THE GENETICALLY EPILEPSY-PRONE RAT: A MODEL FOR STUDIES OF THE EPILEPSIES

Two strains of genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPRs) have been derived from Sprague Dawley stock. One strain, known by the acronym GEPR-9, has a more pronounced epileptic condition than the other strain, known by the acronym GEPR-3. Only a small fraction of commercially available Sprague Dawley rats exhibits evidence of epilepsy. GEPRS are similar to most humans with epilepsy in that their general behaviors appear normal . GEPRS also share other traits with their non-epileptic counterparts. They are susceptible to forebrain and brainstem seizures produced by convulsant drugs and electrical currents. Because GEPRs and normal rats share these seizure non-epileptic brain rather than to an understanding of epilepsy. However, humans wi th epilepsy, the GEPR and other mammal inn models of genetic epilepsy are distinctive because they are characterized by seizure predisposition.