A potential model of pediatric posttraumatic epilepsy

Preclinical models of pediatric posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) are tacking. We hypothesized that traumatic brain injury (TBI), induced by controlled cortical impact, in immature rats would cause etectroencephatographic (EEG) epileptiform activity and behavioral seizures. TBI or sham craniotomy was performed on postnatal day 17. Using video-EEG monitoring 4-11 months post-TBI, most TBI rats (87.5%) showed EEG spiking and one had spontaneous, recurrent seizures. Controls showed neither EEG spikes nor electrographic/behavioral seizures. Late seizures were rare after TBI, but EEG spiking was common and may represent a surrogate for PTE. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.