Submitted for the partial fulfillment of Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacology and Toxicology)

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of most common neurological problems in the world. Epilepsy is identified by recurrent and unprovoked seizures and sometimes is accompanied with some neurobiological, psychological and social consequences. On the contrary, the signs and symptoms of seizures transiently occur and represent abnormal excessive or synchronous neural activity in the brain. It is belived that epilepsy in women is more complicated in comparison with that in men, so there are some interference between seizure disorder and female hormones. In particular, in many epileptic women, ovarian cycle influences the seizures. For example, during menstrual cycle (catamenial epilepsy) and in the beginning of the puberty when ovarian cycle is first established, or at menopause when the menstrual cycle ceases, the occurrence or severity of seizures is changed. There is an evidence showing the role of both male and female gonadal hormones on susceptibility in epilepsy. In men, sex hormones (testosterone and its breakdown products) also influence brain functions and may have an impact on seizures. The results of several studies showed that progesterone exerts anticonvulsive effects in both acute and chronic epilepsy models. Estrogens affect neurotransmitter release, neurotransmitter receptors and neuronal excitability and thus may play an important role in seizure disorders. The results of some clinical and animal studies suggest that estrogens may have proconvulsant effects. It has been recently shown that estrogens may also produce anticonvulsant effects .These opposite effects of estrogens may be due to the duration of treatment, the latency prior to seizure testing, mode of administration, the applied dose of estrogen an