UCI study takes researchers closer to epilepsy treatment

Researchers have learned more about what causes epileptic seizures in the brain, according to a UCI study published online this week by the National Academy of Sciences.

“The structure of the epileptic brain differs substantially from that of a healthy one,” said UCI researcher Robert Morgan in a release.

The study involves how extra neuronal “hubs” in the epileptic brain amplify signals to such a degree that they overwhelm brain networks, causing seizures.

“By establishing therapeutic measures that can selectively target these hub cells, we may be able to create a treatment for epilepsy,” Morgan said in the release.

More than 2 million people in the U.S. and about 50 million worldwide are affected by epilepsy.

— Daniel Tedford