Metabolic anatomy of generalized bicuculline seizures in the newborn marmoset monkey

Sustained convulsive seizures were induced with bicuculline in ketamine-anesthetized marmoset monkeys aged 7 to 18 days. Relative 2-deoxyglucose metabolism was compared in convulsing (N = 9) and control (N = 6) animals. Convulsions were accompanied by striking focal increases in cerebral 2-deoxyglucose uptake which were remarkably consistent from animal to animal. Increased 2-deoxyglucose uptake in broad cortical regions (2- to 3-fold) suggests that cortical mechanisms can be important, even in neonatal seizures. The hippocampus and other limbic system structures were markedly activated, as were nuclei of the basal ganglia and thalamus. In contrast, sensory systems were less affected. No increase in 2-deoxyglucose uptake was found in the lateral geniculate nuclei, and a 22% decrease was found in the inferior colliculus (central core). Increased uptake was found in several white matter regions, and activation of the corpus callosum (2.6-fold) was comparable to that found for many gray matter regions. Our results show that generalized bicuculline seizures can produce striking focal increases in cerebral 2-deoxyglucose metabolism in brain regions known to be vulnerable to epileptic brain damage.