About this Research Topic

Background

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder after migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer's Disease. Seizure prediction, treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy, and perspective of epilepsy genetics are the major challenges in this field. Many etiologically-relevant animal models of epilepsy have been developed in small rodents (mice and rats) that may help to overcome these challenges. In vivo animal models are often used in preclinical stages. There is, however, a translational gap between animal data and clinical trials, not least because the human brain is immensely complex. As such, it is important (1) to increase the translational value of results obtained in genetic animal models and toward applications for epilepsy treatment in humans, and (2) to gain basic knowledge from animal models to improve our understanding of the biological etiology of seizures, genetic correlates, and related comorbidities of epilepsy.

Animal models must have construct validity (similar etiology and a homologous neurobiological context), face validity (similar phenotypes as patients with epilepsy), and predictive validity (similar response to treatments that are effective in patients with epilepsy). This Research topic aims at improving the translational value of in vivo animal models, focusing on the various aspects of epileptic seizures in rodents: from genetic background and neurobiological correlates to neurobehavioral comorbidities. Many practical results have been achieved with a criterion-based approach recognizing the three model validities (i.e., construct, face, and predictive). Another approach may relate to gene therapy in vivo and genetic technologies, studying epigenetic factors involved in gene expression control and gene-environment interactions.

In this Research Topic, we welcome Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, Perspective, and Opinion articles focusing on translational research done in rats/mice genetic models of epilepsy. We welcome contributions from electrophysiology, behavior, genetics, genetic engineering, computational neuroscience, and multidisciplinary studies in inbred rat/mice strains, knockout and genetically modified rats/mice. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to, the following points:

• How to improve the translational value of animal models?

• The knowledge gained from rats/mice strains with genetic predispositions to epilepsy.

• The knowledge gained from knockout and genetically modified rats/mice.

• New genetic technologies to model epilepsy in rats/mice.

• Novel treatment options for patients with therapy-resistant epilepsy.

Keywords: in vivo, spontaneous seizures, translational neuroscience, preclinical research, gene therapy, neurobehavioral comorbidities, gene-environment interactions

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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