Normal sleep homeostasis and lack of epilepsy phenotype in GABAA receptor α3 subunit-knockout mice

May 20, 2008Neuroscience

Normal sleep regulation and no epilepsy signs in mice missing a key brain receptor subunit

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Abstract

EEG power in the spindle frequency range (10-15 Hz) was significantly lower at NREM-REM sleep transitions in alpha3-GABA A receptor knockout mice compared to wild-type mice.

  • Chronic EEG recordings were analyzed to investigate the role of alpha3-GABA A receptors in vigilance states and seizure activity.
  • No differences were observed in EEG activity between genotypes during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep or waking-NREM transitions.
  • Sleep deprivation did not reveal differences in EEG regulation between alpha3-KO and wild-type mice.
  • Waking EEG showed slightly larger power in the 11-13 Hz band in alpha3-KO mice, but no signs of absence seizures were noted.
  • Alpha3-KO mice exhibited no difference in seizure susceptibility in a model of temporal lobe epilepsy.
  • Intact inhibitory synaptic transmission was recorded in the thalamic reticular nucleus of alpha3-KO mice despite disrupted gephyrin clusters.

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