In genetically predisposed WAG/Rij rats and healthy Wistar rats, we studied functioning of the paralemniscal region of the thalamo-cortical system. The responses of neurons of the somatosensory cortex to single electrical stimulation of the posterior nucleus of the thalamus were recorded in two- to three-monthold rats within the period when the epileptic activity was not developed. We revealed lower number of shortterm inhibitory responses in WAG/Rij rats as compared to Wistar rats. This may create preconditions for the spreading of spike-wave activity in the somatosensory cortex, which is an electrophysiological sign of absence epilepsy.
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