Animal models
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Mod ...
of
epilepsy
Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...
have helped to advance the understanding of how normal brains develop epilepsy (a process known as
Epileptogenesis
Epileptogenesis refers to the gradual process through which a previously non-epileptic brain undergoes pathological changes that ultimately lead to the development of epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by an enduri ...
), and have been used in
pre-clinical trials of
antiepileptic drugs. Epilepsy is a set of
syndrome
A syndrome is a set of medical signs and symptoms which are correlated with each other and often associated with a particular disease or disorder. The word derives from the Greek language, Greek σύνδρομον, meaning "concurrence". When a sy ...
s which have in common a predisposition to recurrent
epileptic seizures
A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...
. Animal models of epilepsy and seizures can be divided into four basic categories: genetic animal models, chemically induced models, electrically induced models, and in more recent years infection-induced models.
New models are using light-gated ion channels to turn on cell firing and these are part of optogenetic induction models of epilepsy.
References
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Epilepsy