[Generation of epilepsy animal model bearing a genetic abnormality identified in autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE) of humans].

Nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy is seen exclusively during sleep and is characterized by three distinct seizure phenotypes: paroxysmal arousals, paroxysmal dystonia, and episodic wandering. Mutations of CHRNA4, CHRNB2, or CHRNA2 genes encoding alpha4, beta2 or alpha2 subunits of neuronal nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR) have been identified in the individuals with sporadic type NFLE and pedigrees with autosomal dominant type of NFLE (ADNFLE). In the past decade, various electrophysiological studies have analyzed the functional abnormalities of ADNFLE/NFLE mutant nAChR; however, the detailed pathogenesis of ADNFLE/NFLE has remained to be clarified. Therefore, to explore the pathogenesis of ADNFLE/NFLE, genetic animal models harboring ADNFLE mutant Chrna4 genes have recently been established. The face, construct and predictive validities have been demonstrated in a transgenic rat strain bearing the S284L mutant Chrna4 gene. The in vivo analyses of the functional abnormalities using genetic ADNFLE/NFLE animal models suggest the putative mechanisms of the ADNFLE/NFLE seizure onset during slow wave sleep.