Epilepsy News

Structural Determinants of Synaptic Vesicle Protein 2C Ligand Selectivity and Their Impact on Dopamine Release - The synaptic vesicle protein 2 (SV2) family is a highly conserved group of transmembrane glycoproteins sharing approximately 70% sequence identity. SV2A and SV2B are broadly distributed throughout the brain, while SV2C, the evolutionarily oldest member of the family, is primarily found in dopaminergic brain regions in the basal ganglia. Genome-wide association studies have linked SV2C to Parkin...

Epilepsy as a Contributing Cause of Death Among Malignant Brain Tumour Patients in the United States, 1999-2024: A Multiple-Cause CDC WONDER Joinpoint Analysis with Relevance to the Epilepsy Treatm... - CONCLUSIONS: Epilepsy was increasingly documented as a contributing cause of death among malignant brain tumour decedents in the United States over the 25-year study period, reflecting a persistent seizure burden in neuro-oncology. This reproducible population-based surveillance approach may help characterize epilepsy-related mortality and inform neuro-oncology surveillance strategies in countr...

YouTube Videos as Educational Resources for Seizure Clusters and Treatment Options: Cross-Sectional Observational Study - CONCLUSIONS: Accurate YouTube videos of seizure cluster management are limited and represent a knowledge gap that should be addressed to avoid patient harm. To facilitate better navigation of educational and instructional resources, clinicians should have a ready list of videos available to give to patients or provide a list of search terms that are known to produce accurate results to facilita...

Expanding the epilepsy spectrum in primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency with COQ4 variants - Case series and literature review - OBJECTIVE: To characterize the epileptic spectrum associated with COQ4 variants through three newly identified patients and literature review.

The Gatekeeper's Dilemma: Why Sustainable Functional/Dissociative Seizure Care Begins With Referral - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Functional neurologic disorders (FNDs) are highly prevalent across neurologic service lines, with functional/dissociative seizures (FDSs) being the most common FND symptom. Despite clear diagnostic criteria and evidence-based treatments, people with FDSs are frequently misdiagnosed, stigmatized, or routed through ineffective care. A key driver of these gaps is the ref...

Kv3.1 activation suppresses provoked and spontaneous seizures in a mouse Dravet syndrome model - OBJECTIVE: γ-Aminobutyric acidergic (GABAergic) parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons are critical for maintaining cortical inhibitory tone, with their dysfunction predictably leading to epilepsy. Rapid PV+ interneuron firing is essential for their normal function and is maintained in part by potassium voltage-gated channels. Specifically, the Kv3.1 voltage-gated potassium channel, which is h...

Brain signal irregularity may provide clues to understanding epileptic process - Researchers propose a new method to differentiate signals from the epileptic focus from those recorded in other parts of the brain without the presence of an epileptic seizure. This technique may help detect epilepsy-induced features from these signals much quicker than conventional analysis techniques.

Breakthrough tech enables seizure localization in minutes - New research introduces a novel network analysis technology that uses minimally invasive resting state electrophysiological recordings to localize seizure onset brain regions and predict seizure outcomes in just 10 minutes.

Antidepressant use during pregnancy not linked to epilepsy in children - A new study suggests that antidepressant use by mothers during the first trimester of pregnancy does not increase the chances of epilepsy and seizures in babies.