RRC ID 74742
Author Niemeyer JE, Gadamsetty P, Chun C, Sylvester S, Lucas JP, Ma H, Schwartz TH, Aksay ERF.
Title Seizures initiate in zones of relative hyperexcitation in a zebrafish epilepsy model.
Journal Brain
Abstract Seizures are thought to arise from an imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal activity. While most classical studies suggest excessive excitatory neural activity plays a generative role, some recent findings challenge this view and instead argue that excessive activity in inhibitory neurons initiates seizures. We investigated this question of imbalance in a zebrafish seizure model with two-photon imaging of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal activity throughout the brain using a nuclear-localized calcium sensor. We found that seizures consistently initiated in circumscribed zones of the midbrain before propagating to other brain regions. Excitatory neurons were both more prevalent and more likely to be recruited than inhibitory neurons in initiation as compared with propagation zones. These findings support a mechanistic picture whereby seizures initiate in a region of hyperexcitation, then propagate more broadly once inhibitory restraint in the surround is overcome.
Volume 145(7)
Pages 2347-2360
Published 2022-7-29
DOI 10.1093/brain/awac073
PII 6535115
PMID 35196385
PMC PMC9612797
MeSH Animals Brain Epilepsy* Neurons Seizures Zebrafish*
IF 11.337
Resource
Zebrafish Tg(vglut2a:loxP-DsRed-loxP-GFP)