STUDIES OF METABOLISM IN EPILEPSY

Abstract

When sufficient insulin is administered to cause the sugar content of the blood to fall sharply to the vicinity of from 45 to 50 mg. per hundred cubic centimeters of blood, a severe reaction usually ensues. In animals, this reaction is accompanied by motor phenomena that are usually described as convulsions. Such convulsions are presumed to be the direct result of the existing hypoglycemia. Furthermore, various authors¹ have found that, under electrical stimulus, irritability of the nerve increases when the blood sugar has been lowered with insulin. These facts raise the question whether persons who are subject to recurring convulsions show abnormal concentration of sugar in the blood. The observations so far reported are without much value because of the small number of patients examined. Thus, Heidema² found hyperglycemia in two of five epileptic patients. Normal values were obtained by Kooy³ in eight patients and by Weston