title: The genetically epilepsy-prone rat (GEPR).
abstract: Two independently inbred strains of genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPRs) have been developed. GEPR-3s and GEPR-9s have moderate and severe degrees of seizure predisposition as well as expression, respectively. Seizure predisposition is a fundamental distinction between the normal and epileptic brain. Seizure predisposition in GEPRs and in humans with epilepsy includes spontaneous seizures and exaggerated seizure responsiveness and/or abnormally low thresholds to stimuli which also cause seizures in non-epileptic subjects. Activation of brainstem seizure circuitry by auditory input via the inferior colliculus causes electrographic and behavioral responses in GEPR-9s which replicates human generalized tonic/clonic seizures. Activation of brainstem seizure circuitry by input from forebrain seizure circuitry in GEPRs provides a newly discovered model of complex partial seizures with secondary generalization to tonic/clonic seizures. Thus, seizure predisposition in GEPRs offers a unique opportunity to study the human epilepsies that is not offered in studies of normal brain exposed to convulsant stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, USA.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Jobe
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Adams-Curtis
authors.forename: V U
authors.initials: VU
authors.lastname: Deoskar
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Browning
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Dailey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants