Inflammation may play a role in triggering epilepsy, scientists say

Dec 19, 2013 16:12 GMT  ·  By
Astroglia (green) and microglia (red) are two types of glial cells in the human brain
   Astroglia (green) and microglia (red) are two types of glial cells in the human brain

Researchers with the Faculty of Medicine at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), in Germany, have just finished conducting a new study on the inflammatory properties of medication used to treat epilepsy. Their goal was to cover a lack of data in the field, where doctors are unsure if these drugs promote or stem this type of immune system response. 

The reason this study was so important is that epilepsy itself is believed to be caused by inflammation that occurs in the brain. As such, treating it with substances that promote this response may be not only counterintuitive, but also damaging for patients, EurekAlert reports.

Interestingly, one of the substances the team investigated triggered a strong inflammation response, whereas another inhibited this process. In a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Epilepsia, the team argues that it all comes down to glial cells in the nervous system. Each of the four drugs studied affected this cell population in different ways.

In cell cultures, glial cells treated with the active substances gabapentin and valproic acid survived for longer periods of time than cells treated with carbamazepine or phenytoin. However, carbamazepine was found to reduce the severity of inflammation, while valproic acid made it worse. The team says more clinical trials are needed to assess these effects in more detail.