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Published on: November 19, 2012
A feature of caudate control of focal hippocampal epilepsy: evidence for an anterograde pathway
N Vella1, G Ferraro, G Caravaglios
1Istituto di Fisiologia Umana dell'Università di Palermo, Italy.
Insights
The caudate nucleus modulates hippocampal epilepsy via a direct pathway, not through the nucleus accumbens. This finding clarifies the neural circuit controlling seizures.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Epilepsy Research
Background:
- The caudate nucleus influences hippocampal epilepsy.
- Potential pathways include septal or accumbens routes.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the pathway of caudate nucleus influence on the hippocampus.
- Determine the role of the nucleus accumbens in this modulation.
Main Methods:
- Studied abnormal activity spread from hippocampus to nucleus accumbens.
- Analyzed caudate stimulation effects after nucleus accumbens lesions.
Main Results:
- Penicillin-induced activity spread from hippocampus to nucleus accumbens within 30 minutes.
- Caudate stimulation reduced hippocampal activity frequency and amplitude, irrespective of accumbens lesions.
Conclusions:
- The nucleus accumbens receives epilepsy spread but is not involved in caudate nucleus control of the hippocampus.
- Caudate-induced inhibition uses an anterograde caudate-hippocampal circuit, excluding a caudate-accumbens-hippocampal pathway.
Abstract:
Previous experimental evidences showed that the caudate nucleus has a modulatory effect on hippocampal epilepsy. The caudate's regulating action might reach the hippocampus either via the septal region or, retrogradely, via the accumbens nucleus. In order to obtain new data about the pathway involved in caudate hippocampal influence the spreading of abnormal activity towards the nucleus accumbens was studied. Furthermore the effects of caudate stimulation in animals with electrolytic lesions of the nucleus accumbens were analyzed. It was observed that abnormal penicillin-induced activity spreaded from the hippocampus to the nucleus accumbens in about 30 minutes. In animals with and without lesions of nucleus accumbens, caudate stimulation brought about a significant decrease in the frequency and amplitude of hippocampal activity. The results suggest that the nucleus accumbens is reached by the spreading of hippocampal epilepsy but does not participate in the control exerted by the caudate nucleus on the hippocampus. Thus the caudate-induced inhibition takes place through an anterograde caudate-hippocampal circuit, while at the same time excluding retrograde activation by way of a caudate-accumbens-hippocampal pathway.
