Does Aspartame , As Asweeteney , Act as A predisposing factor for precipition of Epilepsy؟

The main findings of the present study can be summarized as follow: I. Intravenous administration of aspartame in different dose levels (2, 5 and IOmglkg) to conscious rabbits significantly induce stimulation in the di fferent brain areas that subject~ for this study. The stimulant effect is due to the increase in the total wave number, the rapid alpha and the beta waves and the after effect for both photic and sonic stimulation, and the reduction in the slow (delta with dose of 2mg/kg, theta with 5mglkg and delta and theta with 10 mg/kg) waves and mean voltage.2. Administration of pentylenetetrazole in di fferent doses (l0 and 30mglkg) significantly induced stimulation in the different brain areas that subjected \0 this study. The stimulant effect is due to the increase in the rapid (alpha and beta) waves and the after effect for both photic and sonic stimulation, (the total wave number were increased with PTZ 30mglkg) and decrease in the slow (delta and theta) waves. These changes were more predominant with PTZ (30 mglkg) where, the EEG record demonstrated the appearanceof epileptic spikes within 1-5 minutes of administration. • ’.3. Pretreatment of rabbits with aspartame in a dose of 10 mg/kg 90 ~ •. minutes before the subconvulsive dose of pentylenetetrazole (10 mg/kg) significantly increased the total wave count. However, the mean voltage was decreased. In addition the after effect for both photic and sonic stimuli were increased. These results may suggest that, the administration of aspartame in a dose of 10 mg/kg before the subconvulsive dose of pentylenetrazole potentiated the stimulant effect of pentylenetetrazole (I Omg/kg).