Models of experimental epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition in the world, with an estimated prevalence of 1% of the population. A large number of experimental models of seizure and epilepsy have been developed. These experimental models are elicited by chemical convulsants, electrical stimulation, genetic models, structural lesions, physical stimuli (cold, pressure, hyperthermia, electrical) in animals. Well-characterized animal models may allow the understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis (it refers to the alteration of a normal neuronal network into a hyperexcitable network in which recurrent, spontaneous seizures occur). Moreover, these models might also prove useful in identifying novel therapeutic approaches to treatment of epilepsy.