Pharmacological modification of amygdaloid-kindled seizures

The acute effect of several antiepileptic drugs on amygdaloid-kindled seizures was investigated in rats. Phenobarbital, diazepam and trimethadione produced a dose-dependent decrease in severity and amygdaloid afterdischarge duration (ADD) of full kindled seizures. In contrast, phenytoin did not suppress kindled seizures but appeared to increase seizure severity and ADD, suggesting that its action is fundamentally different from that of the other antiepileptic agents. The general anesthetic, ketamine, was weakly effective in abolishing established kindled seizures but had a marked ability to prevent kindling when given prophylactically from the outset of amygdaloid stimulation. The anti-kindling action of ketamine may be related to its ability to enhance central noradrenergic mechanisms.