Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) does not facilitate the development of kindling.
1. For many years it has been discussed whether repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS) may induce a lasting epileptogenic effect on the brain (i.e. a kindling effect). In the present study the authors investigated whether weekly ECS do exert such an effect. 2. Bipolar electrodes were implanted in amygdala of 32 rats. Following a two to three week recovery period the rats were randomly allocated to two groups. One group received 12 weekly ECS, the other 12 weekly sham-ECS. 3. Three months after the last ECS/sham-ECS, kindling was initiated. Daily stimulation, eliciting an EEG-afterdischarge was given to all the rats. The animals received a total of 15 stimulations. 4. ECS-pretreated animals did not kindle faster than the sham-group. The two groups reached stage 4 (clonic rearing) after 5.8 (ECS-group) and 5.7 (sham-group) stimulations, respectively. 5. The authors did not find a facilitated development of kindling following ECS, instead they observed a slight, yet statistically significant inhibition of the development of the maximally generalized kindling-seizure--the stage 5 seizure--in the ECS-group. 6.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study did not show a kindling effect of weekly ECS suggesting that kindling requires more than repeated elicitation of after-discharge.
Kragh
J
J
Laboratory for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, University Department of Psychiatry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Bruhn
T
T
Woldbye
D D
DD
Bolwig
T G
TG
D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004597:Electroshock; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology