The identification of a valid experimental model of absence epilepsy is important for the investigations of its mechanisms and for the evaluation and justification of new experimental treatment options. The genetic rat models such as rats of the WAG/Rij strain and GAERS were developed as models for generalized genetic epilepsy and, in particular, for childhood absence epilepsy, and are currently at the forefront of new theoretical insights regarding the site of origin of absence epilepsy. In this review article, 40-years of experience in the field of experimental absence epilepsy is summarized in order to work out suitable and most optimal protocols for the proper evaluation of treatment, often drug effects on the electroencephalogram (EEG) of genetic WAG/Rij rat. Here an overview is given regarding the design of drug evaluation studies, which animals to use, classical and new EEG variables, among other wavelet analyses and various types of network analyses, the necessity of monitoring and quantification of the rats’ behavior during the EEG registration, some pitfalls regarding the interpretation of the data, and some recent developments in EEG technology.
