PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - L Federico Rossi AU - Robert C Wykes AU - Dimitri M Kullmann AU - Matteo Carandini TI - Cortical seizure propagation respects functional connectivity underlying sensory processing AID - 10.1101/080598 DP - 2016 Jan 01 TA - bioRxiv PG - 080598 4099 - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/10/12/080598.short 4100 - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/10/12/080598.full AB - Focal epilepsy involves excessive and synchronous cortical activity that propagates both locally and distally. Does this propagation follow the same routes as normal cortical activity? We induced focal seizures in primary visual cortex (V1) of awake mice, and compared their propagation to the retinotopic organization of V1 and higher visual areas. We measured activity through simultaneous local field potential recordings and widefield imaging of a genetically encoded calcium indicator, and observed both prolonged seizures (ictal events) and brief interictal events. Both types of event were orders of magnitude larger than normal visual responses, and both started as standing waves: synchronous elevated activity in the focal V1 region and in corresponding retinotopic locations in higher areas. Following this common beginning, however, seizures, persisted and propagated both locally and into distal regions. These regions matched each other in retinotopy. We conclude that seizure propagation respects the functional connectivity underlying normal visual processing.