Correlation of age at seizure onset with GABAA receptor subunit and chloride Co-transporter configuration in Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD)

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) represents a group of malformations of cortical development, which are speculated to be related to early developmental defects in the cerebral cortex. According to dysmature cerebral development hypothesis of FCD altered GABAA receptor function is known to contribute to abnormal neuronal network. Here, we studied the possible association between age at seizure onset in FCD with the subunit configuration of GABAA receptors in resected brain specimens obtained from patients with FCD. We observed a significantly higher ratio of alpha 4/alpha 1 subunit-containing GABAA receptors in patients with early onset (EO) FCD as compared to those with late onset (LO) FCD as is seen during the course of development where alpha 4-containing GABAA receptors expression is high as compared to alpha 1-containing GABAA receptors expression. Likewise, the influx to efflux chloride co-transporter expression of NKCC1/KCC2 was also increased in patients with EO FCD as seen during brain development. In addition, we observed that the ratio of GABA/Glutamate neurotransmitters was lower in patients with EO FCD as compared to that in patients with LO FCD. Our findings suggest altered configuration of GABAA receptors in FCD which could be contributing to aberrant depolarizing GABAergic activity. In particular, we observed a correlation of age at seizure onset in FCD with subunit configuration of GABAA receptors, levels of NKCC1/KCC2 and the ratio of GABA/Glutamate neurotransmitters such that the patients with EO FCD exhibited a more critically modulated GABAergic network.

Automated summary

This study found that patients with early onset FCD have a higher ratio of alpha 4/alpha 1 subunit-containing GABAA receptors compared to those with late onset FCD, indicating altered configuration of GABAA receptors in FCD. In addition, the expression of NKCC1/KCC2 chloride co-transporters and the ratio of GABA/Glutamate neurotransmitters were also altered in patients with early onset FCD. These findings suggest a correlation between age at seizure onset in FCD and the subunit configuration of GABAA receptors, as well as the GABAergic network modulation.