C-fos expression after single and kindled audiogenic seizures in Wistar rats.

In naive Wistar rats susceptible to sound, a single audiogenic seizure induced the expression of c-fos in the subcortical auditory nuclei whereas the forebrain was almost completely devoid of any labelling. After kindling of audiogenic seizures by 40 daily exposures to sound, the seizure induced a strong c-fos expression in the amygdala, the piriform cortex, the hippocampus and the neocortex. These results confirm: (1) that audiogenic seizures are brain-stem seizures related to dysfunction of auditory pathways, and (ii) that kindling of audiogenic seizures recruits forebrain and limbic structures into the seizure network.