Solomon L Moshe´

In adult rats, intraperitoneal administration of kainic acid, a glutamic acid analog and potent neurotoxin, induces persistent seizure activity that results in electrographic alterations and neuropathology that closely resemble human temporal lobe epilepsy. We used in situ hybridization to identify regions of altered glutamate and GABAA receptor gene expression following kainate-induced status epilepticus. In the CA3/CA4 area, the hippocampal region most vulnerable to neurodegeneration ...

The concept of epilepsy syndromes, introduced in 1989, was defined as "clusters of signs and symptoms customarily occurring together". Definition of epilepsy syndromes based on electro-clinical features facilitated clinical practice and, whenever possible, clinical research in homogeneous groups of patients with epilepsies. Progress in the fields of neuroimaging and genetics made it rapidly clear that, although crucial, the electro-clinical description of epilepsy syndromes was not ...

Seizures cause a persistent enhancement in dentate synaptic inhibition concurrent with, and possibly compensatory for, seizure-induced hippocampal hyperexcitability. To study this phenomenon, we evoked status epilepticus in rats with systemic kainic acid (KA), and 2 weeks later assessed granule cell inhibition with paired-pulse stimulation of the perforant path (PP) in vitro. Controls demonstrated three components of paired-pulse inhibition: early inhibition (10-30 msec), intermediate ...

Several loci and candidate genes for epilepsies or epileptic syndromes map or have been suggested to map to chromosome 8. We investigated families with adolescent-onset idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE), for linkage to markers spanning chromosome 8. The IGEs that we studied included juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), epilepsy with only generalized tonic-clonic seizures occurring either randomly during the day (random grand mal) or on awakening (awakening grand mal), and juvenile ...

Evidence for genetic influences in epilepsy is strong, but reports identifying specific chromosomal origins of those influences conflict. One early study reported that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers were genetically linked to juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME); this was confirmed in a later study. Other reports did not find linkage to HLA markers. One found evidence of linkage to markers on chromosome 15, another to markers on chromosome 6, centromeric to HLA. We identified ...

GABA(A) receptor activation by muscimol has sex and age specific effects on substantia nigra reticulata (SNR)-mediated control of generalized seizures. GABA(A) receptor agonists depolarize or hyperpolarize neurons depending upon the level of expression of the neuronal specific potassium chloride contransporter KCC2. We studied KCC2 mRNA expression in the SNR as a function of sex and age and correlated KCC2 expression with the in vivo and in vitro effects of muscimol. Methods included in ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of prenatal exposure to morphine (5-10 mg/kg on days 11-18 of gestation) on flurothyl seizure susceptibility in adult and developing male rats. In adult rats, prenatal morphine exposure increased the threshold to clonic seizures but not to tonic-clonic seizures. The effects of prenatal morphine exposure on clonic seizures were age dependent. At postnatal day (PND) 15, prenatal drug exposure did not alter the seizure threshold. At ...

Gonadal hormones are important regulators of sexual differentiation of the CNS. Exposure to testosterone and estrogen during development causes permanent organizational differences between males and females. We previously described functional sex-related differences of the GABA(A)ergic circuits of the rat substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR) involved in the control of flurothyl seizures. This sexual differentiation of the SNR is regulated by postnatal testosterone. To assess whether ...

The substantia nigra GABAergic system is considered important for the modification of seizures. Our previous studies have shown that, in rat pups, nigral infusions of baclofen suppressed flurothyl-induced seizures. In the present study, we determined, in rat pups, the effect of nigral infusions of gamma-vinyl-GABA (GVG) on clonic-tonic seizures induced by flurothyl, generated a dose-response curve of the GVG effect and investigated the possible role of the nigral GABAA receptor in ...

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Commission on Classification and Terminology has revised concepts, terminology, and approaches for classifying seizures and forms of epilepsy. Generalized and focal are redefined for seizures as occurring in and rapidly engaging bilaterally distributed networks (generalized) and within networks limited to one hemisphere and either discretely localized or more widely distributed (focal). Classification of generalized seizures is simplified. ...

PURPOSE: Febrile status epilepticus (FSE) has been associated with hippocampal injury and subsequent hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and temporal lobe epilepsy. The FEBSTAT study was designed to prospectively examine the association between prolonged febrile seizures and development of HS and associated temporal lobe epilepsy, one of the most controversial issues in epilepsy. We report on the baseline phenomenology of the final cohorts as well as detailed aims and methodology.

METHODS: The ...

Seizures in adult rats result in long-term deficits in learning and memory, as well as an enhanced susceptibility to further seizures. In contrast, fewer lasting changes have been found following seizures in rats younger than 20 days old. This age-dependency could be due to differing amounts of hippocampal neuronal damage produced by seizures at different ages. To determine if there is an early developmental resistance to seizure-induced hippocampal damage, we compared the effects of ...

GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid) transmission in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR) is critical for seizure control. The SNR effects on seizures are site-specific within the SNR and developmentally regulated. These age- and site-specific effects may be due to differential regional distribution and functionality of SNR GABA(A) receptor sites. We investigated the role of GABA/benzodiazepine (BZD) receptors in the SNR in the control of seizures as a function of age. In adult ...

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) presents a revised operational classification of seizure types. The purpose of such a revision is to recognize that some seizure types can have either a focal or generalized onset, to allow classification when the onset is unobserved, to include some missing seizure types, and to adopt more transparent names. Because current knowledge is insufficient to form a scientifically based classification, the 2017 Classification is operational ...

PURPOSE: In a prospective study, Consequences of Prolonged Febrile Seizures in Childhood (FEBSTAT), we determined the frequency of human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 and HHV-7 infection as a cause of febrile status epilepticus (FSE).

METHODS: Children ages 1 month to 5 years presenting with FSE were enrolled within 72 h and received a comprehensive assessment including specimens for HHV-6 and HHV-7. The presence of HHV-6A, HHV-6B, or HHV-7 DNA and RNA (amplified across a spliced junction) ...