Glial Mechanisms of Inflammation During Seizures

It is now clearly established that microglia and astrocytes become reactive in brain regions experiencing seizures in human or experimental epilepsies. The expression of these reactive phenotypes leads to the dysregulation of physiological functions normally fulfilled by these glial cells and to the acquisition of inflammatory properties that influence the activity and the fate of brain cells, including neurons, glia, and cells of the blood vessels. In this chapter, we review how dysregulation of astrocyte and microglia physiological functions and the emergence of specific reactive states impact epilepsy progression.