Do seizures cause irreversible cognitive damage? Evidence from animal studies

Katarzyna Majak; Asla Pitkänen

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2003.11.012

Do seizures cause irreversible cognitive damage? Evidence from animal studies

Epilepsy Behav. 2004 Feb:5 Suppl 1:S35-44. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2003.11.012.

Authors

Katarzyna Majak¹, Asla Pitkänen

Affiliation

¹ Epilepsy Research Laboratory, Department of Neurobiology, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland.

PMID: 14725845
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2003.11.012

Abstract

Data from experimental models provide evidence that both prolonged and brief seizures can cause irreversible impairment in spatial and emotional learning and memory. Factors related to the severity of the behavioral impairments include genetic background, age at the time of the epileptogenic insult, extent of brain lesion, location of seizure focus, seizure duration, seizure number, brain reserve, and environmental and social living conditions. Further, as in humans, the interval between the last seizure and behavioral testing as well as treatment with antiepileptic drugs can affect the test results.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain Damage, Chronic / physiopathology*
Brain Damage, Chronic / psychology*
Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology
Cognition Disorders / physiopathology*
Cognition Disorders / psychology*
Conditioning, Classical / physiology
Disease Models, Animal*
Epilepsy / physiopathology*
Epilepsy / psychology*
Escape Reaction / physiology
Fear / physiology
Humans
Maze Learning / physiology
Memory, Short-Term / physiology
Rats
Risk Factors