Effects of fostering on seizure activity in the Mongolian gerbil

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to ascertain whether seizure propensity in Mongolian gerbils is affected by differences in behavior and/or nurturing ability of seizure‐prone (SP) and nonseizure‐prone (NSP) parents. Day‐old SP and NSP pups were cross‐fostered, while other SP pups were fostered to SP parents. Matched nonfostered littermates served as controls. The SP gerbils fostered to NSP parents exhibited delayed onset of seizure activity whereas SP gerbils fostered to SP parents did not. Neither fostered nor nonfostered NSP gerbils ever underwent seizures. This experiment establishes that some familial defect underlies seizure‐proneness in gerbils, but that expression of this tendency is affected by parental behavior and/or nurturing ability.