Abstract
Development of spontaneous seizures is the hallmark of human epilepsy. There is a critical need for new epilepsy models in order to elucidate mechanisms responsible for leading to the development of spontaneous seizures and for testing new anti-epileptic compounds. Moreover, rodent models of epilepsy have clearly demonstrated that there are two independent seizure systems in the brain: 1) the forebrain seizure network required for the expression of clonic seizures mediated by forebrain neurocircuitry, and 2) the brainstem seizure network necessary for the expression of brainstem or tonic seizures mediated by brainstem neurocircuitry. In seizure naïve animals, these two systems are separate, but developing models that can explore the intersection of the forebrain and brainstem seizure systems or for elucidating mechanisms responsible for bringing these two seizure systems together may aid in our understanding of: 1) how seizures can become more complex overtime, and 2) sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) since propagation of seizure discharge from the forebrain seizure system to the brainstem seizure system may have an important role in SUDEP because many cardiorespiratory systems are localized in the brainstem. The repeated flurothyl seizure model of epileptogenesis, as described here, may aid in providing insight into these important epilepsy issues in addition to understanding how spontaneous seizures develop.