Mechanisms of seizure disorders

Epilepsy, one of the most common neurologic disorders treated by veterinarians, is also one of the least understood. A dysregulation of neural excitability appears to underlie most seizures; yet, it is still not clear whether the disorder is one of excess excitation, failure of inhibition, or a combination of both. This paper presents normal neural physiology followed by current theories regarding the pathophysiology of epilepsy so that the reader may better understand the rationale explained in later chapters regarding the choice of anticonvulsant therapies.