Study identifies neuronal basis of impaired consciousness in 'absence' epilepsy

Imagine slipping in and out of consciousness hundreds of times per day, staying awake the whole time but having no sense of awareness during these lapses. In children with absence epilepsy, these highly disruptive episodes are known as absence seizures. Absence seizures can be captured by abnormal rhythms on EEG recordings, but their neuronal cause has never before been identified. Using a genetic model known as Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats of Strasbourg (GAERS), researchers have identified the neuronal basis for this condition.
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