An ontogenetic study of electrical activities in the cerebral cortex of the albino rat

Methodologic recommendations and possible interpretations of video-EEG recordings in immature rodents used as experimental controls: A TASK1-WG2 report of the ILAE/AES Joint Translational Task Force

The use of immature rodents to study physiologic aspects of cortical development requires high‐quality recordings electroencephalography (EEG) with simultaneous video recording (vEEG) of behavior. Normative developmental vEEG data in control animals are fundamental for the study of abnormal background activity in animal models of seizures or other neurologic disorders. Electrical recordings from immature, freely behaving rodents can be particularly difficult because of the small size of immature rodents, their thin and soft skull, interference with the recording apparatus by the dam, and other technical challenges. In this report of the TASK1 Working Group 2 (WG2) of the International League Against Epilepsy/American Epilepsy Society (ILAE/AES) Joint Translational Task Force, we provide suggestions that aim to optimize future vEEG recordings from immature rodents, as well as their interpretation. We focus on recordings from immature rodents younger than 30 days old used as experimental controls, because the quality and correct interpretation of such recordings is important when interpreting the vEEG results of animals serving as models of neurologic disorders. We discuss the technical aspects of such recordings and compare tethered versus wireless approaches. We also summarize the appearance of common artifacts and various patterns of electrical activity seen in young rodents used as controls as a function of behavioral state, age, and (where known) sex and strain. The information herein will hopefully help improve the methodology of vEEG recordings from immature rodents and may lead to results and interpretations that are more consistent across studies from different laboratories.

Power spectral analysis of hippocampal and cortical EEG activity following severe prenatal protein malnutrition in the rat

We have studied the effects of prenatal protein malnutrition on development of the hippocampal and frontal cortical electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. Using power spectral analyses in rats of several age groups we found that protein malnutrition, instituted prenatally and continued postnatally, produces marked alterations in power spectral measures, i.e., alterations in peak theta frequency in the hippocampus during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Peak theta frequency was found to be significantly retarded in malnourished animals, especially during the preweaning period of development. Protein malnutrition, therefore, appears to affect mechanisms responsible for generating the tonic component of theta activity.

Spectral analysis of neocortical and hippocampal EEG in the protein malnourished rat

In these studies, power spectral analysis techniques were utilized to quantify changes in the cortical and hippocampal EEG obtained from rats reared on either an 8% or 25% casein diet as they mature from 14 to 22 days of age. Analyses of the power spectral data obtained from the frontal cortex of rats reared on the 25% casein diet during this preweaning period (14-22 days) indicated increases in the power in the 0.5-3.5 c/sec frequency band primarily during slow-wave sleep. Prenatal protein malnutrition (8% casein diet) significantly reduced the low frequency power content in the cortical EEG obtained during slow-wave sleep at 18 and 22 days of age. Analyses of power spectral data obtained from the hippocampal EEG during REM sleep also revealed developmental and diet-related differences. The frequency at which the peak power occurs in the theta band (4-11 c/sec) was found to increase normally in a linear fashion from 14 to 22 days of age (from 4.4 to 5.5 c/sec) in rats reared on the 25% casein diet. In addition, power in the 4-7 c/sec band significantly increased during this preweaning period. Prenatal protein malnutrition significantly slowed the development of theta frequency and produced higher values of power in the component of theta rhythm. Finally, vigilance profiles showed that rats normally progress from 14 days of age when REM sleep dominates their vigilance profile, to 22 days of age when they spend significantly more time in slow-wave sleep. Prenatal protein malnutrition retards this normal developmental sequence by significantly reducing the REM sleep time at 14 and 18 days of age and increasing the time spend in aroused waking at both these ages. However, at the time of weaning, i.e., at 22 days of age, these differences in sleep-waking behavior were no longer observed to be significant.

Power spectral analysis of the EEG following protein malnutrition

In these studies, power spectral analysis techniques were utilized to quantify the EEG obtained from rats reared on either an 8% or 25% casein diet during various vigilance states at two stages of development: (1) adulthood-90 to 120 days old; and (2) immediately after weaning-22 to 23 days old. It was found that the cortical EEG contained relatively more power in the low frequencies (ie., 0.5 to 10 Hz) for the 22-23 day old animals than for the 90-120 day old rats, especially during the slow wave sleep states-SWS1 and SWS2. Theta activity (5-8 Hz) in the hippocampus was shown to have greater power for the 22-23 day old group than for the older animals during both REM sleep and waking. Analyses of power spectral data and other indices of the frequency distribution of the hippocampal EEG indicated that those animals subjected to protein malnutrition have significantly more power in the theta band during REM sleep than the normal adult group. Since it was also noted that the hippocampal EEG obtained from the 22-23 day old group contained relatively more power in the theta band than the 90-120 day old group, the dietary treatment effect might be intrepreted as an instance of retarded development associated with protein malnutrition. Thus, a significant effect of the dietary manipulation used in the study may be largely on the system responsible for regulating theta activity.