Improving control effects of absence seizures using single-pulse alternately resetting stimulation (SARS) of corticothalamic circuit

Presently, we develop a simplified corticothalamic (SCT) model and propose a single-pulse alternately resetting stimulation (SARS) with sequentially applying anodic (A, “+”) or cathodic (C, “−”) phase pulses to the thalamic reticular (RE) nuclei, thalamus-cortex (TC) relay nuclei, and cortical excitatory (EX) neurons, respectively. Abatement effects of ACC-SARS of RE, TC, and EX for the 2Hz–4Hz spike and wave discharges (SWD) of absence seizures are then concerned. The m:n on-off ACC-SARS protocol is shown to effectively reduce the SWD with the least current consumption. In particular, when its frequency is out of the 2 Hz–4Hz SWD dominant rhythm, the desired seizure abatements can be obtained, which can be further improved by our proposed directional steering (DS) stimulation. The dynamical explanations for the SARS induced seizure abatements are lastly given by calculating the averaged mean firing rate (AMFR) of neurons and triggering averaged mean firing rates (TAMFRs) of 2Hz–4Hz SWD.