Motor paralysis in rats after repeated electroconvulsive shock: comparison between aural and corneal stimulation

Daily transaural electroshock treatment of rats results in a reversible hindlimb paralysis. Assuming there is a relationship between current pathway and the route of electroshock administration we compared both the type of convulsive behavior and the incidence of paralysis produced by transcorneal shock with that of transaural stimulation. Both transaural and transcorneal stimulation induced clonic and tonic convulsions, whereas, only transaural stimulation induced a body flexion (twisting and writhing). The use of transaural electrodes induced a higher incidence of paralysis than the use of corneal electrodes. These data demonstrate that both (1) the type of convulsive behavior produced and (2) the incidence of paralysis is related to electrode placement suggesting that paralysis is a function of current pathway.