Traumatic brain injury during development reduces minimal clonic seizure thresholds at maturity

Controlled cortical impact causes both focal cortical injury at the site of impact and ipsilateral hippocampal neuronal death. Since minimal clonic seizures are mediated by the forebrain, partial psychomotor seizures by the limbic system, and THE seizures by the brainstem, the observed pattern of changes in post-traumatic seizure thresholds is not surprising. The apparent age-dependent effects of TBI, however, are unexpected and likely due to a combination of attenuated maturational increases and progressive epileptogenesis. Additional study is needed to delineate the relative contributions of these processes. Given the sustained reduction in post-traumatic minimal clonic seizure thresholds, controlled cortical impact may hold promise as an experimental model of pediatric post-traumatic epilepsy.