Establishing drug effects to fight the ictogenesis and epileptogenesis of absence epilepsy – The role of genetic rat models

GAERS and WAG/Rij rats are two well validated animal models of genetic generalized seizures with a high face- and predictive validity to the human condition. At adult age all animals of these strains show spontaneously occurring bilaterally generalized spike and wave discharges (SWD), which are generated in the thalamo-cortical network of the brain. As young animals are still seizure free, these rats offer an excellent opportunity to study both immediate starting and stopping mechanisms of seizures (ictogenesis), as well as the slow developmental changes in the brain that render it vulnerable to generating SWD at adult age (epileptogenesis). This talk will give an overview on the current understanding on SWD generation in the thalamo-cortical system and illustrate on how the study of network mechanisms can help to identify novel drug candidates that are able to restore pathophysiological changes seen with ictogenesis and epileptogenesis.