Lack of CLOCK Protein may Cause Epilepsy

Epilepsy, a disorder of recurrent unprovoked seizures, is a common disabling neurological condition affecting up to 1 in 26 individuals. The lack of the protein "CLOCK" plays a role in several forms of epilepsy. A study at Brown University provides evidence that excessive excitation of specific brain cells may be due to a lack of CLOCK in the region of the brain that produces the seizures. This effect, researchers found, is stronger during sleep.