Selective degeneration of interneurons in the motor cortex of infant monkeys following controlled hypoxia: a possible cause of epilepsy.

Infant monkeys have been subjected to hypoxia with an arterial pO2 of 20-22 Torr for 30 min. Following perfusion 1-2 weeks later electron microscopy of the motor cortex shows a selective degeneration of axon terminals making symmetrical synapses and which probably arise from inhibitory GABAergic interneurons. It is suggested that this may be related to the development of epilepsy following hypoxia.