Evaluation of the effect of high voltage pulsed galvanic stimulation and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on epileptic seizure suspension by ecog in rats

Seizures can be seen in many diseases other than epilepsy, such as cerebral palsy (CP). Some studies show that electrotherapy methods can cause epileptic seizures, just as drug treatments have side effects. Among the electrotherapy methods, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and high voltage intermittent galvanic stimulation (HVPGS) are used in patients with CP. The aim of this study is to examine the electrophysiological effects of TENS and HVPGS methods on rats in which epileptic seizures were induced with penicillin-G. In this study, 40 male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: control (saline + TENS), control (saline+HVPGS), epilepsy acute model (Penicillin-G, 500 IU/2.5 μl, intracortical), Model+TENS and Model+HVPGS. In the control groups, Electrocorticography (ECoG) recording was taken after treatments (20 minutes). ECoG recording was started after applying urethane anesthesia in the model groups. After the first 5 minutes of basal activity were recorded, penicillin was administered and the recording continued for three hours. In the model+treatment groups, first TENS or HVPGS applications were performed, then the model was created and ECoG recording was taken. Study findings showed that the TENS method reduced the spike wave frequency, while HVPGS did not change it. No significant difference was observed between groups in spike wave amplitudes. As a result, it was observed that TENS application was more effective on epileptic seizures than HVPGS. The fact that TENS and HVPGS do not negatively affect seizures shows that they can be used in the treatment of other diseases in which seizures can be observed.