Bifunctional roles of catecholamines in the development of amygdala kindling demonstrated by continuous intra-amygdala infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine.

Details of seizure stage progression in amygdala kindling were studied in the cat under local denervation of catecholamine input to the amygdala. A chemitrode was used for both electrical stimulation and continuous infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine. The extent of denervation was confirmed by fluorescence histochemistry. The result has indicated that catecholamine afferents to the amygdala exert biphasic roles in normal kindling: inhibitory in the early local and late generalized seizure stages, whereas facilitatory in the intermediate stage.