%0 Journal Article %1 Goddard:1967:Nature:6055396 %A Goddard, G V %D 1967 %J Nature %K electrical_stimulation epilepsy kindling rats seizures %N 5092 %P 1020-1021 %T Development of epileptic seizures through brain stimulation at low intensity %U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6055396?fbclid=IwAR3JTavfz9J3scH4E5qmUvpskJAbITSsLIG2RfaeNnqutIM2usD_GkNbo7M %V 214

@article{Goddard:1967:Nature:6055396, added-at = {2019-06-14T22:43:11.000+0200}, author = {Goddard, G V}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/27adf945e0f1128073d5c1759bd140792/eirc}, description = {In 1967, scientists applied very low level electrical stimulation to the brains of rats to study its effects. The intensity of the electrical stimulation was far below the threshold established to induce seizure. However, when the scientists applied this low-level stimulation over a period of weeks, they found that the rats would begin to experience epileptic convulsions upon exposure, or even with no stimulation at all. The scientists learned that the same could be done with low-level chemical stimulation. This is how the concept of kindling was first discovered, and in recent years, many studies have provided evidence suggesting that a form of this is indeed happening, at a root level, in ME/CFS, MCS and EHS. Basically, the threshold at which neuronal networks fire has been lowered long-term due to some kind of large or repetitive insult. As a result, the brain has been primed for long-term arousal with any hint of various kinds of stimulation. Sometimes it is chemical, sometimes it is electrical, sometimes it is energy output, etc. Often, when the disease is progressed, it is all of these things. One paper offers a more detailed look at what's going on: "Once this system is charged, either by high-intensity stimulation (e.g., due to an acute viral infection) or by chronically repeated low-intensity stimulation (e.g., through repeated chemical exposure), it can sustain a high level of arousal with little or no external stimulus. Girdano, Everly, and Dusek (1990) suggest that the excessive arousal can lead to an increase in the dendrites of the limbic system, which can further increase limbic stimulation. The limbic system might sprout more excitatory postsynaptic receptors and decrease its inhibitory presynaptic receptors. Subsequently, people with kindling may experience excitatory neurotoxicity. Brouwer and Packer (1994) have conducted research indicating that people with ME/CFS might have “unstable cortical excitability associated with sustained muscle activity resulting in varied magnitudes of descending volleys” (p. 1212). This is an indication that kindling might be occurring within the brains of patients with ME/CFS. "Two receptors residing on the cell surface membranes of neurons are GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), which inhibits neuronal firing, and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate), which excites neuronal firing. The GABA and NMDA receptors should be balanced, but after an injury or viral attack, NMDA fires more than GABA. Minor and Hunter (2002) have proposed that prolonged exposure to inescapable stressors will eventually deplete GABA, thus reducing an important form of inhibition on excitatory glutamate transmission. "Kindling can develop through a number of ways for patients with ME/CFS. Zalcman, Savina, and Wise (1999) have found that immunogenic stimuli can alter brain circuitry, changing its sensitivity to seemingly unrelated subsequent stimuli." What does this mean? If this is an accurate description of what is happening at a root level in environmental illness, and I believe it is, then that is great news. It means that the root of these illnesses is malleable. It is not necessarily permanent. And if this problem is resolved, then according to this model, the secondary problems that tend to come with it also go—i.e., mitochondrial dysfunction, thyroid dysfunction, insulin dysfunction, histamine dysfunction, mast cell overactivation, POTS, immunological hypersensitivities, food allergies, CYP detox dysfunction, glutathione depletion, melatonin depletion, etc.}, interhash = {4b3ee67c198a20291662cd613e78b918}, intrahash = {7adf945e0f1128073d5c1759bd140792}, journal = {Nature}, keywords = {electrical_stimulation epilepsy kindling rats seizures}, month = jun, number = 5092, pages = {1020-1021}, pmid = {6055396}, timestamp = {2019-06-14T22:47:52.000+0200}, title = {Development of epileptic seizures through brain stimulation at low intensity}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6055396?fbclid=IwAR3JTavfz9J3scH4E5qmUvpskJAbITSsLIG2RfaeNnqutIM2usD_GkNbo7M}, volume = 214, year = 1967 }