The Effects of Selective Amygdalectomy in Experimental Epileptic Model in Rat

ABSTRACT

In order to study the effects of stereotaxic destruction of distinct epileptogenic focus, the amygdala was destroyed with radiofrequency coagulator. A total of twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two group the control group which underwent craniectomy on the biparietal area and was instilled crytal penicillin solution into the right amygdala on the basis of stereotaxic coordinates(n=10), and the amygdalectomy group which was performed selective amygdalectomy with radiofrequency coagulator after confirmation of clinical and electroencephalographic epileptic features after proceeding same methods of control group(n=10). The experimental epileptic models in rats were obtained by selective instillation of crystal penicillin solution into the right amygdala. The effects of amygdalectomy were investigated by observation of the changes in behavior and electroencephalographic recordings. The results were as follows ; 1) A typical behavioral seizure was shown in the control group and epilepticform discharge was prominent in crystal penicillin soultion instilled side, but there was no bilateral synchronous epileptic discharges during ictal stages. 2) In comparision to two groups, the severity and the frequency of behavioral seizure were more decreased in the stereotaxic amygdalectomy group. 3) The amygdalectomy group was shwon a significant decrease in amplitude and frequency of spikes, especially during interictal stages, compared to the control group. From the results of electroencephalographic and behavioral analysis, selective amygdalectomy with radiofrequency coagulator seemed to be an effective method to treat the crystal penicillin soulution induced epileptic rats.