A Review of Animal Models of Absence Epilepsy

The most common type of childhood-onset epilepsy syndrome is childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) with welldefinedelectroclinical features but unknown pathological basis. The incidence of absence epilepsy is about 2 and8 out of every 100000 children up to the age of 16. Many researchers have still focused on the phenomenon ofthe absence seizure because of the unclear mechanisms involved in its pathophysiology. This paper supposed toreview several animal models of non-convulsive induced seizure and their advantages and disadvantages.This review included pharmacological animal models (Systemic Penicillin, Low-dose pentylentetrazole,tetrahydroisoxazolo pyridine and gamma-Hydroxy-butyrate, AY-9944 and methylazzoxymethanol acetate(MAM)-AY-9944 models) and genetic animal models (tottering, lethargic, stargazer, mocha, slow-wave epilepsyand ducky mouse, and WAG/Rij, GEARS and Legacies rats).As regards it seems that genetic animal models are more suitable than chemical models, as close correlation ofEEG features and behaviors of genetic animal models to the human condition. Among genetic models in moussesand rats the GAERS and the WAG/Rij strains of wistar, have asserted to be valid and predictive of humanabsence epilepsy. Most publications were designed based on the WAG/Rij rats.Altogether in both models the thalamocortical circuits obviously involved as the critical generator of absenceseizures. Multidisciplinary studies of these two strains, lead to find wealth information about the role of thecortex and the thalamus, and other subcortical circuits.

کلیدواژه ها:

Absence epilepsy ، Animal models ، Chemical induced seizure ، Genetic models