REFLEX EPILEPSY OF THE FOWL AND ITS TRANSFER TO NORMAL CHICKENS BY BRAIN EMBRYONIC GRAFTS

The genetic photosensitive epilepsy of the Fayoumi chicken was transfe rred to normal chickens by in situ grafts at 2 days of incubation, of both the prosencephalic and mesencephalic brain vesicles taken from ep ileptic embryos, However, mesencephalic graft is sufficient to allow c onvulsions under sound stimulation, Typical EEG patterns are recorded in chimeras having the prosencephalon plus or not the mesencephalon, W e conclude that, in this mutant the whole neural tissue is affected, b ut the seizure generator is localized inside the mesencephalon, and sp ecific sensory pathways are necessary for seizures to occur.