An investigation of EEG dynamics in an animal model of temporal lobe epilepsy using the maximum Lyapunov exponent

Analysis of intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) recordings in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) has revealed characteristic dynamical features that distinguish the interictal, ictal, and postictal states and inter-state transitions. Experimental investigations into the mechanisms underlying these observations require the use of an animal model. A rat TLE model was used to test for differences in iEEG dynamics between well-defined states and to test specific hypotheses: 1) the short-term maximum Lyapunov exponent (STLmax), a measure of signal order, is lowest and closest in value among cortical sites during the ictal state, and highest and most divergent during the postictal state; 2) STLmax values estimated from the stimulated hippocampus are the lowest among all cortical sites; and 3) the transition from the interictal to ictal state is associated with a convergence in STLmax values among cortical sites. iEEGs were recorded from bilateral frontal cortices and hippocampi. STLmax and T-index (a measure of convergence/divergence of STLmax between recorded brain areas) were compared among the four different periods. Statistical tests (ANOVA and multiple comparisons) revealed that ictal STLmax was lower (p < 0.05) than other periods, STLmax values corresponding to the stimulated hippocampus were lower than those estimated from other cortical regions, and T-index values were highest during the postictal period and lowest during the ictal period. Also, the T-index values corresponding to the preictal period were lower than those during the interictal period (p < 0.05). These results indicate that a rat TLE model demonstrates several important dynamical signal characteristics similar to those found in human TLE and support future use of the model to study epileptic state transitions.