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Review
. 2017 Aug;264(8):1811-1824.
doi: 10.1007/s00415-017-8394-2. Epub 2017 Jan 24.

Recent advances in epilepsy

Affiliations
Review

Recent advances in epilepsy

Mark Manford. J Neurol. 2017 Aug.

Abstract

This paper reviews advances in epilepsy in recent years with an emphasis on therapeutics and underlying mechanisms, including status epilepticus, drug and surgical treatments. Lessons from rarer epilepsies regarding the relationship between epilepsy type, mechanisms and choice of antiepileptic drugs (AED) are explored and data regarding AED use in pregnancy are reviewed. Concepts evolving towards a move from treating seizures to treating epilepsy are discussed, both in terms of the mechanisms of epileptogenesis, and in terms of epilepsy's broader comorbidity, especially depression.

Keywords: Classification; Epilepsy; Epileptogenesis; Pregnancy; Status epilepticus; Treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Manford has no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Pathway showing some of the relationships between mTOR and cellular function which may be modulated in epileptogenesis and their modulation through inflammatory pathways and by drugs. AMPK 5′ AMP-activated protein kinase, IRS1 insulin receptor substrate 1, JAK Janus kinase, MTOR mechanistic target of rapamycin, PDK1 pyruvate dehydrogenase lipoamide kinase isozyme 1, P13K PI3 kinase, PKB protein kinase B, PtdIns phosphatidylinositol, PTEN phosphatase and tensin homologue, RHEB ras homolog enriched in brain (GTP binding protein), STRADA STE20-related kinase adaptor alpha, STK11 serine/threonine kinase 11, TSC tuberous sclerosis complex

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