Poststatus Epilepticus Models: Hyperthermia

Abstract Temporal lobe epilepsy is known to be associated with a past history of febrile seizures (FS). In this chapter, we will review models of FS using hyperthermia (HT) to mimic fever in order to provoke seizures. While fever results from pathological disruption of thermoregulation, hyperthermia is caused by the body absorbing more heat than it can dissipate, leading to the occurrence of hyperthermic seizures (HS). Since the first edition of this book, a great amount of studies have used HT models, modifying the methodology to improve them in an attempt to understand FS generation and its long-term epileptogenic effects. We will therefore focus on the findings in this field published since then. After a description of all HS models in the literature, we discuss in more details the widely used hair dryer model. Finally, we summarize the long-term repercussions of HS and their potential contribution to epileptogenesis in regards of such factors as age, sex, species, and strain.