Identification of genetic loci for human epilepsies

Abstract

Epilepsy is relatively common neurological disorder affecting 0.5-1% of population during their lifetime (Hauser et al., 1993; Kaneko et al., 2002). Epilepsy is characterized by usually unprovoked and recurrent seizures, which are consequence of intensive burst activity from groups of neurons. Epileptic seizures are usually intermittent, self-limiting and occur with or without loss of consciousness. Seizures are generalized when synchronized firing of neurons involves the whole brain, or focal wherein seizure activity is limited to a specific brain region. While final outcome of seizure results from many complex and interacting biological phenomenon, abnormal cellular excitability and neuronal network defects are considered the two major physiological elements underlying seizure activity of the brain.