Progress in neurophysiological studies on epilepsy with kindling preparations.
In the kindling model of experimental epilepsy, long-lasting functional changes at the synaptic structures appear to be essential for persistent seizure susceptibility. Although no remarkable morphological changes have been found at the synaptic structures, there are some neuropharmacological evidences suggesting that a functional alteration in the catecholaminergic systems could be resulted following kindling and that the catecholaminergic structures may play an inhibitory role for establishing such transsynaptic changes underlying kindling. Regarding seizure generalization, two patterns of seizure generalization may be distinguished in the cortical kindling and limbic seizure. In the limbic seizure generalization, the increased connections between the limbic foci and midbrain reticular formation and/or the catecholaminergic structures seems to be important. On the other hand, functional connections between the cortical foci and generalization mechanisms, including the lower brainstem or the catecholaminergic systems, are not stronger than the limbic seizure. A long-lasting functional alteration of the catecholaminergic systems that can result during kindling should be further studied in the future.
D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology