Genetically Epilepsy-Prone Rats Display Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities of Epilepsy
Epilepsy is associated with a variety of neuropsychiatric comorbidities, including both anxiety and depression. Despite high occurrences of depression and anxiety seen in human epilepsy populations, little is known about the etiology of these comorbidities. Experimental models of epilepsy provide a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2018.00476/full |
| _version_ | 1819228518733578240 |
|---|---|
| author | Brittany L. Aguilar Brittany L. Aguilar Ludise Malkova Ludise Malkova Prosper N'Gouemo Prosper N'Gouemo Patrick A. Forcelli Patrick A. Forcelli Patrick A. Forcelli |
| author_facet | Brittany L. Aguilar Brittany L. Aguilar Ludise Malkova Ludise Malkova Prosper N'Gouemo Prosper N'Gouemo Patrick A. Forcelli Patrick A. Forcelli Patrick A. Forcelli |
| author_sort | Brittany L. Aguilar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Epilepsy is associated with a variety of neuropsychiatric comorbidities, including both anxiety and depression. Despite high occurrences of depression and anxiety seen in human epilepsy populations, little is known about the etiology of these comorbidities. Experimental models of epilepsy provide a platform to disentangle the contribution of acute seizures, genetic predisposition, and underlying circuit pathologies to anxious and depressive phenotypes. Most studies to date have focused on comorbidities in acquired epilepsies; genetic models, however, allow for the assessment of affective phenotypes that occur prior to onset of recurrent seizures. Here, we tested male and female genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPR-3s) and Sprague-Dawley controls in a battery of tests sensitive to anxiety-like and depressive-like phenotypes. GEPR-3s showed increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field test, elevated plus maze, light-dark transition test, and looming threat test. Moreover, GEPR-3s showed impaired prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex, decreased sucrose preference index, and impaired novel object recognition memory. We also characterized defense behaviors in response to stimulation thresholds of deep and intermediate layers of the superior colliculus (DLSC), but found no difference between strains. In sum, GEPR-3s showed inherited anxiety, an effect that did not differ significantly between sexes. The anxiety phenotype in adult GEPR-3s suggests strong genetic influences that may underlie both the seizure disorder and the comorbidities seen in epilepsy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T10:58:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45cc70f3dcb44fc3a3f00d65432f0733 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T10:58:33Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj.art-45cc70f3dcb44fc3a3f00d65432f07332022-12-21T17:49:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952018-06-01910.3389/fneur.2018.00476375789Genetically Epilepsy-Prone Rats Display Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities of EpilepsyBrittany L. Aguilar0Brittany L. Aguilar1Ludise Malkova2Ludise Malkova3Prosper N'Gouemo4Prosper N'Gouemo5Patrick A. Forcelli6Patrick A. Forcelli7Patrick A. Forcelli8Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesInterdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesInterdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesInterdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United StatesEpilepsy is associated with a variety of neuropsychiatric comorbidities, including both anxiety and depression. Despite high occurrences of depression and anxiety seen in human epilepsy populations, little is known about the etiology of these comorbidities. Experimental models of epilepsy provide a platform to disentangle the contribution of acute seizures, genetic predisposition, and underlying circuit pathologies to anxious and depressive phenotypes. Most studies to date have focused on comorbidities in acquired epilepsies; genetic models, however, allow for the assessment of affective phenotypes that occur prior to onset of recurrent seizures. Here, we tested male and female genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPR-3s) and Sprague-Dawley controls in a battery of tests sensitive to anxiety-like and depressive-like phenotypes. GEPR-3s showed increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field test, elevated plus maze, light-dark transition test, and looming threat test. Moreover, GEPR-3s showed impaired prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex, decreased sucrose preference index, and impaired novel object recognition memory. We also characterized defense behaviors in response to stimulation thresholds of deep and intermediate layers of the superior colliculus (DLSC), but found no difference between strains. In sum, GEPR-3s showed inherited anxiety, an effect that did not differ significantly between sexes. The anxiety phenotype in adult GEPR-3s suggests strong genetic influences that may underlie both the seizure disorder and the comorbidities seen in epilepsy.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2018.00476/fullanxietycomorbidityseizuresaudiogenic seizuresdepressionrat models |
| spellingShingle | Brittany L. Aguilar Brittany L. Aguilar Ludise Malkova Ludise Malkova Prosper N'Gouemo Prosper N'Gouemo Patrick A. Forcelli Patrick A. Forcelli Patrick A. Forcelli Genetically Epilepsy-Prone Rats Display Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities of Epilepsy Frontiers in Neurology anxiety comorbidity seizures audiogenic seizures depression rat models |
| title | Genetically Epilepsy-Prone Rats Display Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities of Epilepsy |
| title_full | Genetically Epilepsy-Prone Rats Display Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities of Epilepsy |
| title_fullStr | Genetically Epilepsy-Prone Rats Display Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities of Epilepsy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetically Epilepsy-Prone Rats Display Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities of Epilepsy |
| title_short | Genetically Epilepsy-Prone Rats Display Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities of Epilepsy |
| title_sort | genetically epilepsy prone rats display anxiety like behaviors and neuropsychiatric comorbidities of epilepsy |
| topic | anxiety comorbidity seizures audiogenic seizures depression rat models |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2018.00476/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brittanylaguilar geneticallyepilepsyproneratsdisplayanxietylikebehaviorsandneuropsychiatriccomorbiditiesofepilepsy AT brittanylaguilar geneticallyepilepsyproneratsdisplayanxietylikebehaviorsandneuropsychiatriccomorbiditiesofepilepsy AT ludisemalkova geneticallyepilepsyproneratsdisplayanxietylikebehaviorsandneuropsychiatriccomorbiditiesofepilepsy AT ludisemalkova geneticallyepilepsyproneratsdisplayanxietylikebehaviorsandneuropsychiatriccomorbiditiesofepilepsy AT prosperngouemo geneticallyepilepsyproneratsdisplayanxietylikebehaviorsandneuropsychiatriccomorbiditiesofepilepsy AT prosperngouemo geneticallyepilepsyproneratsdisplayanxietylikebehaviorsandneuropsychiatriccomorbiditiesofepilepsy AT patrickaforcelli geneticallyepilepsyproneratsdisplayanxietylikebehaviorsandneuropsychiatriccomorbiditiesofepilepsy AT patrickaforcelli geneticallyepilepsyproneratsdisplayanxietylikebehaviorsandneuropsychiatriccomorbiditiesofepilepsy AT patrickaforcelli geneticallyepilepsyproneratsdisplayanxietylikebehaviorsandneuropsychiatriccomorbiditiesofepilepsy |