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Advanced Neurology

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Non-invasive electroencephalography-based

technique for rapid diagnostics of absence
epilepsy in rats

Maria Pupikina and Evgenia Sitnikova*

Institute of the Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Sciences,
Moscow, Russia

Abstract

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a crucial tool for diagnosing absence epilepsy, a type
of generalized epilepsy characterized by brief lapses of consciousness. Here, we used
a Wistar Albino Glaxo from Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rat genetic model of absence epilepsy,
in which spike-wave discharges (SWDs) manifested spontaneously and were linked
to absence-like behavior. Conventionally, invasive electrocorticography (ECoG)
with surgically implanted chronic electrodes has been used to confirm the absence
epilepsy by the presence of SWDs in rats. However, this restricts the utilization of the
same rat subject in multiple experiments. Therefore, there is a need for non-invasive
EEG-based diagnostic tools in rats. This study introduces a novel, non-invasive EEG-
based technique designed specifically for the rapid diagnosis of absence epilepsy.
This approach is based on the sedative effect of xylazine and its unique capacity
to induce SWDs. This approach was evaluated in a well-accepted genetic WAG/Rij
*Corresponding author: rat model of absence epilepsy, including adult subjects of both sexes. Non-invasive
Evgenia Sitnikova
(eu.sitnikova@ihna.ru) EEG recording lasted 6 – 9 min. During the 6-min post-injection period, xylazine-
induced SWDs closely resembled spontaneous SWDs in terms of the spike-wave
Citation: Pupikina M, morphology and frequency. The proposed non-invasive EEG-based technique is
Sitnikova E. Non-invasive
electroencephalography-based rapid, safe, inexpensive, and yields consistent results. Importantly, it can be repeated
technique for rapid diagnostics throughout a rat’s lifespan to assess the age-related progression of absence epilepsy.
of absence epilepsy in rats.
Adv Neurol. 2024;3(4):4464.
doi: 10.36922/an.4464 Keywords: Xylazine; WAG/Rij rats; Spike-wave discharges; Phenotypic variability;
Received: August 7, 2024 Physiobelt
Accepted: November 13, 2024
Published Online: December 12,
2024 1. Introduction
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article Absence epilepsy is a non-convulsive form of epilepsy. Absence seizures may be noted in
distributed under the terms of the several types of idiopathic generalized epilepsies, including childhood absence epilepsy,
Creative Commons Attribution juvenile absence epilepsy, and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. In these conditions, the
1-3
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, seizures are typically characterized by generalized 3 – 6-Hz spike-and-wave complexes on
provided the original work is electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. EEG is essential for diagnosing various forms
properly cited. of absence epilepsy. The presence of characteristic spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs)
Publisher’s Note: AccScience is necessary for the accurate diagnosis of idiopathic generalized epilepsies in EEG
Publishing remains neutral with recordings, particularly when clinical manifestations are subtle or infrequent. 1,4,5 Spike-
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional wave EEG patterns are characteristic ictal EEG hallmarks. However, the SWD structure
2
affiliations. exhibits significant variations across diverse epilepsy types (References in Hirsch et al. ).

Volume 3 Issue 4 (2024) 1 doi: 10.36922/an.4464