The current view of epilepsy

Abstract

When an epileptic seizure occurs in a neuronal circuit, the likelihood of subsequent seizures in that circuit is often increased. In some cases at least, this seems to be accomplished by the formation, through axon sprouting, of new excitatory connections between neurons that fired synchronously during the seizure. However, in Science , Bernard et al . now report on a 'wireless' mechanism for seizure facilitation, in which dendritic excitability is increased through the loss of an inhibitory potassium current.