Dr. James McNamara led a team of Duke University researchers on an epilepsy study.
JAMES MCNAMARA
DURHAM Duke University scientists have developed a way to prevent epilepsy in mice, a promising step in the quest to find a preventative treatment for the disease in humans.
The researchers used a well-known early warning sign of the neurological disease to focus their treatment, said Dr. James McNamara, Professor of Neuroscience in the Duke School of Medicine.
An estimated 40 percent of young children who have a single prolonged seizure will eventually develop epilepsy later in life, and for more than two decades researchers have tried to figure out why, McNamara said.
How does a fleeting experience lead to a lifelong change in brain function? he said.
McNamaras group focused on the activity of a protein receptor found on the surface of neurons, the building blocks of the nervous system. When these receptors receive a certain protein signal, the neurons increase their excitability and eventually a seizure can happen.
In the research published online Thursday in the journal Neuron, McNamaras group blocked the receptors activity for a short period of time immediately after the initial prolonged seizure. With just two weeks of treatment, there was a dramatic reduction in the development of epilepsy later in life.
The study presented very convincing evidence that the treatment is truly preventative, said Dr. Michele Simonato of the University of Ferrara in Italy, an epilepsy expert unaffiliated with the research. The study represents a very important step forward in the effort to prevent epilepsy, but its still a very long road to treatment, Simonato said in an interview.
Epilepsy, marked by recurrent seizures, is a common neurological disorder that affects 1 in 26 children, said Patricia Gibson, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of N.C. The causes vary, including tumors, malformation, or trauma in various parts of the brain, which makes preventative treatment difficult.
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Duke researchers move towards preventing epilepsy