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Swimming exercise decreases the absence-like epileptic activity in WAG/Rij rats
Hatice Aygun1, Mustafa Ayyildiz2, Erdal Agar2
1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tokat Gazi Osmanpasa University, Tokat, Turkey.
Aim:
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of long (60 min/day), moderate (30 min/day) and short (15 min/day) term daily swimming exercise programs for 90 days on durations and the spike-wave discharges (SWDs) seen in the electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings of WAG/Rij rats with absence epilepsy.
Materials And Methods:
Thirty-five adult male rats were divided into 5 groups as; Group 1: Control, Group 2: Sham (daily exposed to shallow water), Group 3: 15 min/day swimming exercise, Group 4: 30 min/day swimming exercise, Group 5: 60 min/day swimming exercise. After 90 days of swimming exercise program; ECoG recordings were taken for 2 h. Total number and cumulative length of SWDs in the recordings were used for evaluation of the seizures.
Results:
Both of the SWD parameters were significantly decreased in all swimming exercise groups compared to control and sham groups. The moderate swimming group (30 min/day) was found the most effective exercise program considering both of the SWD parameters of absence epilepsy.
Conclusion:
The results of the present study provide electrophysiologic evidence for the role of swimming exercise on the modulation of genetic absence epilepsy seizures in WAG/Rij rats.
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