Forebrain epileptiform activity is not required for seizure-induced apnea in a mouse model of Scn8a epilepsy

ABSTRACT: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) accounts for the deaths of 8–17% of patients with epilepsy. Although the mechanisms of SUDEP are essentially unknown, one proposed mechanism is respiratory arrest initiated by a convulsive seizure. In mice, we have previously observed that extended apnea occurs during the tonic phase of seizures. Although often survived, tonic seizures became fatal when breathing did not immediately recover postictally. We also found that respiratory muscles were tonically contracted during the apnea, suggesting that muscle contraction could be the cause of apnea. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that pyramidal neurons of the motor cortex drive motor units during the tonic phase, which produces apnea. Mice harboring the patient-derived N1768D point

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PROVIDER: S-EPMC9490431 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature