Objective Epilepsy remains a major clinical problem affecting 2% of the European population. Its treatment remains inadequate, largely because of a lack of understanding of underlying mechanisms. In particular, it is essential to understand the events initiating and terminating seizures. The british and Italian groups work with drugs modifying inhibitory and excitatory transmission and ion conductances. Their expertise will be valuable to the German group which works with electrophysiological techniques to understand inhibitory mechanisms in the cortex.The termination of seizure activity is usually associated with the hyperpolarisation of neurons. This phenomenon has several components including actions of GABA on GABAA and GABAB receptors, Ca++ activated K+ conductance and electrogenic Na+ transport. The German group will examine these components in cells within and surrounding a chemically induced focus in the cerebral cortex of a cat. A variety of established anticonvulsant drugs, agents acting specifically on GABAA and GABAB receptors, on K+ conductance and on the electrogenic Na+ pump will be tested for effects on early and late components of the post-ictal hyperpolarisation. Compounds will be applied either by iontophoresis or by systematic administration. Related studies will be performed by the British and Italian groups on mice and rats with sound-induced seizures and rats with electrically kindled seizures. Programme(s) IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993- Topic(s) 45 - Pharmacology Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Institute of Psychiatry EU contribution No data Address De Crespigny Park Camberwell SE5 8AF London United Kingdom See on map Total cost No data Participants (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Tbilisi Medical University Georgia EU contribution No data Address 380077 Tbilisi See on map Total cost No data Università di Calabria Italy EU contribution No data Address 88100 Catanzaro See on map Total cost No data
