Experimental models of epilepsy in the developing rat

摘要

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that occurs most commonly in children than in adults. The early postnatal period represents a critical phase of development for central nervous system, so that the immature brain is generally more susceptible to the generation of seizures than in the adult. Furthermore, since the effects of seizures occurring in the developing brain are age-dependent, seizures generated in immature individuals result in different consequences to those caused in adults. The use of animal models for the study of epilepsy in developing rats will allow the researcher to understand the mechanisms that trigger seizures and those which stop them, the processes of epileptogenesis as well as the identification of potential drug therapies. However, each one of these experimental approaches has quirks and limitations that must be considered. These experimental models are classified considering the time taken to generate seizures, the causative agent of seizure activity and the type of seizure activity generated. This review summarizes the models of epilepsy in the developing rat currently employed.