Early experience affects seizure latency and postseizure recovery time in the Mongolian gerbil

Seizure prone gerbils reared under low levels of stimulation had shorter seizure latencies than those given extra stimulation from post-natal days 1-21. They also exhibited prolonged postseizure hyperactivity in the open field whereas the latter did not. This provides new evidence that level of cerebral excitability is, in part, a function of early experience. Further, it suggests that seizure activity and its after effects may be mitigated by manipulating the early experience of seizure prone subjects.