Alterations in synaptic function in epilepsy

Epilepsy often results from a brain insult. Herein, I describe the complex time-dependent alterations in glutamatergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic circuitry triggered by the initial insult. I will relate these modifications to the occurrence of the first spontaneous seizure, the development of epileptogenic networks, and associated cognitive deficits. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado-Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).