Effect of psychotropic agents on a model of absence epilepsy in rats

The effect of different groups of psychotropic agents on the spontaneous absence-like paroxysms in the ECoG of rats was studied in order to evaluate the specificity of the model for antiabsence drugs. Morphine-like analgesics increased the number of paroxysms, whereas this was depressed or the discharges were completely abolished by the following drugs: d-amphetamine, tricyclic antidepressants, centrally acting anticholinergics and L-DOPA, NMDA antagonists and memantine. Since the latter drugs have been reported to be effective in petit mal epilepsy, or the NMDA antagonists and memantine, have a potential anticonvulsant effect, the results are in favour of the usefulness of the model for antiabsence drugs.