Kindling: an animal model of complex partial epilepsy.

Kindling is an animal model of complex partial epilepsy induced by focal electrical stimulation of the brain. This paper describes the phenomenon and underscores the limited nature of current insights into its basic mechanisms. Anatomical delineation of the underlying neural network is a necessary first step for elucidating the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms. Recent evidence suggests that the substantia nigra may be a crucial component of the network underlying limbic kindled seizures and possibly kindling itself.