[Temporal sequence of SWD emergence and spontaneous jerks in WAG/Rij rats with absence epilepsy]

In rat model of absence epilepsy, abnormal complex movements of cervicothorathic part (jerks) were observed in the state of passive wakefulness. When a desynchronized low-amplitude electrical activity was recorded in the parietal and visual cortex, either SWD or jerks were observed. The SWD appearance prevented a jerk. If the discharge appeared between jerks, the interval between jerks increased. Particularly important is the fact that after subtraction of the discharge duration, the distribution of intervals between jerks became the same as in the absence of the SWD. This finding shows that an SWD just interrupts the development of a jerk. That is, when the discharge is over, the jerk develops from the level at which it was stopped by the discharge rather than from the initial level of excitation.