Behavior and Emotional Modification at Latent Period of Rat Epilepsy Model

Human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), which has convulsions, occurs after brain injury and the latent period. The detection of epileptic development using a prevention system may inhibit the occurrence of TLE symptoms. However, behavior modification that predicts the activity of epilepsy is poorly confirmed in both human and animal models. In this study, we used rats, which have simple neural circuits compared to humans, and demonstrated animal behavior modification at the latent period. We administrated a glutamate receptor agonist kainate and established an acute epilepsy model. Subsequently, we tested the kainate-treatment behavior modification, trajectory, and elevated plus maze test at the latent period. Consequently, self-grooming, locomotor activity, total locomotor distance, and the rate of locomotor distance with a running speed faster than 35 cm/s in the Kainate group were significantly higher than those in the Control group. In addition, the open-arm staying time, and the open-arm entry, which indicates the anxiety emotion modification in the Kainate group was also significantly higher than that of the Control group. These results suggest that over self-grooming, and high speed with locomotor activity may have occurred because of anxiety decrease.