ABSTRACT
The Mongolian gerbil is a rodent with a genetic disposition for exhibiting seizures in response to different sensory stimuli. The “reflex epilepsy” in this species was first described by Thiessen et al. in 1968, who recognized the trait in animals randomly bred in their laboratory at the University of Texas. The progressive age-dependent development of seizure severity in these animals represents an interesting anology to the age-dependent onset of generalized epileptic syndromes in patients and to the secondary generalization of seizures. The gerbil may therefore be a useful model for the study of the mechanisms of generalization of epileptic seizures. Epileptic animals do not differ in appearance, body weight, or general behavior from non-epileptic animals. By using the air blast technique, the anticonvulsant efficacy of a variety of clinically established antiepileptic drugs has been studied and compared in epileptic gerbils. In general, the role of cholinergic neurons in genetic animal models of epilepsy has received little attention.
