Epileptic fast oscillations and synchrony in vitro

Very fast oscillations (VFOs; >70-80 Hz) precede and superimpose upon electrographic seizures. Knowing the cellular mechanisms of VFOs may offer clues to therapy. In vitro models, and ultrastructural and network modeling data, suggest that VFOs are generated by electrical coupling between principal neurons, and that VFOs are favored by the suppression of chemical neurotransmission. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper's Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado-Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at). © 2010 International League Against Epilepsy.