The thalamus was electrically stimulated in unrestrained rats with implanted cortical and subcortical electrodes. Single pulses often triggered rhythmic cortical activity identical with the 8--9/sec spike episodes which occur spontaneously in rats in the walking state. In rhythmic stimulation of the thalamus, self-sustained 3/sec spike-wave paroxysmal activity, with partial clonic jerks, was observed. Specific and non-specific thalamic nuclei participated in the production of these activities.

Epilepsy Research in the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague