Hyperexcitable superior colliculus and fatal brainstem spreading depolarization in a model of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

ABSTRACT: Cardiorespiratory arrest and death in mouse models of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy occur when spreading depolarization is triggered by cortical seizures and then propagates to the brainstem. However, the critical brain regions and the specific changes required to allow spreading depolarization to propagate to the brainstem under the relatively rare circumstances leading to a fatal seizure are unknown. We previously found that following cortical seizure-inducing electrical stimulation, spreading depolarization could occur in both the superior and inferior colliculi in Cacna1a^S218L mice, but was never observed in wild-type animals or following non-seizure-inducing stimuli in Cacna1a^S218L mice. Here, we show that optogenetic stimulation of the superior/inferior co

SUBMITTER: Cain SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9035526 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature