Assessing the behavioral and cognitive effects of seizures on the developing brain.

摘要: The degree to which seizures lead 'brain damage' is not fully known, but this question has important clinical implications. Seizure-induced brain damage can be defined in several ways: structural, physiological, and behavioral. behavioral cognitive effects of are difficult ascertain patients, because it hard differentiate the from underlying pathology, anticonvulsant treatment, developmental variables. In animal models, ability control seizure variables allows detailed investigation factors that cannot easily distinguished studies. models experimental epilepsy, both brief prolonged damage. While consequences much more extensive adult brain, long-term alterations also seen developing brain. This chapter focuses on during development subsequent behavior cognition epilepsy models. investigator must choose carefully among various tests behavior, learning, memory, cognition, since existence or extent deficits may depend upon test selected how data analyzed. evidence suggests early life associated with subtle even absence overt structural neuronal These dependent age at occur (less severe younger ages), frequency severity, largely independent etiology, occurring after types chemoconvulsants electrical stimulation. deficits, become obvious until long onset might equally detrimental a child's overall function than themselves.