Pregnancy: Protection of the Hyperactive Brain, or a Risk Factor?

Zakaria I. Nanobashvili, Irine G. Bilanishvili, Arkadi G. Surmava, Nata G. Bukia, Marine P. Butskrikidze, Lamara I. Machavariani, Nino T. Samsieshvili, Maia G. Barbaqadze, Irma G. Khachidze, Nadejda A. Khizanishvili

Department of Neurophysiology, Ivane Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine, Tbilisi, Georgia.

DOI: 10.4236/jbbs.2014.47034                

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of gestation and postgestation periods on development and course of seizure activity. The data obtained in the study showed that i) there is a reduction of both EEG and behavioral seizures during gestation in the presence of hippocampal epileptogenic locus (kindling model); ii) suppression of audiogenic seizures occurs in gestation, and development of audiogenic kindling and decrease of seizure reactions occur in the pseudogestation state. It is assumed that in gestation period the intensification of the possible endogenous inhibitory mechanisms follows the course of seizure activity.

Keywords

Gestation, Kindling, Audiogenic Seizures, Rats

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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