Sitnikova Evgenia, Pupikina Maria
Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5A Butlerova St., Moscow 117485, Russia.
Biomedicines. 2025 Aug 26;13(9):2075. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines13092075.
: Absence epilepsy is a common pediatric neurological disorder characterized by brief seizures and lapses in awareness. The relationship between anxiety and absence epilepsy is multifaceted. This study aims to investigate neurobehavioral signs directly and indirectly related to anxiety and potential sex differences in aged WAG/Rij rats, a well-established animal model of absence epilepsy. : A battery of behavioral tests was conducted to assess various aspects of neurobehavior, including anxiety (elevated plus maze), anhedonia (sucrose preference), social function, and associative learning (fear conditioning). Multidimensional metrics assessed cognition, motor function, and exploration strategies, prioritizing anxiety as a key influencing factor. : Electroencephalogram (EEG) phenotyping was used to identify epileptic and non-epileptic rats. Traditional anxiety measures in the elevated plus maze did not reveal significant differences between groups. However, the Anxiety Composite Index revealed higher autonomic reactivity in non-epileptic females. Cognitive assessments showed no epilepsy- or sex-related differences in overall learning performance. Females exhibited superior avoidance learning compared males. Among epileptic males, those with poor learning performance also displayed higher anxiety-avoidance scores. Rats with high anxiety levels showed enhanced socio-affective reactivity and passive coping, with no effect on exploratory learning. : Our findings highlight the importance of sex-specific analyses and physiological measures in epilepsy research. Neurobehavioral comorbidities in WAG/Rij rat model are significantly influenced by anxiety-like behavioral phenotype. Enhanced phenotyping of rat models of absence epilepsy can improve its translational value in understanding epilepsy-associated psychiatric disorders.
失神癫痫是一种常见的小儿神经疾病，其特征为短暂发作和意识丧失。焦虑与失神癫痫之间的关系是多方面的。本研究旨在调查与焦虑直接和间接相关的神经行为体征，以及在WAG/Rij老年大鼠（一种成熟的失神癫痫动物模型）中潜在的性别差异。
进行了一系列行为测试以评估神经行为的各个方面，包括焦虑（高架十字迷宫）、快感缺失（蔗糖偏好）、社交功能和联想学习（恐惧条件反射）。多维指标评估认知、运动功能和探索策略，将焦虑作为关键影响因素。
脑电图（EEG）表型分析用于识别癫痫大鼠和非癫痫大鼠。高架十字迷宫中的传统焦虑测量未显示组间存在显著差异。然而，焦虑综合指数显示非癫痫雌性大鼠的自主反应性更高。认知评估表明，在总体学习表现方面没有癫痫或性别相关的差异。雌性大鼠在回避学习方面表现优于雄性大鼠。在癫痫雄性大鼠中，学习表现较差的大鼠也表现出更高的焦虑回避得分。焦虑水平高的大鼠表现出增强的社会情感反应性和被动应对，对探索性学习没有影响。
我们的研究结果强调了癫痫研究中性别特异性分析和生理测量的重要性。WAG/Rij大鼠模型中的神经行为合并症受焦虑样行为表型的显著影响。增强失神癫痫大鼠模型的表型分析可以提高其在理解癫痫相关精神障碍方面的转化价值。
