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Review
. 2011 Jun;21(3):325-32.
doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2011.01.005. Epub 2011 Jan 27.

Epilepsy genetics--past, present, and future

Annapurna Poduri  1 , Daniel Lowenstein
Affiliations
Review

Epilepsy genetics--past, present, and future

Annapurna Poduri et al. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2011 Jun.

Abstract

Human epilepsy is a common and heterogeneous condition in which genetics play an important etiological role. We begin by reviewing the past history of epilepsy genetics, a field that has traditionally included studies of pedigrees with epilepsy caused by defects in ion channels and neurotransmitters. We highlight important recent discoveries that have expanded the field beyond the realm of channels and neurotransmitters and that have challenged the notion that single genes produce single disorders. Finally, we project toward an exciting future for epilepsy genetics as large-scale collaborative phenotyping studies come face to face with new technologies in genomic medicine.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
The major epilepsy genes, including those highlighted in this review, are shown to depict their relative chromosomal locations on this schematic karyotype (adapted from the National Center for Biotechnology Information website www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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