ABSTRACT
Audiogenic or sound-induced seizures occur in some mice and rats in response to exposure to intense acoustic stimulation. Patterns of audiogenic seizures are very similar in mice and rats. The basic convulsive response in mice and rats consists of a wild running episode which terminates in either a generalized clonic convulsion or some degree of generalized tonic convulsion. Seizure rating scales developed to quantitate audiogenic seizure severity in mice and rats all possess a number of similarities. The genetically epilepsy-prone rat (GEPR) is the most widely utilized rat strain genetically susceptible to audiogenic seizures. Audiogenic seizures are generally considered to be of brainstem origin. An increasing body of evidence supports the inferior colliculus as the audiogenic seizure focus, that site responsible for seizure initiation in the GEPR. All clinically effective antiepileptic drugs are effective against audiogenic seizures in mice and rats. The consistent audiogenic seizure responsiveness of the GEPR makes it ideally suited for the evaluation of anticonvulsant drug effects.
