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The Neuroscientist, Vol. 8, No. 2, 154-173 (2002)

Epilepsy as an Example of Neural Plasticity

Helen E. Scharfman

Center for Neural Recovery and Rehabilitation Research, Helen Hayes Hospital, and Columbia University

Epilepsy is a devastating disease affecting more than 1% of the population. Yet, if one considers the neurobiological substrates of this disease, what is revealed is an array of phenomenon that exemplify the remarkable capacity for the brain to change its basic structure and function, that is, neural plasticity. Some of these alterations are transient and merely impressive for their extent, or for their robust nature across animal models and human epilepsy. Others are notable for their persistence, often enduring for months or years. As an example, the dentate gyrus, and specifically the principal cell of the dentate gyrus, the granule cell, is highlighted. This area of the brain and this particular cell type, for reasons that are currently unclear, hold an uncanny capacity to change after seizures. For those interested in plasticity, it is suggested that perhaps the best examples for studying plasticity lie in the field of epilepsy.

Key Words: dentate gyrus • granule cell • hippocampus • seizures • neurotrophins • neurogenesis • neuropeptides


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