Abstract: An epilepsy model animal (CHRNA4:S284L) developing spontaneous epileptic seizure during sleep, which is a nonhuman animal established by ontogenesis of a totipotent cell into which a polynucleotide encoding nonhuman mutant CHRNA4 is introduced and having said polynucleotide in its somatic chromosome, or a progeny of the nonhuman animal, wherein said nonhuman mutant CHRNA4 has the corresponding mutation of human mutant CHRNA4 in which the 284th Ser of SEQ ID NO: 1 is substituted by Leu. The epilepsy model animal has gene abnormality homologous to human chromosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy and a symptom (epileptic seizure during sleep) the same as that of human autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a genuine epilepsy model animal as an improvement over conventional epilepsy model animals which are socalled seizures model animals mainly causing seizure attacks to be forcibly induced. Also provided is a method that allows for easy identification of the recombinants. The model non-human mammalian animal for human epilepsy according to the present invention is a human epilepsy model non-human mammalian animal, such as a rat model, that has the same genetic defects as those in human epilepsy. The model non-human mammalian animal has a mutated gene obtained by introducing a genetic mutation to the non-human mammalian DNA of the ?4 subunit (CHRNA4) or ?2 subunit (CHRNB2) of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholinergic receptor gene associated with human autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy, and by introducing a specific probe. The human epilepsy model non-human mammalian animal of the present invention allows for easy identification of the recombinants.

Abstract: An epilepsy model animal (CHRNA4:S284L) developing spontaneous epileptic seizure during sleep, which is a nonhuman animal established by ontogenesis of a totipotent cell into which a polynucleotide encoding nonhuman mutant CHRNA4 is introduced and having said polynucleotide in its somatic chromosome, or a progeny of the nonhuman animal, wherein said nonhuman mutant CHRNA4 has the corresponding mutation of human mutant CHRNA4 in which the 284th Ser of SEQ ID NO: 1 is substituted by Leu. The epilepsy model animal has gene abnormality homologous to human chromosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy and a symptom (epileptic seizure during sleep) the same as that of human autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy.