Kindled seizures elevate blood pressure and induce cardiac arrhythmias.

The effect of kindled seizures on the cardiovascular system was examined in amygdaloid kindled rats. The most prominent cardiovascular response during a generalized kindled seizure was an abrupt 50% increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) lasting 20-30 s after initiation of the seizure. Superimposed on this change in blood pressure (BP) was a profound bradycardia characterized by a rate about half that recorded before stimulation. Changes in heart rate (HR) and BP observed during amygdaloid kindled seizures were similar to those observed during secondary spontaneous seizures. These effects apparently are independent of the kindling stimulus because stimulus-induced cardiovascular changes were not present at the beginning of the kindling process. These results suggest that the kindling seizure model is useful to study the underlying mechanisms of seizure-induced cardiac arrhythmias and possibly the clinical phenomenon of sudden unexplained death in epileptic patients.