Absence seizures in the GAERS model: subthalamic nucleus stimulation

This chapter presents the high frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus can trigger a nigro-striatal antiepileptic effect on absence-like seizures in Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rat of Strasbourg rats. Epilepsy is a term derived from the Greek word ‘epilepsia,’ which means ‘to seize.’ In current usage, epilepsy refers to a variety of neurological disorders characterized by recurrent seizures. Cortical dysgenesis (CD) is a human cause of epilepsy that has been well studied with animal models Disruption of any of the steps involved in the formation of the neocortex can result in CD. The tottering mouse exhibits features of generalized epilepsy including generalized spike-waves on EEG and absence-like seizures. ‘EL mice’ are the only genetic animal models that express seizure-associated damage to the hippocampus, a region of the brain commonly damaged by epilepsy in humans. The nigral control of epilepsy systems is the most advanced conceptual scheme of endogenous control of epileptogenicity.