Quantitative neuropathology in epilepsy.

Counting of neurons has brought new insight to the mechanism of epilepsy. The reduction in Purkinje cells and neuron loss in hippocampus are related to generalized convulsions in man. Generalized convulsions provoked by electric shock in rats do not result in neuron loss. However, mongolian gerbils from seizure-susceptible strains with "spontaneous" seizures of various types, have a reduced number of H1-neurons and Purkinje cells after only a restricted number of seizures of any type. Loss of neurons is a possible consequence of generalized convulsions. Even "seizure activity", as such, seems to damage nerve cells. The consequence is early effective treatment in such cases where epilepsy is a secondary threat as in febrile convulsions, post-traumatic, post-infectious and post-infarction epilepsy.