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Region-specific spreading depolarization drives aberrant post-ictal behavior

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Abstract

Summary Confusion, aphasia, and unaware wandering are prominent post-ictal symptoms regularly observed in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) 1 . Despite the potentially life-threatening nature of the immediate post-ictal state 2 , its neurobiological underpinnings remain understudied 3 . We provide evidence in mice and humans that seizure-associated focal spreading depolarization (sSD) is a pathoclinical key factor in epilepsy. Using two-photon or widefield imaging (hippocampus, neocortex), field potential and single unit recordings, and behavioral assessment in mice, we first studied seizures during viral encephalitis, and subsequently established an optogenetic approach to dissociate hippocampal seizures and SD. We find region-specific occurrence of sSD that displays distinct spatial trajectories to preceding seizures, and show that seizure-related and isolated hippocampal SD prompt post-ictal wandering . This clinically relevant locomotor phenotype occurred in the absence of hippocampal SD progression to the neocortex. Finally, we confirm sSD existence in human epilepsy, in a patient cohort with refractory focal epilepsy, via Behnke-Fried electrode recordings. In this cohort, sSD displayed a similar temporomesial propensity as in mice. This work uncovers sSD as a previously underrecognized pathoclinical entity underlying postictal behavioral abnormalities in epilepsy. Our results carry wide-reaching ramifications for epilepsy research and neurology, and challenge current EEG-standards.

Authors 19

  1. University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany; University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany

  2. Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-3) - Bioelectronics Forschungszentrum, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany;

    Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-) - Bioelectronics Forschungszentrum, Jülich, Germany

    Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

  3. University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany; University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany

  4. University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany; University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany

  5. University of Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany;

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany

  6. University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany; University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany

  7. University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

  8. University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

  9. University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany; University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany

  10. University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany;

    Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany

  11. University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany;

    Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany

  12. University of California, Irvine

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, USA;

    Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, USA

  13. University of Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany;

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany

  14. University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

  15. Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-3) - Bioelectronics Forschungszentrum, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany;

    Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-) - Bioelectronics Forschungszentrum, Jülich, Germany

    Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

  16. University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

  17. University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

  18. University of Bonn · German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V., Bonn, Germany

    Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V., Bonn, Germany

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany

  19. Michael Wenzel corresponding

    University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany; University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany;

    University Hospital Bonn, Dept. of Epileptology, Bonn, Germany

    University of Bonn, Medical Faculty, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Bonn, Germany

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References 82