Calpain activation and neuronal death during early epileptogenesis

Does acquired epileptogenesis in the immature brain require neuronal death.

Because epilepsy often occurs during development, understanding the mechanisms by which this process takes place (epileptogenesis) is important. In addition, the age-specificity of seizures and epilepsies of the neonatal, infancy, and childhood periods suggests that the processes and mechanisms that culminate in epilepsy might be age specific as well. Here we provide an updated review of recent...

Neuronal mechanisms of epileptogenesis

The primary purpose of this topic is to collect scientific contributions providing novel insights in the cellular and molecular mechanisms of epileptogenesis as potential targets for innovative therapeutic approaches aimed at preventing the chronic epileptic disorder. Prevention of chronic epileptic disorder with an appropriate intervention might represent the most ambitious goal in the clinica...

Calpain and PARP Activation during Photoreceptor Cell Death in P23H and S334ter Rhodopsin Mutant Rats

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases affecting photoreceptors and causing blindness. Many human cases are caused by mutations in the rhodopsin gene. An important question regarding RP pathology is whether different genetic defects trigger the same or different cell death mechanisms. To answer this question, we analysed photoreceptor degenera...

Activity-Dependent Regulation of Neuronal Ion Channel Expression During Epileptogenesis

Expression and activation of caspases in the brain during epileptogenesis

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of symptomatic epilepsies. TLE is associated with neurodegeneration that can be either the cause or consequence of the underlying pathology or a result of the recurrent spontaneous seizures. Therefore, understanding of the mechanisms of degenerative processes is crucial in designing of new drug therapies for TLE. Caspases are proteolytic enzy...