Developmental changes in seizure susceptibility during ethanol withdrawal.

It has recently been established that adolescence may represent a developmentally sensitive period with respect to the effects of ethanol, particularly within the NMDA neurotransmitter system. However, the same may also be true of the GABA system. There is evidence to suggest that the number of GABA receptors and their kinetics may change across development. The purpose of this study was to determine if GABA-mediated seizure susceptibility during ethanol withdrawal differed between adolescent and adult animals. Results indicate that adult animals pretreated with ethanol were more likely to achieve maximal tonic-clonic seizure activity and spent more time in stage 3 (or higher) seizure activity than all other groups. These data lend additional support to the contention that adolescent and adult animals differ in their susceptibility to the effects of ethanol and that this susceptibility is transmitter dependent.