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Seizures l: Introduction

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Understanding seizures and epilepsy relies on key definitions that help in recognizing, classifying, and managing these disorders. These definitions provide a framework for recognizing, classifying, and managing seizure disorders.DefinitionsA seizure is a sudden, abnormal burst of electrical activity in the brain that can cause changes in awareness, movement, sensation, or behavior, depending on the area involved. Epilepsy is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

A Behavioral Screen for Heat-Induced Seizures in Mouse Models of Epilepsy

A Behavioral Screen for Heat-Induced Seizures in Mouse Models of Epilepsy

Published on: July 12, 2021

A smell that causes seizure.

Minh Q Nguyen¹, Nicholas J P Ryba

¹Taste and Smell Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America. mqnguyen@mail.nih.gov

|August 1, 2012

Summary

Transgenic mice expressing an octanal receptor in most olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) exhibited seizures upon octanal exposure. Rapid odorant delivery triggered seizures, while slow delivery suppressed them, revealing olfactory processing insights.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory System Biology
Genetics

Background:

Odorants are detected by diverse receptors in specific olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs).
Understanding olfactory processing is key to deciphering sensory perception and neurological function.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of widespread olfactory receptor expression on sensory processing and behavior.
To explore the relationship between olfactory stimuli characteristics and induced physiological responses, specifically seizures.

Main Methods:

Engineering transgenic mice to express an octanal receptor in nearly all OSNs.
Utilizing an olfactometer to precisely control octanal delivery rates (rapid vs. slow).
Observing and recording animal responses, including seizure occurrence and OSN activation patterns.

Main Results:

Octanal exposure in engineered mice consistently activated OSNs but induced seizures in only 30-40% of trials.
Slow delivery of octanal suppressed seizure responses, suggesting a filtering mechanism in the olfactory system.
Rapid octanal exposure led to seizures in every trial, indicating a stimulus-dependent effect.

Conclusions:

The olfactory system may filter salient signals from strong, slowly changing backgrounds.
Odorant delivery dynamics significantly influence the induction of seizure-like phenotypes in this model.
This transgenic mouse model offers a novel platform for studying epilepsy and olfactory processing.