A possible role for aspartic acid in neonatal seizures.

Aspartic acid concentration in CSF was markedly elevated in a newborn infant with severe, intractable seizures. The levels of all other amino acids in blood, urine, and CSF were within the normal range. Two of the six other siblings in this consanguineous family died in early infancy of a similar condition. Since aspartic acid is a putative excitatory neurotransmitter, a possible causal relationship is suggested between its increased CSF concentration and the occurrence of neonatal convulsions in this family.