It's known that seizures damage the brain,
especially if prolonged. That's why status
epilepticus (a seizure that doesn't self-terminate,
lasting at least 10 continuous minutes)
is a medical emergency, requiring immediate
treatment.
One process that occurs shortly after status
epilepticus is inflammation of the brain.
Inflammation is the body's response to injury,
where blood flow to the affected area is
increased to allow the healing process to
begin. Inflammation has been shown to be
harmful in other brain conditions such as
stroke.
Rod Scott and Mark Lythgoe
at the Neurosciences and Radiology &
Physics Units, Institute of Child Health
(part of University College London), will
investigate whether preventing inflammation
after status epilepticus prevents the development
of epilepsy. They have been awarded £79,937
over two years to investigate "The
effect of status epilepticus-induced neuroinflammation
on brain injury and epileptogenesis".
They will use a state-of-the-art MRI scanner
(very high strength, the latest version
in the UK) and special tracer molecules
to investigate the development of inflammation
after status epilepticus. They'll monitor
the epilepsy that develops using wireless
video EEG. They'll also see whether giving
anti-inflammatory drugs affects inflammation
after status epilepticus, and whether these
drugs affect whether epilepsy is developed
in consequence and how severe it is.
It's hoped that understanding how status
epilepticus damages the brain may lead to
new treatments that prevent the subsequent
development of epilepsy.
