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Mesial Temporal Lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is a type of epilepsy that occurs in the internal structures of the brain, including the hippocampus. MTLE affects over 10% of patients with epilepsy, specifically those with focal epilepsy. Current treatment options for MTLE are able to reduce seizure frequency but patients with this condition tend to be treatment resistant. The use of epilepsy models can help provide more effective treatments to improve seizure burden and patient outcomes.

A model of temporal lobe epilepsy, pilocarpine model induces prolonged seizures to determine cognifitive defects, neuronal damage, and spontaneous seizures. The rodent model induces status epilepticus (SE) through pilocarpine that later develops into chronic epilepsy. Using this rodent model, a paradigm was established and then tested using a Galanin compound to determine the efficacy of the drug against SE. Development of this model allows us to not only test the efficacy of compounds but also analyze behavioral changes and neuronal damage, providing a method to test compounds to patients with treatment resistant focal epilepsy.