Progress in studies on the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor in convulsion: a short review

Convulsion is the medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an uncontrolled shaking of the body. The impaired inhibition of electrical activity in the brain is one of leading causes of convulsion. gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). GABA acts at inhibitory synapses in the brain by binding to specific transmembrane receptors in the plasma membrane of both pre- and post-synaptic neuronal processes. GABA(A) receptor (GABA(A)R) is the most important inhibitory receptor, and is the target receptor of anticonvulsant drugs in the clinic. In this review, we describe GABAergic signaling mediated by GABA(A)R, the mechanisms of GABA(A)R and their expression, and the progress being made on understanding the role of GABA(A)R in convulsion with emphasis on the association between GABA(A)R mutations or GABA(A)R subunit expression and convulsion. We also describe progress of anticonvulsant drugs based on the GABA(A)R. Chin Med J 2012;125(7):1322-1330