Inhibitory Brain Receptor may Lead to New Therapies for Childhood Epilepsy

In a mouse model of epilepsy, the emergence of a novel inhibitory brain receptor called alpha four beta delta, reduces seizure-like activity at the onset of puberty, says a new research led by SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. During a seizure, a person experiences abnormal behavior, or sometimes loss of consciousness. More than half of children with epilepsy outgrow their seizures, yet the mechanism underlying this remission is unknown.

Immediate Intervention in Prolonged Seizures Prevents Permanent Damage
Seizures are convulsive with jerking rhythmic movements of the arms and/or legs, or they may be non-convulsive but require immediate medical attention.

‘Administration of drugs that selectively enhance inhibition mediated by the brain receptor α4βδ further decreased seizure-like activity in a mouse model. ’

Tweet it Now

Sheryl Smith, PhD, professor of physiology and pharmacology at SUNY Downstate, explained, "Seizure-like discharges were three to four-fold greater before puberty and in pubertal mice that lack expression of this receptor. Administration of drugs that selectively enhance inhibition mediated by this receptor further decreased seizure-like activity in this model."

“These findings suggest a mechanism for the remission of epilepsy in adolescence and also suggest potential new therapies for childhood epilepsy."

The report, "Pubertal Expression of α4βδ GABAA Receptors Reduces Seizure-Like Discharges in CA1 Hippocampus," is published in Scientific Reports.

Seizures and Sudden Death in Epilepsy Patients
A gene crucial for heart and brain development may be associated with sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP), the most common cause of early mortality in epilepsy patients.

Source-Medindia

Debilitating Epileptic Seizures Associated With Glut 1 Deficiency Reduced by Medicinal Oil
The parents of Chloe Olivarez watched painfully as their daughter experienced epileptic seizures hundreds of times a day some two years ago.

Study of Non-Epileptic Seizures Yields Surprising Results
Surprising results of a study of patients who experience both epileptic and non-epileptic seizures are being reported by a Loyola University Medical Center neurologist.