Neuropharmacologic Considerations in Psychic Seizures

Abstract

A possible mechanism of psychic seizures is described on the basis of observations in man and exptl. animals. It is suggested that cortical epilepto-genic lesions which are favorably situated to produce slow repetitive discharges may disrupt the function of the remaining normal brain by hypersynchronized bursts of impulses which fail to produce true spread of convulsive activity. Preliminary observations on the production of "psychomotor" seizures by slow cortical stimulation in rats and rabbits are described. Clinical and exptl. differences in some common antiepileptic drugs are reviewed, and exptl. findings with some new acetylureas and their corresponding hydantoins are compared.