The Clinical Relevance of Kindling: Species, Brain Sites and Seizure Susceptibility

Abstract

In spite of more than a century of intensive exploration our clinical approach to the problem of epilepsy remains largely empirical, and many questions regarding its genetics, mechanisms, prevention, treatment and management remain unanswered. The magnitude of this problem is reflected by the fact that seizure disorders are second in number only to strokes, among the many neurological diseases. Although we are aware that the best model for the study of human epilepsy is the human model, the scope of clinical investigation is limited not only by the obvious ethical considerations but also by our inability to identify precisely and to define the presence, absence or degree of predisposition to seizure susceptibility of specific individuals. In this regard, the utilization of subhuman organisms might provide us with an opportunity to gain insight into a number of problems which cannot be solved by clinical investigation. However, if the scientific subhuman studies are to be meaningful to the problem of the human epilepsies, it is essential for the chosen model to be a valid one.