A study in rats finds that seizures triggered by heat causes long-lasting changes in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with adult epilepsy.

Chen, K., T.Z. Baram, and I. Soltesz. 1999. Febrile seizures in the developing brain result in persistent modification of neuronal excitability in limbic circuits. Nature Medicine 5(August):888.

Walker, M.C., and D.M. Kullmann. 1999. Febrile convulsions: A ‘benign’ condition? Nature Medicine 5(August):871.

Travis, J. 1997. Faulty protein repair spurs mouse seizures. Science News 151(June 14):365.

Weiss, P. 1998. Seizure prelude found by chaos calculation. Science News 153(May 23):326.

Tallie Z. Baram
University of California, Irvine
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Department of Pediatrics
Irvine, CA 92697-1280

Dimitri M. Kullmann
University College London
Institute of Neurology
University Department of Clinical Neurology
Queen Square
London WC1N 3BG
United Kingdom

Ivan Soltesz
University of California, Irvine
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Irvine, CA 92697-1280

From Science News, Vol. 156, No. 6, August 7, 1999, p. 86. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.