Stress-induced gastrointestinal motility is responsible for epileptic susceptibility

In order to explain observations linking epileptic EEG patterns (3 Hz spike wave complexes and β−γ activity of 25-40 Hz) and the involuntary slow wave of the gut (3 c/min) and colonic contractile electrical complexes (25-40 c/min), the physiological and pathological electrographic patterns recorded from different anatomical structures were compared. The similarities in shape and pattern provided the basis to hypothesise that these waves exist as a continuum associated with different cell types and that stress induces high-force involuntary tonic contractions and resistance to the segmental rhythmic contractions of the gut's circular muscles. As a consequence, electrographic patterns with a waveform of 3 c/min and 25-40 c/min are organised in the periphery and transmitted to the central nervous system via visceral afferents with the same shape. The electrical interactions between the adjacent neurons of the enteric network, as well as between the interconnected gut/brain neuronal circuits, facilitate synchronisation of neuronal activity by the frequencies of the stress-induced patterns. In this way, the peripherally organised electrographic patterns actively participate in creating epileptic susceptibility with expressed gut symptoms.