Animal Models of Epilepsy

Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disorder with a predisposition to the occurrence of frequent seizures, affecting around 1.4–1.5 per 1000 in Asian countries and about 65 million people worldwide, and 3 million people in USA. Epileptic seizures are characterized by abnormal and excessive electrical discharge in a population of neuron due to imbalance between excitation and inhibition. It is proposed that changes in the inhibition have underpinned the development of epilepsy and predisposition to seizures in brain. γ-Amino butyric acid (GABA) a principle inhibitory neurotransmitter in central nervous system (CNS), formed within presynaptic GABAergic axon terminals and act on GABAA and GABAB receptors, hyperpolarize the neuronal cell by increasing chloride conductance and opening of potassium channels with decreasing Ca2+ entry, respectively. Several point mutations altering the synaptic and extrasynaptic functioning of GABAA receptor are implicated in various types of epilepsies. Most often seizures occur at the neonatal stage and reflect the intense and long-term outcomes such as epilepsy, cognitive impairment, and motor disorder. Phenobarbitals and benzodiazepines are most effective in the treatment of epilepsy in adults but failed to produce positive results in neonates. Several co-morbidities such as depression and cognitive deficit in the epileptic patients majorly affect the overall lifestyle and healthcare cost. Antiepileptic drugs, which are clinically used to treat the epileptic seizures, can also produce certain psychiatric co-morbidities. Moreover, clinically used antiepileptic drugs also reported to produce secondary complications.