Antiseizure Drugs Differentially Modulate Theta-Burst Induced Long-Term Potentiation in C57BL/6 Mice

Objective Cognitive comorbidities are increasingly recognized as an equal (or even more disabling) aspect of epilepsy. Additionally, the actions of some antiseizure drugs (ASDs) can impact learning and memory. Accordingly, the NINDS epilepsy research benchmarks call for the implementation of standardized protocols for screening ASDs for their amelioration or exacerbation of cognitive comorbidities. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a widely used model for investigating synaptic plasticity and its relationship to learning and memory. While the effects of some ASDs on LTP have been examined, none of these studies employed physiologically relevant induction stimuli such as theta-burst stimulation (TBS). To systematically evaluate the effects of multiple ASDs in the same preparation using physiologically relevant stimulation protocols, we examined the effects of a broad panel of existing ASDs on TBS-induced LTP in area CA1 of in-vitro brain slices, prepared in either normal or sucrose-based ACSF, from C57BL/6 mice.