A new model of petit mal epilepsy: spontaneous spike and wave discharges in tremor rats

Abstract

A mutant rat, which was found in a colony of Kyoto:Wistar rats and genetically defined as a tremor rat ( tm/tm), developed tremor of the whole body at 2 weeks of age but the tremor gradually disappeared between 6 and 8 weeks of age. The electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded using chronically implanted electrodes showed a 5–7 Hz (mostly 6 Hz) spike and wave complex synchronously in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus accompanied by absence-like seizure in all six tremor rats examined. The spike and wave complex appeared 0·8–1·9 times per minute and lasted for 1–17 s. However, normal EEG activity was observed in the intervening periods, free of absence-like seizure. Thus the tremor rat is considered to be a possible model for studying the pathogenesis and therapy of petit mal epilepsy in humans.