Electrocorticographical observation of seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) injection in rats

The various seizure responses observed behaviorally in freely moving rats after repeated pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) injections were compared with simultaneous electrocorticographical (ECoG) recordings. Seizures induced were divided into 7 behavioral categories (grade 0-6): grade 0, no behavioral seizures; grade 1, head nodding, head twitching; grade 2, myoclonic jerks; grade 3, head twisting, forelimb clonic convulsions; grade 4, kangaroo position; grade 5, falling down; grade 6, tonic convulsions. Specific behavioral seizure types were always associated with identifiable ECoG patterns. All rats which exhibited higher than grade 3 seizures developed decrease in spontaneous movements and decreased amplitude in ECoG activity after the end of their behavioral seizures, which suggests the existence of post-ictal inhibition. Both myoclonic jerks (grade 2) and tonic convulsions (grade 6) are important features of these seizure types which are not seen in electrical amygdaloid seizure models. This seizure classification will be useful for further rat PTZ seizure studies.