Seizures are more common early in life than in adulthood. Bidirectional interactions between seizures and normal developmental processes define their expression and outcomes. Several developmentally regulated factors control neuronal excitability. GABAA receptors hold a central role as they control neuronal activity in an age-specific manner. Early in development, GABAA receptors have depolarizing effects, which contribute to the increased susceptibility of immature neurons to seizures but they are also essential for normal brain development. During development, there is a gradual shift to...