Translational studies of infantile epileptic encephalopathies

Translational studies of infantile epileptic encephalopathies have utilized animal models to better understand their pathophysiology and develop therapeutic approaches. To develop appropriate models of these epilepsies, it is critical to understand the International League Against Epilepsy classification of the epilepsy syndromes as well as mechanisms of epileptogenesis in infancy. The models induce an epilepsy phenotype using an inciting event, either an electrical stimulus or a toxin such as kainic acid, lithium pilocarpine, or lipopolysaccharide. The expression of seizures in these models, and therefore the treatment of the subsequent epilepsy, differs depending on the age, gender, and genetic substrate of the subject receiving the precipitating insult. These models have shaped our understanding of various infantile epilepsy syndromes and have provided new insights into therapeutic approaches, leading to individualized treatments and precision based medicine.