Abstract
The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of gestation and postgestation periods on development and course of seizure activity. The data obtained in the study showed that i) there is a reduction of both EEG and behavioral seizures during gestation in the presence of hippocampal epileptogenic locus (kindling model); ii) suppression of audiogenic seizures occurs in gestation, and development of audiogenic kindling and decrease of seizure reactions occur in the pseudogestation state. It is assumed that in gestation period the intensification of the possible endogenous inhibitory mechanisms follows the course of seizure activity.
Highlights
Elucidation of the relationship between pregnancy and epilepsy remains one of the actual problems in neurology [1]-[3]
In animal models for human temporal lobe epilepsy we studied the variation of seizure activity before and after gestation
At the end of the 2nd week of gestation the duration of EEG seizure activity showed a considerable reduction from 88 ± 5.6 sec to 51 ± 6.6 sec (p < 0.01)
Summary
Elucidation of the relationship between pregnancy and epilepsy remains one of the actual problems in neurology [1]-[3]. The mechanisms responsible for hormonal modulation of seizure susceptibility, are still poorly understood as it has been shown that women can be either seizure-sensitive or seizure-nonsensitive to sexual steroids [4] [5] depending on the phase of menstrual or estrous cycle in epileptic subjects. [6] had described the intensification of seizure reactions in women during menstruation. These observations led to a convention that reduction of seizures in a midluteal phase should be associated secondarily with progesterone secretion, whereas seizures’ intensification during menstruation is due to a reduction of progesterone level. (2014) Pregnancy: Protection of the Hyperactive Brain, or a Risk Factor? Some studies showed that progesterone had no effect on kindling in the adult animal [10]
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