Glutamatergic mechanisms related to epilepsy: Ionotropic receptors

Summary Glutamate receptor channels mediate transmission at most excitatory synapses throughout the brain, and are thus essential for seizure propagation. Calcium entry through N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) and possibly kainate receptors also triggers many plastic changes that contribute to epileptogenesis. Glutamate receptor structure and function are reviewed in the context of epilepsy. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books ).