Simultaneous electroencephalography and photoacoustic monitoring of seizure in free moving rats

Study of epilepsy in free moving animals provides the accurate information of this disease. While it has been proved that hemodynamic changes are greatly involved in epileptic seizures, methods for hemodynamic detection on free moving animals is limited. In this work, we integrated a photoacsoutic sensor and an EEG system into a small device that can be attached on the rat head, and for the first time realized the long-time simultaneous photoacoustic and EEG monitoring of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induced seizure on free moving animals. Results showed that both the neural and vascular response to seizure in free moving rats have a much different character from those in anesthetized rats, which calls for more detailed study in the future. This technology also promises other hemodynamic related research on free moving animals.