The influence of antiepileptics on the evolution of rat amygdaloid kindling was studied. Under placebo conditions clonic convulsions and a spike-wave EEG pattern developed. Diazepam, clonazepam, clobazam and phenobarbital were most effective in suppressing the evolution of kindling; the effects of valproate sodium, ethosuximide and acetazolamide were somewhat less pronounced in this respect. Carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and phenytoin, on the other hand, enhanced kindling development, i.e. the increase in duration of after-discharge was faster than in the placebo group. The results indicate that under the above experimental conditions drugs with no anti-absence component can be distinguished from those with an anti-absence component. The mechanism of action underlying the observed effects is not yet known; the hypothesis that under special conditions protective inhibitory neuronal activity can develop to absence type seizures is proposed.