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Lara MK, Brabec JL, Hernan AE, Scott RC, Tyler AL, Mahoney JM. Network-based analysis predicts interacting genetic modifiers from a meta-mapping study of spike-wave discharge in mice. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2024; 23:e12879. [PMID: 38444174 PMCID: PMC10915378 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Absence seizures are characterized by brief lapses in awareness accompanied by a hallmark spike-and-wave discharge (SWD) electroencephalographic pattern and are common to genetic generalized epilepsies (GGEs). While numerous genes have been associated with increased risk, including some Mendelian forms with a single causal allele, most cases of GGE are idiopathic and there are many unknown genetic modifiers of GGE influencing risk and severity. In a previous meta-mapping study, crosses between transgenic C57BL/6 and C3HeB/FeJ strains, each carrying one of three SWD-causing mutations (Gabrg2tm1Spet(R43Q) , Scn8a8j or Gria4spkw1 ), demonstrated an antagonistic epistatic interaction between loci on mouse chromosomes 2 and 7 influencing SWD. These results implicate universal modifiers in the B6 background that mitigate SWD severity through a common pathway, independent of the causal mutation. In this study, we prioritized candidate modifiers in these interacting loci. Our approach integrated human genome-wide association results with gene interaction networks and mouse brain gene expression to prioritize candidate genes and pathways driving variation in SWD outcomes. We considered candidate genes that are functionally associated with human GGE risk genes and genes with evidence for coding or non-coding allele effects between the B6 and C3H backgrounds. Our analyses output a summary ranking of gene pairs, one gene from each locus, as candidates for explaining the epistatic interaction. Our top-ranking gene pairs implicate microtubule function, cytoskeletal stability and cell cycle regulation as novel hypotheses about the source of SWD variation across strain backgrounds, which could clarify underlying mechanisms driving differences in GGE severity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montana Kay Lara
- Department of Neurological SciencesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Jeffrey L. Brabec
- Department of Neurological SciencesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Amanda E. Hernan
- Department of Neurological SciencesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
- Division of NeuroscienceNemours Children's HealthWilmingtonDelawareUSA
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of DelawareNewarkDelawareUSA
| | - Rod C. Scott
- Division of NeuroscienceNemours Children's HealthWilmingtonDelawareUSA
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesUniversity of DelawareNewarkDelawareUSA
| | | | - J. Matthew Mahoney
- Department of Neurological SciencesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
- The Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaineUSA
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Sun F, Wang S, Wang Y, Sun J, Li Y, Li Y, Xu Y, Wang X. Differences in generation and maintenance between ictal and interictal generalized spike-and-wave discharges in childhood absence epilepsy: A magnetoencephalography study. Epilepsy Behav 2023; 148:109440. [PMID: 37748416 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is characterized by impaired consciousness and distinct electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns. However, interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) do not lead to noticeable symptoms. This study examines the disparity between ictal and interictal generalized spike-and-wave discharges (GSWDs) to determine the mechanisms behind CAE and consciousness. METHODS We enrolled 24 patients with ictal and interictal GSWDs in the study. The magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were recorded before and during GSWDs at a sampling rate of 6000 Hz and analyzed across six frequency bands. The absolute and relative spectral power were estimated with the Minimum Norm Estimate (MNE) combined with the Welch technique. All the statistical analyses were performed using paired-sample tests. RESULTS During GSWDs, the right lateral occipital cortex indicated a significant difference in the theta band (5-7 Hz) with stronger power (P = 0.027). The interictal group possessed stronger spectral power in the delta band (P < 0.01) and weaker power in the alpha band (P < 0.01) as early as 10 s before GSWDs in absolute and relative spectral power. Additionally, the ictal group revealed enhanced spectral power inside the occipital cortex in the alpha band and stronger spectral power in the right frontal regions within beta (15-29 Hz), gamma 1 (30-59 Hz), and gamma 2 (60-90 Hz) bands. CONCLUSIONS GSWDs seem to change gradually, with local neural activity changing even 10 s before discharge. During GSWDs, visual afferent stimulus insensitivity could be related to the impaired response state in CAE. The inhibitory signal in the low-frequency band can shorten GSWD duration, thereby achieving seizure control through inhibitory effect strengthening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangling Sun
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Siyi Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yingfan Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jintao Sun
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yihan Li
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanzhang Li
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Xu
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoshan Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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Neuparth-Sottomayor M, Pina CC, Morais TP, Farinha-Ferreira M, Abreu DS, Solano F, Mouro F, Good M, Sebastião AM, Di Giovanni G, Crunelli V, Vaz SH. Cognitive comorbidities of experimental absence seizures are independent of anxiety. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 186:106275. [PMID: 37648038 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Typical absence seizures (ASs) are brief periods of lack of consciousness, associated with 2.5-4 Hz spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in the EEG, which are highly prevalent in children and teenagers. The majority of probands in these young epileptic cohorts show neuropsychological comorbidities, including cognitive, memory and mood impairments, even after the seizures are pharmacologically controlled. Similar cognition and memory deficits have been reported in different, but not all, genetic animal models of ASs. However, since these impairments are subtle and highly task-specific their presence may be confounded by an anxiety-like phenotype and no study has tested anxiety and memory in the same animals. Moreover, the majority of studies used non-epileptic inbred animals as the only control strain and this may have contributed to a misinterpretation of these behavioural results. To overcome these issues, here we used a battery of behavioural tests to compare anxiety and memory in the same animals from the well-established inbred model of Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS), their inbred strain of Non-Epileptic Control (NEC) strain (that lack ASs) and normal outbred Wistar rats. We found that GAERS do not exhibit increased anxiety-like behavior and neophobia compared to both NEC and Wistar rats. In contrast, GAERS show decreased spontaneous alternation, spatial working memory and cross-modal object recognition compared to both NEC and Wistar rats. Furthermore, GAERS preferentially used egocentric strategies to perform spatial memory tasks. In summary, these results provide solid evidence of memory deficits in GAERS rats that do not depend on an anxiety or neophobic phenotype. Moreover, the presence of differences between NEC and Wistar rats stresses the need of using both outbred and inbred control rats in behavioural studies involving genetic models of ASs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Neuparth-Sottomayor
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carolina C Pina
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Tatiana P Morais
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Neuroscience Division, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel Farinha-Ferreira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Daniela Sofia Abreu
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Filipa Solano
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francisco Mouro
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mark Good
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Maria Sebastião
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Neuroscience Division, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Vincenzo Crunelli
- Neuroscience Division, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra H Vaz
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
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Barone V, Piastra MC, van Dijk JP, Visser GH, Debeij-van Hall MHJA, van Putten MJAM. Neurophysiological signatures reflect differences in visual attention during absence seizures. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 152:34-42. [PMID: 37269771 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Absences affect visual attention and eye movements variably. Here, we explore whether the dissimilarity of these symptoms during absences is reflected in differences in electroencephalographic (EEG) features, functional connectivity, and activation of the frontal eye field. METHODS Pediatric patients with absences performed a computerized choice reaction time task, with simultaneous recording of EEG and eye-tracking. We quantified visual attention and eye movements with reaction times, response correctness, and EEG features. Finally, we studied brain networks involved in the generation and propagation of seizures. RESULTS Ten pediatric patients had absences during the measurement. Five patients had preserved eye movements (preserved group) and five patients showed disrupted eye movements (unpreserved group) during seizures. Source reconstruction showed a stronger involvement of the right frontal eye field during absences in the unpreserved group than in the preserved group (dipole fraction 1.02% and 0.34%, respectively, p < 0.05). Graph analysis revealed different connection fractions of specific channels. CONCLUSIONS The impairment of visual attention varies among patients with absences and is associated with differences in EEG features, network activation, and involvement of the right frontal eye field. SIGNIFICANCE Assessing the visual attention of patients with absences can be usefully employed in clinical practice for tailored advice to the individual patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Barone
- Clinical Neurophysiology (CNPH), TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
| | - Maria Carla Piastra
- Clinical Neurophysiology (CNPH), TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
| | - Johannes P van Dijk
- Academic Center for Epileptology Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands; Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Gerhard H Visser
- Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), Heemstede, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Michel J A M van Putten
- Clinical Neurophysiology (CNPH), TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
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Ferguson B, Glick C, Huguenard JR. Prefrontal PV interneurons facilitate attention and are linked to attentional dysfunction in a mouse model of absence epilepsy. eLife 2023; 12:e78349. [PMID: 37014118 PMCID: PMC10072875 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Absence seizures are characterized by brief periods of unconsciousness accompanied by lapses in motor function that can occur hundreds of times throughout the day. Outside of these frequent moments of unconsciousness, approximately a third of people living with the disorder experience treatment-resistant attention impairments. Convergent evidence suggests prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction may underlie attention impairments in affected patients. To examine this, we use a combination of slice physiology, fiber photometry, electrocorticography (ECoG), optogenetics, and behavior in the Scn8a+/-mouse model of absence epilepsy. Attention function was measured using a novel visual attention task where a light cue that varied in duration predicted the location of a food reward. In Scn8a+/-mice, we find altered parvalbumin interneuron (PVIN) output in the medial PFC (mPFC) in vitro and PVIN hypoactivity along with reductions in gamma power during cue presentation in vivo. This was associated with poorer attention performance in Scn8a+/-mice that could be rescued by gamma-frequency optogenetic stimulation of PVINs. This highlights cue-related PVIN activity as an important mechanism for attention and suggests PVINs may represent a therapeutic target for cognitive comorbidities in absence epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brielle Ferguson
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Program in Neurobiology and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Cameron Glick
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - John R Huguenard
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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Borges FS, Gabrick EC, Protachevicz PR, Higa GSV, Lameu EL, Rodriguez PXR, Ferraz MSA, Szezech JD, Batista AM, Kihara AH. Intermittency properties in a temporal lobe epilepsy model. Epilepsy Behav 2023; 139:109072. [PMID: 36652897 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.109072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal synchronization is important for communication between brain regions and plays a key role in learning. However, changes in connectivity can lead to hyper-synchronized states related to epileptic seizures that occur intermittently with asynchronous states. The activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC) is related to synaptic alterations which can lead to epilepsy. Induction of status epilepticus in rodent models causes the appearance of intense ARC immunoreactive neurons (IAINs), which present a higher number of connections and conductance intensity than non-IAINs. This alteration might contribute to abnormal epileptic seizure activity. In this work, we investigated how IAINs connectivity influences the firing pattern and synchronization in neural networks. Firstly, we showed the appearance of synchronized burst patterns due to the emergence of IAINs. Second, we described how the increase of IAINs connectivity favors the appearance of intermittent up and down activities associated with synchronous bursts and asynchronous spikes, respectively. Once the intermittent activity was properly characterized, we applied the optogenetics control of the high synchronous activities in the intermittent regime. To do this, we considered that 1% of neurons were transfected and became photosensitive. We observed that optogenetics methods to control synchronized burst patterns are effective when IAINs are chosen as photosensitive, but not effective in non-IAINs. Therefore, our analyses suggest that IAINs play a pivotal role in both the generation and suppression of highly synchronized activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- F S Borges
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Center for Mathematics, Computation, and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil.
| | - E C Gabrick
- Graduate in Science Program - Physics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - P R Protachevicz
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - G S V Higa
- Center for Mathematics, Computation, and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil; Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - E L Lameu
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - P X R Rodriguez
- Center for Mathematics, Computation, and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil; Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - M S A Ferraz
- Center for Mathematics, Computation, and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - J D Szezech
- Graduate in Science Program - Physics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - A M Batista
- Graduate in Science Program - Physics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil; Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - A H Kihara
- Center for Mathematics, Computation, and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil.
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Sarkisova KY, Fedosova EA, Shatskova AB, Rudenok MM, Stanishevskaya VA, Slominsky PA. Maternal Methyl-Enriched Diet Increases DNMT1, HCN1, and TH Gene Expression and Suppresses Absence Seizures and Comorbid Depression in Offspring of WAG/Rij Rats. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13030398. [PMID: 36766503 PMCID: PMC9914012 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13030398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The reduced expression of the HCN1 ion channel in the somatosensory cortex (SSC) and mesolimbic dopamine deficiency are thought to be associated with the genesis of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) and comorbid depression in the WAG/Rij rat model of absence epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate whether the maternal methyl-enriched diet (MED), which affects DNA methylation, can alter DNMT1, HCN1, and TH gene expression and modify absence seizures and comorbid depression in WAG/Rij offspring. WAG/Rij mothers were fed MED (choline, betaine, folic acid, vitamin B12, L-methionine, zinc) or a control diet for a week before mating, during pregnancy, and for a week after parturition. MED caused sustained suppression of SWDs and symptoms of comorbid depression in the offspring. Disease-modifying effects of MED were associated with increased expression of the DNMT1 and HCN1 genes in the SSC and hippocampus, as well as DNMT1, HCN1, and TH genes in the nucleus accumbens. No changes in gene expression were detected in the hypothalamus. The results indicate that maternal MED can suppress the genetic absence epilepsy and comorbid depression in offspring. Increased expression of the DNMT1, HCN1, and TH genes is suggested to be a molecular mechanism of this beneficial phenotypic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Yu. Sarkisova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova Str. 5A, Moscow 117485, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-495-789-38-52 (ext. 2140); Fax: +7-499-743-00-56
| | - Ekaterina A. Fedosova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova Str. 5A, Moscow 117485, Russia
| | - Alla B. Shatskova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova Str. 5A, Moscow 117485, Russia
| | - Margarita M. Rudenok
- National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”—Institute of Molecular Genetics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurchatov Square 2, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Vera A. Stanishevskaya
- National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”—Institute of Molecular Genetics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurchatov Square 2, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Petr A. Slominsky
- National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”—Institute of Molecular Genetics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurchatov Square 2, Moscow 123182, Russia
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Sarkisova K, van Luijtelaar G. The impact of early-life environment on absence epilepsy and neuropsychiatric comorbidities. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022; 13:436-468. [PMID: 36386598 PMCID: PMC9649966 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2022.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This review discusses the long-term effects of early-life environment on epileptogenesis, epilepsy, and neuropsychiatric comorbidities with an emphasis on the absence epilepsy. The WAG/Rij rat strain is a well-validated genetic model of absence epilepsy with mild depression-like (dysthymia) comorbidity. Although pathologic phenotype in WAG/Rij rats is genetically determined, convincing evidence presented in this review suggests that the absence epilepsy and depression-like comorbidity in WAG/Rij rats may be governed by early-life events, such as prenatal drug exposure, early-life stress, neonatal maternal separation, neonatal handling, maternal care, environmental enrichment, neonatal sensory impairments, neonatal tactile stimulation, and maternal diet. The data, as presented here, indicate that some early environmental events can promote and accelerate the development of absence seizures and their neuropsychiatric comorbidities, while others may exert anti-epileptogenic and disease-modifying effects. The early environment can lead to phenotypic alterations in offspring due to epigenetic modifications of gene expression, which may have maladaptive consequences or represent a therapeutic value. Targeting DNA methylation with a maternal methyl-enriched diet during the perinatal period appears to be a new preventive epigenetic anti-absence therapy. A number of caveats related to the maternal methyl-enriched diet and prospects for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Sarkisova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova str. 5a, Moscow 117485, Russia
| | - Gilles van Luijtelaar
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, PO Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Alkhotani AM, Alkhotani AM. Effect of health education on female primary school teachers' knowledge of seizure first aid: An interventional study. Epilepsy Behav 2022; 127:108523. [PMID: 34999504 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epilepsy is a common neurological disease. Patients with epilepsy are at risk of developing seizure at any time. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of health education on schoolteachers' first aid management of epileptic seizure. METHODS A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to participating primary school teachers in the city of Makkah. It included baseline demographic data, a teacher's awareness about epilepsy, as well as first aid measures. An educational lecture was later delivered to teachers and was followed by a discussion. Awareness and attitude were re-assessed using the same questionnaire. RESULTS A total of 259 female primary school teachers completed the study. Before intervention, 134 (51.7%) of the teachers had good awareness regarding epilepsy, which was significantly increased to 86.9% after the intervention. For seizure first aid, 45.9% of teachers correctly reported that would make sure the person is safe and ask for help in the case of witnessing a seizure attack, which was improved to 84.2% after intervention, with a percent change of 38.2% (p = 0.001). In addition, rolling a person onto their side and asking for help after the end of a seizure was known by 53.3% of the teachers before the intervention and increased to 84.6% after the intervention, showing a percent change of 31.2% (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION The health education program resulted in significant improvements to teachers' responses to seizure and improvements in all aspects of epilepsy awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal M Alkhotani
- Department of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Alaa M Alkhotani
- Department of Pathology, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
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10
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Yu Y, Li C, Li W, Chen L, Wang D, Wang J, Wang J, Yao R. Neurodevelopmental disorders and anti-epileptic treatment in a patient with a SATB1 mutation: A case report. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:931667. [PMID: 36120649 PMCID: PMC9479181 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.931667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
SATB1 variants causing developmental delay with dysmorphic facies and dental anomalies have been reported in a small cohort. Most patients present epilepsy as a main clinical feature in neurodevelopmental disorders; however, its treatment is unknown. Here, we present a Chinese patient with a de novo truncating variation in SATB1 who presented with mild developmental delay. We disclose the detailed anti-epileptic pharmacological treatment that enabled a favorable outcome. Our study provides important information that may aid clinicians in the prognosis and treatment of rare neurological developmental disorders caused by gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yu
- Antenatal Diagnostic Center, Sanya Women and Children's Hospital Managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Sanya, China
| | - Cuiyun Li
- Antenatal Diagnostic Center, Sanya Women and Children's Hospital Managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Sanya, China
| | - Wei Li
- Antenatal Diagnostic Center, Sanya Women and Children's Hospital Managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Sanya, China
| | - Liting Chen
- Antenatal Diagnostic Center, Sanya Women and Children's Hospital Managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Sanya, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Science and Education, Sanya Women and Children's Hospital Managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Sanya, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Antenatal Diagnostic Center, Sanya Women and Children's Hospital Managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Sanya, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Molecular Genetic Diagnosis Center, Sanya Women and Children's Hospital Managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Sanya, China.,Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruen Yao
- Molecular Genetic Diagnosis Center, Sanya Women and Children's Hospital Managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Sanya, China.,Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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11
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Korkmaz OT, Arkan S, Öncü-Kaya EM, Ateş N, Tunçel N. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) conducts the neuronal activity during absence seizures: GABA seems to be the main mediator of VIP. Neurosci Lett 2021; 765:136268. [PMID: 34571088 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Absence epilepsy is classified as a childhood generalized epilepsy syndrome with distinctive electroencephalographic patterns. The Wistar Albino Glaxo originating from Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) strain is a very well validated animal model of absence epilepsy that also shows behavioral deficits. In addition to the gastrointestinal system, VIP is highly expressed throughout numerous brain regions, and it plays crucial roles as a neurotransmitter and as a neuromodulatory, neurotrophic and neuroprotective factor in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. In this study, adult WAG/Rij rats were divided into two groups (n = 10): a group that was administered VIP (25 ng/kg i.p.) every 2 days for 15 days and an age-matched control group that was administered physiological saline. Electrical brain activity and behavior (depressive- like behavior, learning and memory and anxiety) were investigated in both groups. In addition, the extracellular concentrations of GABA and glutamate and the GABA/glutamate ratio were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in microdialysate samples collected from the somatosensorial cortex of WAG/Rij rats. Our results demonstrated that VIP treatment significantly suppressed the total duration and number of spike wave discharges in WAG/Rij rats. However, VIP had no significant effect on behavior. VIP increased the extracellular concentration of GABA and the GABA/glutamate ratio in the somatosensory cortex. In conclusion, VIP has suppressive effects on absence seizures, possibly by increasing the GABA concentration and inducing the transformation of glutamate to GABA in the somatosensory cortex of WAG/Rij rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orhan Tansel Korkmaz
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, 26040 Eskisehir, Turkey.
| | - Sertan Arkan
- Department of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Kocaeli University, 41380, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Elif Mine Öncü-Kaya
- Department of Chemistry, Science Faculty, Eskisehir Technical University, 26470 Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Nurbay Ateş
- Department of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Kocaeli University, 41380, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Neşe Tunçel
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, 26040 Eskisehir, Turkey
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Rodríguez-Ortiz R, Matínez-Torres A. Mutants of the Zebrafish K + Channel Hcn2b Exhibit Epileptic-like Behaviors. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111471. [PMID: 34768904 PMCID: PMC8584164 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects 50 million people worldwide. The most common form of epilepsy is idiopathic, where most of the genetic defects of this type of epilepsy occur in ion channels. Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are activated by membrane hyperpolarization, and are mainly expressed in the heart and central and peripheral nervous systems. In humans, four HCN genes have been described, and emergent clinical data shows that dysfunctional HCN channels are involved in epilepsy. Danio rerio has become a versatile organism to model a wide variety of diseases. In this work, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate hcn2b mutants in zebrafish, and characterized them molecularly and behaviorally. We obtained an hcn2b mutant allele with an 89 bp deletion that produced a premature stop codon. The mutant exhibited a high mortality rate in its life span, probably due to its sudden death. We did not detect heart malformations or important heart rate alterations. Absence seizures and moderate seizures were observed in response to light. These seizures rarely caused instant death. The results show that mutations in the Hcn2b channel are involved in epilepsy and provide evidence of the advantages of zebrafish to further our understanding of the pathogenesis of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Rodríguez-Ortiz
- Cátedras CONACyT—Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro CP 76230, Mexico
- Correspondence: (R.R.-O.); (A.M.-T.); Tel.: +52-442-238-1064 (R.R.-O. & A.M.-T.)
| | - Ataúlfo Matínez-Torres
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro CP 76230, Mexico
- Correspondence: (R.R.-O.); (A.M.-T.); Tel.: +52-442-238-1064 (R.R.-O. & A.M.-T.)
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Rahim F, Azizimalamiri R, Sayyah M, Malayeri A. Experimental Therapeutic Strategies in Epilepsies Using Anti-Seizure Medications. J Exp Pharmacol 2021; 13:265-290. [PMID: 33732031 PMCID: PMC7959000 DOI: 10.2147/jep.s267029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsies are among the most common neurological problems. The disease burden in patients with epilepsy is significantly high, and epilepsy has a huge negative impact on patients' quality of life with epilepsy and their families. Anti-seizure medications are the mainstay treatment in patients with epilepsy, and around 70% of patients will ultimately control with a combination of at least two appropriately selected anti-seizure medications. However, in one-third of patients, seizures are resistant to drugs, and other measures will be needed. The primary goal in using experimental therapeutic medication strategies in patients with epilepsy is to prevent recurrent seizures and reduce the rate of traumatic events that may occur during seizures. So far, various treatments using medications have been offered for patients with epilepsies, which have been classified according to the type of epilepsy, the effectiveness of the medications, and the adverse effects. Medications such as Levetiracetam, valproic acid, and lamotrigine are at the forefront of these patients' treatment. Epilepsy surgery, neuro-stimulation, and the ketogenic diet are the main measures in patients with medication-resistant epilepsies. In this paper, we will review the therapeutic approach using anti-seizure medications in patients with epilepsy. However, it should be noted that some of these patients still do not respond to existing treatments; therefore, the limited ability of current therapies has fueled research efforts for the development of novel treatment strategies. Thus, it seems that in addition to surgical measures, we should look for more specific agents that have less adverse events and have a greater effect in stopping seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fakher Rahim
- Molecular Medicine and Bioinformatics, Research Center of Thalassemia & Hemoglobinopathy, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Reza Azizimalamiri
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Golestan Medical, Educational, and Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mehdi Sayyah
- Education Development Center (EDC), Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Alireza Malayeri
- Medicinal Plant Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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