Perturbation-induced responses improved seizure forecasting in epileptic rats

Abstract

Objective: The unpredictability of seizures is one of the most challenging aspects of uncontrolled epilepsy for patients. Prior work forecasting seizure risk has measured changes in passive intracranial electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, but currently, there are no such clinical devices available. Based upon dynamical theory, we hypothesized that the response of the brain to perturbing stimulation provides a robust measurement of seizure risk that outperforms the results from passive EEG. Methods: To test the hypothesis, we performed more than 8 weeks of periodic electrical stimulation and continuous EEG recordings in epileptic rats induced by intrahippocampal injection of tetanus toxin,..