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Updated: May 11, 2026
Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
Published on: August 15, 2017
Alteration of synaptic plasticity by neonatal seizures in rat somatosensory cortex
Elena Isaeva1, Dmytro Isaev, Gregory L Holmes
1Department of Neurology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA. olena.isaeva@gmail.com
Insights
Neonatal seizures can lead to long-term changes in brain function, specifically affecting synaptic plasticity in the somatosensory cortex. These alterations in long-term potentiation (LTP) may contribute to later neurodevelopmental issues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Epileptology
Background:
- Neonatal seizures carry a significant risk of subsequent epilepsy and neurodevelopmental impairments.
- Understanding the underlying mechanisms is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of early-life seizures on synaptic plasticity in the neonatal brain.
- To identify specific alterations in synaptic function following seizure induction.
Main Methods:
- Utilized flurothyl, a convulsant agent, to induce repetitive neonatal seizures in a preclinical model.
- Examined synaptic transmission and plasticity, focusing on long-term potentiation (LTP) and short-term depression in the somatosensory cortex.
Main Results:
- Early-life seizures induced long-term alterations specifically in the maintenance phase of LTP.
- These changes occurred at layer IV to layer II/III synapses within the somatosensory cortex.
- No significant alterations were observed in basal synaptic transmission, LTP induction, or short-term depression.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal seizures can lead to persistent, specific deficits in synaptic plasticity maintenance.
- These long-term synaptic alterations may underlie the functional deficits observed after early-life seizures.
- Further research into these mechanisms could inform therapeutic interventions for seizure-related neurodevelopmental consequences.
Abstract:
Seizures in newborns are associated with a high risk for subsequent epilepsy and adverse neurodevelopmental consequences. Understanding the mechanisms by which neonatal seizures adversely disturb the immature brain is important in developing therapeutic strategies. Using the convulsant agent flurothyl to mimic repetitive neonatal seizures we show that early-life seizures result in long-term alteration in the maintenance phase of long-term potentiation (LTP) in layer IV to layer II/III synapses of the somatosensory cortex without alteration of basal synaptic transmission, the induction phase of LTP and short-term depression. Such alterations may have a role in functional deficits seen following neonatal seizures.
