Analysis of electrocorticographic patterns in rats fed standard or hyperlipidic diets in a normal state or during status epilepticus.

Objective: The consumption of hyperlipidic diets has grown markedly in recent decades, and several studies have linked this consumption with the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Conversely, hyperlipidic diets have been used as an alternative therapy for refractory epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a hyperlipidic diet on brain electrical activity before and during status epilepticus (SE) using computational and mathematical methods.

Methods: Electrocorticogram (ECoG) was recorded in Wistar rats fed with standard and hyperlipidic diets. Each recording was obtained during 30-minute period (baseline), after this time, the SE was induced by pilocarpine, and recording was continued for another 30 minutes. The ECoG signals were analyzed by the following methods: power spectrum, Lempel-Ziv complexity (LZC), and fractal dimension of the phase space.

Results: Hyperlipidic diet in normal animals caused a decrease in the theta, alpha, and beta rhythm, and reduced the LZC of the brain electrical activity. However, when the animals were induced to SE, these differences between nutritional groups were not observed. SE caused in both dietary groups increase in theta, alpha, and beta rhythm values, and increase in the complexity of brain electrical activity.

Discussion: Hyperlipidic diet consumption attenuated the brain's electrical activity, suggesting that healthy individuals who habitually eat a hyperlipidic diet may develop dysfunctions such as cognitive decline and memory impairment. Furthermore, the antagonistic effect between hyperlipidic diet and SE suggests that this diet could protect against seizures.