Neurological diseases in newborns are usually first revealed by seizures, which are characterised by a synchronous discharge of a large number of neurons. Failure to control seizures may lead to brain damage or even death. The importance of this problem prompted many researchers to look for accurate automatic methods for seizure detection. Nonstationarity and multicomponent behaviour of newborn EEG signals made this task very challenging. The significant overlap in the characteristic of background and seizure activities in newborn EEG signals added to the difficulty of seizure detection. This research uses time-frequency based methods for automatic seizure detection. Since time-frequency signal analysis methods use joint representation in both time and frequency domains, they proved to be very suitable for analysis and processing of nonstationary and multicomponent signals such as newborn EEG. Before using any seizure detector, the EEG data is pre-processed in order to reduce the noise effects using a time-frequency based technique. The proposed method is based on the singular value decomposition (SVD) technique applied to the matrix representing the time-frequency distribution (TFD) of the EEG signal. It has been shown that by appropriately filtering the singular vectors associated with the TFD, one can effectively enhance the desired information embedded in the signal. Neonatal EEG seizures can have signatures in both low frequency (lower than 10 Hz) and high frequency (higher than 70 Hz) areas. The seizure detection techniques proposed in the literature concentrated on using either low frequency or high frequency signatures but not both simultaneously. These methods tend to miss the seizures that reveal themselves only in one of the two frequency areas. In this research, we propose a detection method that uses seizure features in both low and high frequency areas. To detect EEG seizures using the low frequency signatures, an SVD-based technique is employed. The technique uses the estimated distribution function of the singular vectors associated with the time-frequency distribution of EEG epochs to discriminate between seizure and nonseizure patterns. The high frequency signatures of seizures are mostly the result of spike events in the EEG signals. To detect these spike events, the signal is mapped into the TF domain. The high instantaneous energy of spikes is reflected as a localised energy in the high frequency area of the TF domain. Consequently, a spike can be seen as a ridge in this area of the TF domain. It has been shown that during seizure activity there is regularity in the distribution of the interspike intervals. This feature has been used as the basis for discriminating between seizure and nonseizure patterns. The performance results obtained by applying the proposed methods on EEG signals extracted from a number of newborns show the superiority of these methods over the existing ones.

Text in Afrikaans / Infringement, by the executive, of the right to privacy of the individual is an everyday occurrence. Section 14 of the Constitution, Act 108 of 1996 protects the right to privacy. The Criminal Procedure Act, Act 51 of 1977 authorises the police service, to search for and seize articles, to enter premises, ascertain bodily features of accused and to employ traps and undercover operations. On the one hand the Criminal Procedure Act authorises the police to infringe the privacy of the individual but on the other hand it guarantees the privacy of the individual. The provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act are qualified by the Constitution, specifically by section 36 and 35(5). The authorisation of a police officer should be obtained before a person could be arrested without a warrant, which should, in any event, be the last resort. The written permission of an officer must be obtained prior to the making of an application for a warrant to a magistrate. A police officer should be prohibited from issuing a search warrant, as the general perception of the public is that members of the police may not be sufficiently independent. The exercising of magistrates' discretion regarding the decision as to whether a search warrant should be issued or not should be extended. A search warrant should comply with strict requirements as to who may execute the warrant, when, how and when the warrant will become invalid. Search and seizure without a warrant should not be allowed at all, except in circumstances where there is an immediate threat or danger to a person, property or the public safety. In cases of urgency, it should be made possible to obtain the telephonic permission from a magistrate to search property. Where necessary to ascertain the bodily features of an accused through surgery, a compulsory application in terms of section 37(3) should be made to the court for authorisation, irrespective of whether the accused consents to the surgery or not. More importance should be attached to the rights of the individual and the powers of the executive should be limited. / Jurisprudence / LL.D

The ATP-gated P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) is a non-selective cation channel which senses high extracellular ATP concentrations and has been suggested as a target for the treatment of neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. The use of P2X7R antagonists may therefore be a viable approach for treating CNS pathologies, including epileptic disorders. Recent studies showed anticonvulsant potential of P2X7R antagonists in certain animal models. To extend this work, we tested three CNS-permeable P2X7R blocker (Brilliant Blue G, AFC-5128, JNJ-47965567) and a natural compound derivative (tanshinone IIA sulfonate) in four well-characterized animal seizure models. In the maximal electroshock seizure threshold test and the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) seizure threshold test in mice, none of the four compounds demonstrated anticonvulsant effects when given alone. Notably, in combination with carbamazepine, both AFC-5128 and JNJ-47965567 increased the threshold in the maximal electroshock seizure test. In the PTZ-kindling model in rats, useful for testing antiepileptogenic activities, Brilliant Blue G and tanshinone exhibited a moderate retarding effect, whereas the potent P2X7R blocker AFC-5128 and JNJ-47965567 showed a significant and long-lasting delay in kindling development. In fully kindled rats, the investigated compounds revealed modest effects to reduce the mean seizure stage. Furthermore, AFC-5128- and JNJ-47965567-treated animals displayed strongly reduced Iba 1 and GFAP immunoreactivity in the hippocampal CA3 region. In summary, our results show that P2X7R antagonists possess no remarkable anticonvulsant effects in the used acute screening tests, but can attenuate chemically-induced kindling. Further studies would be of interest to support the concept that P2X7R signalling plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of epileptic disorders.

12 month embargo; Available online 9 November 2016 / SCN8A encephalopathy is a severe, early-onset epilepsy disorder resulting from de novo gain-of-function mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel Na(v)1.6. To identify the effects of this disorder on mRNA expression, RNA-seq was performed on brain tissue from a knock-in mouse expressing the patient mutation p.Asn1768Asp (N1768D). RNA was isolated from forebrain, cerebellum, and brainstem both before and after seizure onset, and from age-matched wildtype littermates. Altered transcript profiles were observed only in forebrain and only after seizures. The abundance of 50 transcripts increased more than 3-fold and 15 transcripts decreased more than 3 fold after seizures. The elevated transcripts included two anti-convulsant neuropeptides and more than a dozen genes involved in reactive astrocytosis and response to neuronal damage. There was no change in the level of transcripts encoding other voltage-gated sodium, potassium or calcium channels. Reactive astrocytosis was observed in the hippocampus of mutant mice after seizures. There is considerable overlap between the genes affected in this genetic model of epilepsy and those altered by chemically induced seizures, traumatic brain injury, ischemia, and inflammation. The data support the view that gain-of-function mutations of SCN8A lead to pathogenic alterations in brain function contributing to encephalopathy.

Cannabinoids, such as the marijuana derivative Δ9-THC, are known to have CBl receptor-mediated anticonvulsant effects in several animal models of seizures and epilepsy, including the rat pilocarpine model of acquired epilepsy. However, the distribution of CBl receptor expression and function in brains of epileptic rats has not been characterized. Therefore, this dissertation was initiated to evaluate the effect of epileptogenesis on the distribution and function of the endogenous CBI receptor system in the rat pilocarpine model, a well-established model of acquired temporal lobe epilepsy. Using immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated that chronically epileptic rats exhibit a unique, long-term, and specific redistribution of hippocampal CBl receptors when compared to controls, with concurrent layer-specific increases and decreases in CBl receptor expression within the hippocampus. In addition, studies in this dissertation demonstrated using [3H] WIN55,212-2 autoradiography and agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPγS autoradiography that this CBl receptor-specific reorganization results in corresponding functional changes manifested by alterations in CBl receptor binding and G-protein activation. These regionally selective changes were dependent on NMDA receptor activation during the initial insult of pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE), and were independent of seizure suppression produced with phenobarbital administration in epileptic rats. Furthermore, time-course studies utilizing these techniques demonstrate that within a week following SE, a widespread loss of CBl receptor expression and function occurs throughout the hippocampus. The subsequent redistribution of CBl receptors that occurs temporally correlates with the emergence of spontaneous recurrent seizures, and is still observed up to 1 year following SE. Overall, the reorganization of cannabinoid receptors in epilepsy implicates the endocannabinoid system in modulating neuroexcitability in the epileptic state. This CBl receptor redistribution represents an essentially permanent neuronal plasticity change associated with epileptogenesis, and could account for the anticonvulsant effect of cannabinoids observed in this model.

Background: Status epilepticus (SE) is a serious medical condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Few studies have addressed this condition in the elderly. The present study examines predictors of SE mortality in this growing population.Methods: SE patients visiting the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center from July 1, 1989, to June 30,2006 were included in the study. Data on demographic characteristics, SE type, etiology, time to treatment and mortality were collected. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the determinants of mortality due to SE. Data was stratified by age to examine the characteristics of SE among the elderly population.Results: A total of 2,220 SE patients were included in this study. One-third of the patient population were elderly (>60 years). Mortality in the elderly group was significantly higher than in the young group (OR=3.54 CI 2.53-4.95). The logistic regression model showed that being white, female, having hypoxia, CNS acute, non-CNS acute and remote etiology groups were significant predictors for mortality in the elderly.Conclusions: SE is a serious medical condition, consisting of prolonged seizure activity, associated with a significant mortality. Elderly patients with SE represent a distinct population with unique characteristics.

As peçonhas de artrópodos são ricas fontes de neurotoxinas, verdadeiras ferramentas moleculares com ação seletiva e específica sobre o Sistema Nervoso Central (SNC) de mamíferos, e de grande relevância clínico-científica. Demonstramos recentemente que a peçonha de P. bistriata, quando injetada por via intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.), desencadeava crises convulsivas em ratos, um indício da existência de neurotoxinas pró-convulsivantes na peçonha dessa aranha. O grupo do Prof. Dr. Joaquim Coutinho-Netto isolou da peçonha dessa aranha várias neurotoxinas, dentre as quais uma denominada PbTx 2.2.1, que possui a capacidade de inibir a captação do neurotransmissor GABA em sinaptosomas corticais de ratos (in vitro), uma ação considerada como potencialmente anticonvulsivante. As frações PbTx 2.2.1 e 1.2.3 protegem retinas de ratos após isquêmia. Mas, não se testou o efeito anticonvulsivante dessa fração em experimentos in vivo. O presente trabalho teve dois objetivos: 1- Propor um método cromatográfico para isolar da peçonha de aranhas, neurotoxinas pró-convulsivantes não protéicas e de baixo peso molecular. Isolar e caracterizar parcialmente estas neurotoxinas da peçonha da aranha P.bistriata; 2- verificar se a fração PbTx 2.2.1 possui efeito anticonvulsivante in vivo. O isolamento da peçonha de P. bistriata, realizado com filtração em gel (Sephadex G-50 e G-25), cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE) (colunas de fase reversa e troca catiônica), e CLAE-acoplado a espectrometria de massa (CLAE-MS) produziu uma fração (fração 7) e um subcomponente (fração 7.1) com atividade pró-convulsivante, após injeção i.c.v. Tal fração apresenta características típicas de ácidos nucléicos. Confirmou-se, através de ressonância magnética nuclear (RMN) que o constituinte majoritário desta fração é o nucleosídeo inosina. O método cromatográfico mostrou-se muito lento. Uma outra fração (fração 6) da mesma peçonha inibiu as crises causadas por bicuculina i.c.v., ao passo que a fração 1 apresentou atividade de fosfatase ácida e alcalina. A injeção i.c.v. da fração PbTx 2.2.1, 20 min antes do convulsivante bicuculina também i.c.v., bloqueou as crises convulsivas em 71,4% dos animais, o que caracteriza um efeito anticonvulsivante in vivo desta fração. Conclui-se que: 1- A peçonha de P. bistriata possui, dentre muitas, uma fração (fração 7) com efeito pró-convulsivante quando injetada i.c.v. em ratos. Nesta fração, aparentemente o composto majoritário é o nucleosídeo inosina. A peçonha da mesma aranha possui também uma fração com atividade anticonvulsivante (fração 6) e outra com atividade de fosfatase ácida e alcalina (fração 1). 2- o método cromatográfico proposto pode ser otimizado talvez pelo uso de ultrafiltração; 3- a fração PbTx 2.2.1 apresenta efeito anticonvulsivante in vivo no modelo de indução de crises por injeção i.c.v. de bicuculina. / Arthropod venoms are rich sources of neurotoxins, molecular tools with selective and specific actions over the mamalian central nervous system with great clinical and scientific importance. Previous work of our laboratory showed that the spider venom of Parawixia bistriata, when injected by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) route, induced convulsive seizures in rats, a sign of convulsant neurotoxins. The group of Professor Joaquim Coutinho-Netto isolated from this spider venom a neurotoxin called PbTx 2.2.1 which is a GABA transporter inhibitor in the rat cortical synaptosomal preparation (in vitro), a potencially anticonvulsant property. The fractions PbTx 2.2.1 and 1.2.3 protected retinal cells against isquemy. But, it has not been tested if the PbTx 2.2.1 fraction also has an in vivo anticonvulsant action. Present work has two objectives: 1- to propose a chromatographic methodology to isolate non-proteic low molecular weigh convulsant neurotoxins from spider venoms. Isolate and partially characterize these neurotoxins from P. bistriata venom; 2- test if PbTx 2.2.1 has in vivo anticonvulsant effect. Biochemical venom isolation by gel filtration (Sephadex G-50 and G-25), reverse phase and cationic exchange in high pressure liquid cromatography (HPLC) and also HPLC coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), has pointed that the P. bistriata spider venom has a fraction (fraction 7) and a subfraction (7.1) with convulsant activity when injected i.c.v. in rats. Fraction 7 has nucleosidic characteristics. Nuclear magnetic ressonance (NMR) has showed that the principal component of this fraction is the nucleoside iosine. An other fraction (fraction 6) isolated from the same venom, inhibited seizures induced by i.c.v. bicuculine and the fraction 1 showed acid and basic phosphatase activity PbTx 2.2.1, when injected i.c.v. 20 min prior to the convulsant bicuculline (i.c.v.), has blocked seizures in 71.4 % of the animals, what was considered an anticonvulsant effect. The conclusions are: 1- the spider venom of P. bistriata has a fraction (fraction 7) with convulsant action when injected i.c.v. in rats. The major component of this fraction is the nucleoside iosine. This spider venom also has another fraction (fraction 6) with anticonvulsant activity and one with acid and alcaline phosphatase (fraction 1); 2- the chomatographic methodology can be improved, perhaps by ultrafiltration methods; 3- the PbTx 2.2.1 fraction has anticonvulsant effect in vivo.

La sécurité juridique recherchée par le droit OHADA à travers les actes uniformes est mise à rude épreuve. Dans le recouvrement des créances, matière qui fait partie du droit des affaires tel que défini par le Traité de Port Louis, la protection des personnes garantes et l’imparfaite adéquation des sûretés réelles, n’assurent pas aux créanciers une situation confortable dans la prévention de l’impayé. En outre, les défauts substantiels du droit et la grande considération de la personne du débiteur soit par des mesures compassionnelles, soit par des considérations tirées de l’intérêt général, s’ajoutent aux obstacles matériels pour conduire les procédures individuelles d’exécution sur les voies de l’ineffectivité. Par ailleurs, et alors qu’elles ont fait l’objet d’une récente réforme saluée par les praticiens, les procédures collectives restent handicapées par une inconséquente gestion du temps. Toutefois, en repensant la théorie des garanties personnelles et en prenant en compte la situation des créanciers modestes d’une part, et en réduisant les obstacles juridiques tout en opérant une meilleure intégration du titre exécutoire d’autre part, le droit OHADA du recouvrement des créances pourrait entrevoir des lendemains meilleurs. C’est tout l’objet de la présente étude qui appelle à une refonte d’envergure de la doctrine de la protection de la personne du débiteur. / The OHADA law on juridical security through uniform acts has seriously been tested. Notably in the matter of debts recovery, which is part of the business law as defined by the Port Louis Treaty. The guarantors’ protection as well as the imperfect adequacy of the real securities, do not guarantee the creditors a comfortable position in regards to liabilities. Moreover, the numerous deficiencies of the law and the interest shown to the borrower through compassionate measures or by considerations of each party’s general interest, are also issues that are added to the already existing material obstacles that are hindering the execution of individual enforcement proceedings. Moreover, and while they have been the subject of a recent reform praised by practitioners, collective procedures remain ineffective due to an inconsistent time management. However, by reorganizing the theory of personal guarantees and taking into account the situation of small creditors on the one hand, and the reduction of legal obstacles and a better integration of the enforcement order on the other hand, the OHADA law on debt recovery could know a better future. This is the focus of this study which calls for a major overhaul of the debtor's protection doctrine.

Nowadays, Machine learning (ML) has been utilized in various kinds of area which across the range from engineering field to business area. In this paper, we first present several kernel machine learning methods of solving classification, regression and clustering problems. These have good performance but also have some limitations. We present examples to each method and analyze the advantages and disadvantages for solving different scenarios. Then we focus on one of the most popular classification methods, Support Vectors Machine (SVM). In addition, we introduce the basic theory, advantages and scenarios of using Support Vector Machine (SVM) deal with classification problems. We also explain a convenient approach of tacking SVM problems which are called Sequential Minimal Optimization (SMO). Moreover, one class SVM can be understood in a different way which is called Support Vector Data Description (SVDD). This is a famous non-linear model problem compared with SVM problems, SVDD can be solved by utilizing Gaussian RBF kernel function combined with SMO. At last, we compared the difference and performance of SVM-SMO implementation and SVM-SVDD implementation. About the application part, we utilized SVM method to handle seizure forecasting in canine epilepsy, after comparing the results from different methods such as random forest, extremely randomized tree, and SVM to classify preictal (pre-seizure) and interictal (interval-seizure) binary data. We draw the conclusion that SVM has the best performance.

Submitted by PPG Biologia Celular e Molecular (bcm@pucrs.br) on 2018-05-24T14:27:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 FABIANO_PERES_MENEZES_TES.pdf: 24793474 bytes, checksum: 8b7fdf3efa2bb4839dd339d485cee522 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Caroline Xavier (caroline.xavier@pucrs.br) on 2018-06-11T14:26:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 FABIANO_PERES_MENEZES_TES.pdf: 24793474 bytes, checksum: 8b7fdf3efa2bb4839dd339d485cee522 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-11T14:31:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FABIANO_PERES_MENEZES_TES.pdf: 24793474 bytes, checksum: 8b7fdf3efa2bb4839dd339d485cee522 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-16 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / Epilepsy is the most serious neurological condition in the world. It is characterized by recurrent seizures from synchronous neuronal discharges. Disturbances in neuronal signaling in the early stages of development may lead to increased susceptibility to seizures in adulthood, as well as seizures in the early stages of development may lead to alterations in neurotransmission systems. Adenosinergic signaling is known to act as an endogenous anticonvulsant through its neuromodulatory function. Disturbances in adenosinergic signaling in early stages of development lead to changes in the susceptibility to seizures conditionally at the stage of development in which the disturbance occurs, and time of exposure to the disturbing agent. In the four chapters of this thesis, it was discussed about factors that influence the susceptibility to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizure under different aspects using zebrafish. In the first chapter, it was analyzed the influence of temperature on zebrafish sensitivity to PTZ as well as the ability of the MK-801 antagonist to reverse the effects of hyperthermia on susceptibility to PTZ-induced seizures. In addition, it was verifyed possible differences in the susceptibility to seizures according to gender or weight. In the second chapter, it was used transient molecular blockade through the morpholine technique to block the translation of the transcripts corresponding to the adenosinergic A1 and A2A receptors at the beginning of embryogenesis. The animals that underwent transient blockade were evaluated for survival rate and morphology, at 7 days post-fertilization (dpf) and locomotor activity and susceptibility to seizures caused by PTZ at 7 dpf and in adulthood. In the third chapter, it was used the morpholine technique to block the translation of the transcripts corresponding to the enzyme ecto-5'-nucleotidase and concentrative nucleoside transporters type 2 (CNT2) at the beginning of embryogenesis. The animals that underwent transient blockade were evaluated for survival rate and morphology at 7 days post-fertilization (dpf) and locomotor activity and susceptibility to seizures caused by PTZ at 7 dpf and in adulthood. In the fourth chapter, it was performed microinjection of the 8-Cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), antagonist of A1 receptor; ZM241385, A2A antagonist; caffeine, non-selective adenosine receptor antagonist; dipyridamole, equilibrative nucleoside transporter blocker (ENT) and Adenosine 5 '- (?, ?-methylene) diphosphate (AMPCP), ecto-5'-nucleotidase enzyme inhibitor, in zebrafish eggs (1 hour post -fertilization). The animals exposed to these drugs were evaluated for survival rate, morphology and locomotor activity at 7 dpf and susceptibility to seizures caused by PTZ at 7 dpf and in adulthood. These results indicated that hyperthermia increases the susceptibility of zebrafish to PTZ-induced seizures and that this effect is prevented by the administration of MK-801. In addition, there was no difference in susceptibility to PTZ dependent on gender or body mass. These results indicated that disturbances in adenosinergic signaling through blockade via morpholine or in the higher doses of the drugs mentioned above, caused a decrease in the survival rate and high rates of morphological changes. None of the approaches caused alterations in the locomotor activity in the initial phase of development, whereas in the adult phase, there were occasional changes. At 7dpf, none of the targets blocked by morpholine caused alterations in the susceptibility to seizures caused by PTZ, whereas among the targets blocked by drugs there was alteration mainly in animals microinjected with DPCPX, Caffeine and Dipyridamole. However, in the adult phase all the targets blocked by morpholine triggered in greater susceptibility to seizures, while those blocked by drugs showed changes in specific doses and seizure stage. These results corroborate a series of studies that report the importance of adenosinergic signaling in the early stages of development as well as the deleterious effects of both exogenous and endogenous perturbations in this signaling pathway. / A epilepsia ? a condi??o neurol?gica grave de maior incid?ncia no mundo. ? caracterizada por crises convulsivas recorrentes, provenientes de descargas neuronais sincr?nicas. Dist?rbios na sinaliza??o neuronal na fase inicial do desenvolvimento podem acarretar em aumento na suscetibilidade a crises convulsivas na fase adulta, assim como crises convulsivas na fase inicial do desenvolvimento podem acarretar em altera??es nos sistemas de neurotransmiss?o. A sinaliza??o adenosin?rgica reconhecidamente ? capaz de agir como um anticonvulsivante end?geno, atrav?s de sua fun??o neuromoduladora. Perturba??es na sinaliza??o adenosin?rgica em fases inicias do desenvolvimento acarretam em altera??es na suscetibilidade a crises convulsivas de forma condicional ao est?gio de desenvolvimento em que a perturba??o ocorre e tempo de exposi??o ao agente perturbador. Nos quatro cap?tulos integrantes dessa tese foram abordados, sob diferentes aspectos, fatores que influenciam a susceptibilidade a crise convulsiva provocada pela exposi??o ao pentilenotetrazol (PTZ) utilizando peixe-zebra. No primeiro cap?tulo, foi analisada a influ?ncia da temperatura na sensibilidade do peixe-zebra ao PTZ, bem como a capacidade do antagonista MK-801 de reverter os efeitos provocados pela hipertermia na suscetibilidade a crises convulsivas induzidas por PTZ. Al?m de serem verificadas as poss?veis diferen?as na suscetibilidade a crises convulsivas em fun??o do g?nero ou peso. No segundo cap?tulo, foi descrito o uso do bloqueio molecular transit?rio atrav?s da t?cnica de morfolinos para bloquear a tradu??o dos transcritos correspondentes aos receptores adenosin?rgicos A1 e A2A no inicio da embriog?nese. Os animais que sofreram o bloqueio transit?rio foram avaliados quanto a taxa de sobreviv?ncia e morfologia at? os 7 dias p?s-fertiliza??o (dpf) e atividade locomotora e suscetibilidade a crises convulsivas provocadas por PTZ aos 7 dpf e na fase adulta. No terceiro cap?tulo, foi descrito o uso da t?cnica de morfolinos para bloquear a tradu??o dos transcritos correspondentes a enzima ecto-5?-nucleotidase (e5?nt) e transportadores concentrativos de nucleos?deo tipo 2 (CNT2) no inicio da embriog?nese. Os animais que sofreram o bloqueio transit?rio foram avaliados quanto a taxa de sobreviv?ncia e morfologia aos 7 dpf e atividade locomotora e suscetibilidade a crises convulsivas provocadas por PTZ aos 7dpf e na fase adulta. No quarto cap?tulo, foi abordado o efeito da microinje??o de 8-Ciclopentil-1,3-dipropilxantina (DPCPX), antagonista do receptor A1; ZM241385 antagonista do receptor A2A; cafe?na, antagonista n?o-seletivo dos receptores de adenosina; dipiridamol, bloqueador do transportador equilibrativo de nucleos?deo (ENT) e Adenosina 5?-(?,?-metileno)difosfato (AMPCP), inibidor da enzima ecto-5?-nucleotidase, nos ovos do peixe-zebra (1 hora p?s-fertiliza??o). Os animais expostos a estes f?rmacos foram avaliados quanto a taxa de sobreviv?ncia, morfologia, atividade locomotora aos 7 dpf e suscetibilidade a crises convulsivas provocadas por PTZ aos 7dpf e na fase adulta. Nossos resultados apontam que a hipertermia aumenta a suscetibilidade do peixe-zebra a crises convulsivas provocadas por PTZ e que esse efeito ? prevenido pela administra??o de MK-801. Al?m disso, n?o houve diferen?a na suscetibilidade do PTZ dependente de g?nero ou massa corporal. Nossos resultados indicam que perturba??es na sinaliza??o adenosin?rgica atrav?s de bloqueio via morfolinos ou nas doses mais altas dos f?rmacos acima citados, provocaram diminui??o na taxa de sobreviv?ncia e altas taxas de altera??es morfol?gicas. Nenhuma das abordagens provocou altera??es na atividade locomotora na fase inicial do desenvolvimento, enquanto que na fase adulta foram verificadas altera??es pontuais. Aos 7dpf nenhum dos alvos bloqueados por morfolinos provocou altera??o na suscetibilidade a crises convulsivas provocadas por PTZ, enquanto que entre os alvos bloqueados por f?rmacos houve altera??o principalmente em animais microinjetados com DPCPX, Cafe?na e Dipiridamol. J? na fase adulta todos os alvos bloqueados por morfolinos desencadearam em maior suscetibilidade a crises convulsivas enquanto os bloqueados por f?rmacos exibiram altera??es em doses e est?gio de convuls?o espec?ficos. Esses resultados corroboram com uma s?rie de estudos que reportam a import?ncia da sinaliza??o adenosin?rgica na fase inicial do desenvolvimento, bem como os efeitos delet?rios provenientes de perturba??es tanto ex?genas quanto end?genas nessa via de sinaliza??o.