Neonatal Heat-Induced Convulsions Affect Behaviours in Neonatal, Juvenile and Adult Rats.

Febrile convulsions are a common form of childhood seizure, occurring in approximately 2-5 % of infants and young children.1 Simple febrile convulsions are the most common, defined as a generalized seizure of short duration (<15 minutes) that occurs during a febrile illness,2, 3 in a child between the ages of 6 months to 6 years. The significance of simple febrile convulsions is debated, with many considering them to be benign, as they do not result in gross neuropathology4 nor do they increase the risk of partial-complex epilepsy (e.g., 5 2, 6) or cognitive impairments.7-9 Conversely, some researchers have observed that in adulthood, individuals who have experienced simple febrile convulsions have a slightly higher risk of partial-complex epilepsy in later life (e.g., 3, l0) and may exhibit cognitive deficits, including: decreased ability to sustain attention; deficits in some types of learning and non-verbal memory; delayed recognition; and decreased visuomotor skills (e.g., 1, 11). As such, the question of whether febrile convulsions enhance susceptibility to seizure disorders, cognitive impairments or other pathologies remains unresolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]