[A genetic form of petit mal absence in Wistar rats]

One-third of the Wistar rats bred in the Centre of Neurochemistry in Strasbourg, France, develop spontaneous epileptic seizures which from their clinical manifestations, pharmacological responses, and electroencephalographic findings are suggestive of Petit Mal absences. These fits are genetically determined since in two lines selected from affected animals they occurred in 90 p. cent of three generations. The selection of a pure strain should assist in the use of this pharmacologic and neurophysiologic model of Petit Mal epilepsy.