Anticonvulsant effects of gamma surgery in a model of chronic spontaneous limbic epilepsy in rats

Object. The management of intractable epilepsy remains a challenge, despite advances in its surgical and nonsurgical treatment. The identification of low-risk, low-cost therapeutic strategies that lead to improved outcome is therefore an important ongoing goal of basic and clinical research. Single-dose focal ionizing beam radiation delivered at necrosis- inducing and subnecrotic levels was investigated for its effects on seizure activity by using an established model of chronic recurrent spontaneous limbic seizures in rats. Methods. A single 90-minute period of repetitive electrical stimulation (inducing stimulus) of the hippocampus in rats elicited a single episode of status epilepticus, followed by a 2- to 4-week seizure-free period. Spontaneous recurrent seizures developed subsequently and persisted for the duration of monitoring (2–10 months). Simultaneous computerized electroencephalography and video recording were used to monitor the animals. After the establishment of spontaneous recurrent seizure...