AUTHOR=Sitnikova Evgenia 

TITLE=Sleep Disturbances in Rats With Genetic Pre-disposition to Spike-Wave Epilepsy (WAG/Rij)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.766566

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2021.766566

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Wistar Albino Glaxo Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rats are widely used in basic and preclinical studies as a valid genetic model of absence epilepsy. Adult WAG/Rij rats exhibit generalized 8-10 Hz spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in the electroencephalogram. SWDs are known to result from thalamocortical circuit dysfunction, and this implies an intimate relationship between slow-wave EEG activity, sleep spindles and SWDs. The present Mini Review summarizes the relevant research on sleep-related disturbances associated with spike-wave epilepsy in WAG/Rij rats in the domain of slow wave sleep EEG and microarousals. It also discusses enhancement of the intermediate stage of sleep. In general, sleep EEG studies provide important information about epileptogentic processes related to spike-wave epilepsy.