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Epileptiform Seizures induced by Hypothalamic Stimulation in the Rat : Resistance to Fits following Fits

Abstract

ELECTRICAL self-stimulation procedures in which animals operate pedal-switches to stimulate their own brains are sometimes disrupted by epileptiform seizures. These may appear as convulsive major attacks, or as brief pauses during which the subjects ‘freeze’ for about half a minute before they resume pedal pressing1. In a series of experiments that involved self-stimulation of the hypothalamus in more than thirty rats, we observed that the seizures occurred almost entirely at the beginning of the experimental sessions, and pedal pressing became more regular and rapid after the first few minutes. Fig. 1 is a typical record of this effect.

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HERBERG, L., WATKINS, P. Epileptiform Seizures induced by Hypothalamic Stimulation in the Rat : Resistance to Fits following Fits. Nature 209, 515–516 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/209515a0

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