Connectivity and Neuronal Synchrony during Seizures

There is uncertainty regarding when and which groups of neurons fire synchronously during seizures. While several studies found heterogeneous firing during seizures, others suggested synchronous neuronal firing in the seizure core. We tested whether neuronal activity during seizures is orderly in the direction of the excitatory neuronal connections in the circuit. There are strong excitatory connections laterally within the septotemporally organized lamella and inhibitory trans-lamellar connections in the hippocampus, which allow testing of the connectivity hypothesis. We further tested whether epileptogene-sis enhances synchrony and antiseizure drug administration disrupts it. We recorded local field potentials from CA1 pyrami-dal neurons using a small microelectrode array and kindled rats by a rapid, recurrent hippocampal stimulation protocol. We compared cross-correlation, theta phase synchronization, entropy, and event synchronization. These analyses revealed that the firing pattern was correlated along the lamellar, but not the septotemporal, axis during evoked seizures. During kindling, neuronal synchrony increased along the lamellar axis, while synchrony along the septotemporal axis remained relatively low. Additionally, the theta phase distribution demonstrated that CA1 pyramidal cell firing became preferential for theta oscilla-tion negative peak as kindling progressed in the lamellar direction but not in the trans-lamellar direction. Last, event syn-chronization demonstrated that neuronal firings along the lamellar axis were more synchronized than those along the septotemporal axis. There was a marked decrease in synchronization and phase preference after treatment with phenytoin and levetiracetam. The synchrony structure of CA1 pyramidal neurons during seizures and epileptogenesis depends on ana-tomic connectivity and plasticity.

Automated summary

The synchrony of neurons during seizures and epileptogenesis is dependent on anatomical connectivity and plasticity. Neuronal firing exhibits orderly patterns along the longitudinal axis, with higher synchrony observed along the lamellar axis compared to the septotemporal axis.