizures in the rat.

METHODS: Electrodes were implanted into the basolateral amygdalae of adult male rats. All animals received a kindling stimulus of 60-Hz, 400-microA, sine wave for 1 s twice a day. Experimental animals received an additional LFS consisting of 1 Hz, 50 microA for 30 s immediately before the kindling stimulus. Afterdischarge (AD) duration, behavioral seizure score, the number of stimulations required to elicit the first stage five seizure and to become fully kindled were measured. After 20 stimulations, a crossover procedure was performed. Fully kindled rats from each group were switched, so that the original controls received LFS plus the kindling stimulus, and the original experimental rats received only the kindling stimulus.

RESULTS: During kindling acquisition, LFS induced a significant decrease in AD duration. A significant increase in the number of times the kindling stimulus failed to elicit an AD was noted. Control rats exhibited an AD 99% of the time compared with 70% in experimental rats (p < 0.0001; Fisher's Exact test). In fully kindled animals, the incidence of stage five seizures in the original controls significantly decreased from 98% to 42% (p < 0.0001) when the LFS was added to the kindling paradigm.

CONCLUSIONS: The dramatic decrease in the incidence of stage 5 seizures in fully kindled animals after preemptive LFS strongly suggests that LFS may be an effective therapy for the prevention of seizures in patients with epilepsy.