Experimental models in the study of epileptogenesis

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease characterized by spontaneous recurrently occurring epileptic seizures as consequence of abnormal, excessive and synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) most common form focal adults, being hippocampal sclerosis, reactive gliosis, neurodegeneration, synaptic reorganization. Animal models TLE based on administration convulsive agents trigger status epilepticus (SE) that progresses towards occurrence recurrent seizures. Among these are those induced systemic pilocarpine or intrahippocampal injection kainic acid, both 3 clearly defined phases: (i) acute SE seizures; (ii) latent period (iii) These not only reproduce neuropathological features but also allow for identification biomarkers epileptogenesis potential pharmacological targets. The use neuroimaging techniques such positron emission tomography (PET) with radiotracer 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) identifies brain hypometabolism localizes focus an biomarker early diagnosis. Other detecting, among others, neuroinflammation, alterations permeability blood-brain barrier astrocytic activation, all them associated epileptogenesis. Finally, chemogenetics through DREADDs (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated Designer Drugs) technology murine leads to targeted modulation activity, novel tool considers contribution astrocytes role metabolic