Febrile seizure unleashes spreading depolarizations in Scn1a deficient mice

Spreading depolarization (SD) is a massive wave of cellular depolarization that slowly migrates across the brain gray matter. Cortical SD is frequently generated following brain injury, while less is understood about its potential contribution to genetic disorders of hyperexcitability, such as SCN1A deficient epilepsy in which febrile seizure often contributes to disease initiation. Here we report that spontaneous SD waves are a predominant EEG abnormality in the Scn1a deficient mouse (Scn1a+/R1407X) and undergo sustained intensification following a single hyperthermic seizure. Chronic DC-band EEG recording detected spontaneous SDs, seizures, and seizure-SD complexes in Scn1a+/R1407X mice but not wild-type littermates. The SD events were infrequent, while a single hyperthermia-induced seizure robustly increased SD frequency over four-fold during the initial postictal week. This prolonged neurological aftermath could be suppressed by memantine administration. Video, electromyogram (EMG), and EEG spectral analysis revealed distinct neurobehavioral patterns; individual seizures were associated with increased motor activities, while SDs were generally associated with immobility. We also identified a stereotypic SD prodrome, detectable over a minute before the onset of the DC potential shift, characterized by increased motor activity and bilateral EEG frequency changes. Our study suggests that cortical SD is a pathological manifestation in SCN1A deficient epileptic encephalopathy.