Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kir1.1 , Kir4.1

Title: Epilepsy in kcnj10 morphant zebrafish assessed with a novel method for long-term EEG recordings.

Authors: Anselm A Zdebik, Fahad Mahmood, Horia C Stanescu, Robert Kleta, Detlef Bockenhauer, Claire Russell

Journal, date & volume: PLoS ONE, 2013 , 8, e79765

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24244558

Abstract
We aimed to develop and validate a reliable method for stable long-term recordings of EEG activity in zebrafish, which is less prone to artifacts than current invasive techniques. EEG activity was recorded with a blunt electrolyte-filled glass pipette placed on the zebrafish head mimicking surface EEG technology in man. In addition, paralysis of agarose-embedded fish using D-tubocurarine excluded movement artifacts associated with epileptic activity. This non-invasive recording technique allowed recordings for up to one hour and produced less artifacts than impaling the zebrafish optic tectum with a patch pipette. Paralyzed fish survived, and normal heartbeat could be monitored for over 1h. Our technique allowed the demonstration of specific epileptic activity in kcnj10a morphant fish (a model for EAST syndrome) closely resembling epileptic activity induced by pentylenetetrazol. This new method documented that seizures in the zebrafish EAST model were ameliorated by pentobarbitone, but not diazepam, validating its usefulness. In conclusion, non-invasive recordings in paralyzed EAST syndrome zebrafish proved stable, reliable and robust, showing qualitatively similar frequency spectra to those obtained from pentylenetetrazol-treated fish. This technique may prove particularly useful in zebrafish epilepsy models that show infrequent or conditional seizure activity.