Effect of a single brief seizure on subsequent seizure susceptibility in the immature rat

G. L. Holmes, B. J. Albala and S. L. Moshe

To determine whether a single seizure permanently affects the brain's susceptibility to further seizures, 27-day-old rats were subjected to a single seizure induced by either an electroshock or the administration of pentylenetetrazol. Three days following the seizure, the rats, along with age- and weight-matched control rats, underwent kindling. The rate of kindling did not differ between the control rats and those rats that had previously experienced a single electroshock or pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure. At the present time, there is no conclusive evidence that a single brief seizure results in permanently increased susceptibility to future convulsions.