POST-TRAUMATIC EPILEPSY | Posttraumatic Models

Posttraumatic epilepsy is defined as a recurrent seizure disorder due to injury to the brain following head trauma. Multiple theories have been suggested to explain the mechanisms underlying this clinical condition, and these hypotheses are currently under investigation. Valid and reliable animal models are essential for mechanistic and therapeutic studies of posttraumatic epilepsy. Development and characterization of such models should be a continuous and reciprocal process between the experimental laboratory and the clinic. Several experimental models of posttraumatic epilepsy are currently in use that may facilitate discovery of molecular and pathophysiological alterations underlying the process of epileptogenesis. Once the mechanisms of posttraumatic epilepsy are elucidated, appropriate therapies can be designed that can prevent epilepsy after head trauma.