We will study the metabolic changes induced by prolonged or repetitive epileptic seizures in newborn rabbits and monkeys. The emphasis will be on whether sustained seizures deplete brain glucose in newborn primates and whether glucose concentrations then become rate limiting for glycolysis. The effect of increasing blood glucose concentration on metabolism as studied by labelled 2-deoxyglucose, brain damage and survival will be investigated. The mechanism of brain glucose depletion will be studied extensively. We will also pursue our investigations of the mechanism by which epileptic seizures inhibit brain protein synthesis in the neonate. This will use a combination of in vivo and in vitro methods, with particular emphasis on cell-free systems using some component from reticulosites and others from brain. The overall goal is to provide a better understanding of the effect of seizures on the developing brain.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter