Cerebral ischaemia and its relation to epilepsy.

During many years a number of observers have presented evidence suggesting that cerebral ischaemia, resulting from local vascular spasm, or from suddenly diminished blood supply to the brain as a whole, may be instrumental in producing an epileptic seizure. Investigators have also demonstrated that an epileptic discharge may originate in an area of cortex which has been pathologically altered by a previous ischaemia. In the investigation described here these two aspects of the problem of epilepsy have been studied. The first part of the thesis deals with vasospasms and focal cerebral ischaemia produced by mechanical and electrical stimulation of pial and cerebral arterial vessels. In the second part of the thesis is described the histological changes in the cortex and meninges resulting from the above type of stimulation and also the changes following exposure of the brain under different conditions. [...