ABSTRACT
This chapter provides both a detailed account of the methodological steps involved in the electrical kindling paradigm, including surgical preparation of the animals, and a description of the electrophysiological and behavioral measures one should consider when utilizing the model of epileptogenesis. Animal models of human epilepsy have provided a wealth of information relevant to understanding the processes involved in the development and/or maintenance of the neurological condition. A number of researchers have investigated the influence of stimulus parameters on kindling development. An important variable, easily obtained during the kindling process, yet overlooked in many kindling reports, is the afterdischarge threshold. The interval between subsequent kindling stimulations, or the interstimulus interval, is a critical variable influencing the kindling process. Repeated electrical stimulation of limbic structures such as the amygdala or hippocampus results in a stereotypic progression of electrographic and behavioral seizure activity. Kindling rate represents the number of stimulation trials necessary before a stage 5 convulsion is triggered.
