Abstract—Glycogen phosphorylase activity and glycogen levels were investigated in the cerebral cortex of mice of two different strains under the influence of homocysteine. Control levels of glycogen and total phosphorylase activity (i. e. activity in the presence of 1 mM‐AMP) were higher in the inbred strain A, whereas a higher proportion of phosphorylase in its active form (activity without 5′‐AMP) was obtained in the ICR strain (probably due to slower fixation of brain in this strain). Changes occurring after the administration of homocysteine were similar in both strains. With the onset of first clonic seizures a marked increase of phosphorylase a occurred (increase 99 per cent in strain A and 46.5 per cent in ICR, respectively). During the latter phase of tonic seizures active phosphorylase a did not significantly differ from control values. Five minutes after the end of a tonic seizure, i. e. when partial recovery could already be observed, a marked decrease of active phosphorylase a in comparison with control values, was evident (decrease against control values of 45.5 per cent in strain A and 30.5 per cent in ICR, respectively). The total phosphorylase activity was not affected in strain A, whereas a slight increase during clonic seizures was seen in the ICR strain. In accordance with the enhanced activation of phosphorylase at the onset of clonic seizures, a marked decrease in glycogen levels (35‐50 per cent) was observed in both strains of mice. This decrease persisted even during the 5 min recovery period. When seizures were prevented by Na phenobarbital or glycine, the activation of phosphorylase was either completely prevented (by a non‐anaesthetic dose of phenobarbital) or reduced (by glycine). The present results have demonstrated that changes in glycogen metabolism occurring during homocysteine seizures differ distinctly from those previously found during seizures induced by methionine sulphoximine, a substance structurally related to h