Depletion of noradrenaline and the kindling of seizures
Date
1980
Authors
Mohr, Erich
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Abstract
Seizure development provoked by electrical stimulation of the amygdala (kindling) was examined in control rats and rats depleted of forebrain noradrenaline (NA) by bilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine into the mesencephalic trajectory of the dorsal tegmental noradrenergic bundle. Half the rats were kindled with stimulation delivered at the threshold intensity for amygdaloid afterdischarge (AD) and half with suprathreshold stimulation. Both groups of NA-depleted rats kindled significantly more rapidly than controls, and this facilitative effect of NA depletion did not vary as a function of the intensity of stimulation used.
The present findings replicate previous reports that depletion of NA facilitates the development of kindled seizures. Furthermore, they demonstrate that this effect occurs independent of the intensity of stimulation used for kindling, as long as the stimulation is sufficient to evoke AD.