Generation of Febrile Seizures and Subsequent Epileptogenesis

Febrile seizures (FSs) occur commonly in children aged from 6 months to 5 years. Complex (repetitive or prolonged) FSs, but not simple FSs, can lead to permanent brain modification. Human infants and immature rodents that have experienced complex FSs have a high risk of subsequent temporal lobe epilepsy. However, the causes of FSs and the mechanisms underlying the subsequent epileptogenesis remain unknown. Here, we mainly focus on two major questions concerning FSs: how fever triggers seizures, and how epileptogenesis occurs after FSs. The risk factors responsible for the occurrence of FSs and the epileptogenesis after prolonged FSs are thoroughly summarized and discussed. An understanding of these factors can provide potential therapeutic targets for the prevention of FSs and also yield biomarkers for identifying patients at risk of epileptogenesis following FSs.