ABSTRACT
The generalized spike-and-wave (GSW) seizure is produced by an abnormal thalamocortical interaction which oscillates between enhanced excitation with firing (spike wave) and enhanced inhibition with hyperpolarization (slow wave). In humans, the primary abnormality is cortical hyperexcitability, which may be due to a genetically determined metabolic defect or a minor morphological abnormality such as microdysgenesis.
