R. NAQUET 637 



(a) Repetitive unconditioned stimulation increases the responses evoked 

 by I.P.S. at the same time as it favours the appearance of paroxystic 

 hypersynchronous discharges of spike-and-wave form, as well as focalized 

 seizures in the occipital region. 



(/)) In the course of these expcrunents, generalized and localized 

 phenomena of blockage have been confirmed. The conditioning of a 

 repetitive response could not be evidenced, localized or diffuse slov\f 

 waves were found in the intervals preceding the unconditional stimulus. 



(c) Every time that a spontaneous spike-and-wave discharge depended 

 exclusively on the I.P.S., it was never possible to provoke it during a 

 conditional stimulus. On the contrary, the spontaneous spike-and-wave 

 discharges existing outside the I.P.S. and which are not facilitated by it, 

 tend to appear during the conditional stimulus. But conversely to these 

 phenomena of blockage, which happen very quickly, these discharges 

 appear only after a certain number of presentations. 



In the last chapter, the author discusses all these phenomena and 

 particularly the conditioning of the spike-and-wave discharges. 



Conclusion: As this conditioning appears only in discharges existing at 

 rest, it is possible to exclude that with these techniques one could condi- 

 tion spike-and-wave discharges induced by I.P.S. One can simply facilitate 

 the appearance of some pre-existing discharges. Therefore, the term 

 'reflexo-conditional, post-afferential epilepsy' cannot be applied to 

 phenomena as described above, because it seems that it concerns mainly 

 the conditioning of a state which favours the appearance of epileptic 

 ciischargcs, and not the conditioning of this discharge. 



GROUP DISCUSSION 



Magoun. Dr Naquel's presentation emphasizes the role ot conditional processes 

 in the prevention and facilitation ot cortical seizures. There is a recent paper on this 

 subject by EfFren, in which the patient had an uncinate seizure which commenced 

 with an olfactory aura. When a strong odour was presented to the patient each time 

 she felt the aura, further progress of the seizure was blocked. Atter a surticient 

 number of such progress, the patient was able to block the progress of an incipient 

 seizure simply by thinking about this strong odour. One might interpret this as a 

 conditioned blockade or inhibition of an incipient seizure. — I wonder whether 

 your being able to manipulate these seizures with conditioning methods might be 

 used therapeutically in selected cases. 



Naquet. My idea was indeed to show a means for preventing the appearance of 

 diffuse or focalized epileptic discharges, or on the contrary to facilitate them. It 

 seems, that, when a conditioning experiment is performed, and that a fit accom- 

 panied by generalized spike-and-wave discharges is concerned, the positive 



