Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most prevalent type of human epilepsy, yet the causes for its development, and the processes involved, are not known. Most individuals with TLE do not have a family history, suggesting that this limbic epilepsy is a consequence of acquired rather than genetic...

g-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. It acts through 2 classes of receptors, GABAA receptors that are ligand-operated ion channels and the G-protein-coupled metabotropic GABAB receptors. Impairment of GABAergic transmission by genetic...

A number of processes are thought to contribute to the development of epilepsy inclu- ding enduring increases in excitatory synaptic transmission, changes in GABAergic inhi- bition, neuronal cell death and the development of aberrant innervation patterns in part arising from reactive axonal...

The failure of current antiepileptic therapies to adequately treat a significant number of epileptic patients highlights the need for the development of new treatments for the disorder. A new strategy that is currently being developed is to deliver electrical stimulation directly to the...

Cortical dysplasia syndromes – those conditions of abnormal brain structure/organiza- tion that arise during aberrant brain development – frequently involve epileptic sei- zures. Neuropathological and neuroradiological analyses have provided descriptions and categorizations based on gross...

Epilepsy, characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures resulting from abnormal,synchronized discharges of neurons in the brain, is one of the most common neurologicalproblems afflicting humans. Although epilepsy clearly has a large environmental component,genetics is thought to be...

The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is ubiquitous in the centralnervous system (CNS) throughout life. In addition to trophic effects on targetneurons, BDNF appears to be part of a general mechanism for activity-dependentmodification of synapses in the developing and...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a vascular growth factor which inducesangiogenesis (the development of new blood vessels), vascular permeability, and inflammation.In brain, receptors for VEGF have been localized to vascular endothelium,neurons, and glia. VEGF is upregulated...

Transient application of group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonists tohippocampal slices produces ictal-like discharges that persist for hours after theremoval of the agonist. This effect of group I mGluR stimulation—converting a‘normal’ hippocampal slice into an...

The GABA transporter plays a well-established role in reuptake of GABA after synapticrelease. The anticonvulsant effect of tiagabine appears to result largely from blockingthis reuptake. However, there is another side to the GABA transporter, contributing toGABA release by reversing in...

The term “seizure” underscores two fundamental characteristics of epileptic phenomena:they are sudden and unexpected deviations from the normal function of the nervoussystem. Thus 2 important criteria for a candidate convulsant mechanism are that themechanism is compatible with normal...

In this chapter, we shall review evidence that gap junctions can contribute to epileptogenesisin the hippocampus and cortex—but not just any gap junctions. Rather, we shall argue fora role for a newly described sort of gap junction, located between the proximal axons ofprincipal neurons....

Recent evidence has shown that proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules aresynthesized during epileptic activity in glial cells in CNS regions where seizures initiateand spread. These molecules are released and interact with specific receptors on neurons.Since various cytokines have...

The sudden and transient disruption from normal brain function by the disordered,synchronous and rhythmic firing of populations of neurons or seizures is the commonfeature of a diverse collection of disease syndromes collectively called the epilepsies.The epilepsies are estimated to affect...

Malformations of cortical development (MCD) are developmental brain lesions characterizedby abnormal formation of the cerebral cortex and a high clinical associationwith epilepsy in infants, children, and adults. Despite multiple anti-epilepticdrugs (AEDs), treatment of epilepsy associated...

The neurobiological doctrine governing the concept of neurogenesis has undergone arevolution in the past few years. What was once considered dubious is now wellaccepted: new neurons are born in the adult brain. Science fiction is quickly becominga reality as scientists discover ways to...

In experimental models of epilepsy, single and recurrent seizures are often used in anattempt to determine the effects of the seizures themselves on mammalian brain function.These models attempt to emulate as many features as possible of their human diseasecounterparts without many of the...