Transfer of kindling: clinical relevance and a hypothesis of its mechanism.
The ability of the opiate peptides met-enkephalin and B-endorphin to kindle seizures, and for the opiate seizures to transfer to electrical kindling was examined in hooded rats using the direct injection of opiate into the brain. The injections resulted in a site-specific kindling effect that demonstrated positive transfer to electrical kindling. A brief outline of results obtained in transfer studies since 1969 is presented. The general conclusion is that the great majority of tests of transfer have resulted in evidence of positive transfer. The clinical relevance of kindling and transfer is outlined. A hypothetical model of transfer mechanisms is outlined. The suggestion is that the transfer effect depends most basically on neuroplastic changes in midbrain or brainstem reticular areas into which forebrain epileptiform activity feeds.
D000818:Animals; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004723:Endorphins / Q000502:physiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic; D008959:Models, Neurological; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology
D004723:Endorphins