Seizure Mimics

The characterization of the phenotype of an animal model of seizures or epilepsy entails the use of video and electroencephalographic (EEG) studies to capture behaviors and EEG patterns indicative of seizures or epileptic activities. During the video-EEG (vEEG) monitoring, there are often behaviors or electrographic patterns that may create differential diagnostic problems, and they need to be distinguished from seizures. These include artifacts on an EEG, normal behaviors, such as myoclonic twitches during sleep, abnormal behaviors that are not necessarily epileptic in nature, such as movement disorders, or behaviors that may manifest during an evolving seizure but may also appear independent of a seizure activity. In this chapter, we will review some of these situations that may complicate the diagnosis of a seizure in rodents, and will discuss their characteristics, origin, and electrographic signature, when known.