Water Voles as a New Animal Model for Congenital Somatosensory Epilepsy

Genetic studies of reflex epilepsy are conducted primarily on rodent strains in which seizures are triggered by audiogenic stimuli. The genetic aspects of somatosensory epilepsy induced by tactile stimuli remain unclear. Identifying genes that influence the development of seizures evoked by tactile stimuli is important for understanding the underlying mechanisms of somatosensory epilepsy, as well as for its prevention and treatment. This article summarizes previously published results from long-term population and laboratory studies, confirming the assumption of other authors that seizures induced by tactile stimuli are an element of antipredatory behavior that allows the preservation of genes predisposing to somatosensory epilepsy in natural populations. The genetic predisposition of water voles to handling-induced seizures has been shown to be associated with a coat color polymorphism controlled by the agouti locus. Thus, the water vole may become a promising object for genetic studies of somatosensory reflex epilepsy and understanding the evolutionary origins of this disease.