Kindling in the seizure-prone and seizure-resistant Mongolian gerbil

The kindling response in the amygdala of each of two strains of Mongolian gerbil bred for resistance to and suceptibility to stress-precipitated seizures was assessed. Seizure-prone gerbils had a lower afterdischarge threshold, a longer initial afterdischarge duration, and required fewer sessions to develop generalized kindled convulsions. Following kindling, the precipitated seizure pattern was exacerbated in both groups. These results suggest that the naturally occurring and kindled seizure states may depend in part on a common neural mechanism in this species.