title: Physical exercise in rats with epilepsy is protective against seizures: evidence of animal studies.
abstract: People with epilepsy have been discouraged from participating in physical activity due to the fear that it will exacerbate seizures. Clinical and animal studies indicate a reduction of seizure frequency as well as decrease susceptibility to subsequently evoked seizures after an exercise program. Analyses from experimental studies of animals with epilepsy submitted to physical training programs were performed. In all studies the physical training was able to reduce the number of spontaneous seizures in rats with epilepsy. Seizure occurrence during exercise was relatively absent in the majority of studies. No death was found in animals with epilepsy during 1680 h of exercise. Based on these results it is plausible encouraging persons with epilepsy to non-pharmacological treatments and preventative measures such as physical exercise.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. arida.nexp@epm.br
authors.forename: Ricardo Mario
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Arida
authors.forename: Fulvio Alexandre
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Scorza
authors.forename: Vera Cristina
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.forename: Roberta Monterazzo
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cysneiros
authors.forename: Esper Abrão
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cavalheiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018721:Muscarinic Agonists; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D010862:Pilocarpine; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D018721:Muscarinic Agonists; D010862:Pilocarpine