Epilepsy associated with poor brain health

Epilepsy is associated with poor brain health, with a consistent deleterious effect seen on cognitive and motor function and mental health, according to a study published online Dec. 31 in the Journal of Translational Medicine.

Dan-Dan Zhang, from Qingdao Municipal Hospital at Qingdao University in China, and colleagues examined the relationship of epilepsy with brain function, other common brain disorders, and their underlying mechanisms using data from 426,527 participants in the U.K. Biobank, 3,251 of whom were diagnosed with epilepsy at baseline.

The researchers found that epilepsy had consistent deleterious effects on cognitive and motor function and mental health. During the 17-year follow-up period, the population with epilepsy had a significantly elevated risk for neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders, according to the longitudinal analysis.

Several brain regions associated with epilepsy were identified, including the pallidum, hippocampus, and precentral regions. Mediating effects were seen for peripheral markers and proteins (e.g., GGT, HDL, ACE2, and GDF15), suggesting the involvement of liver function and lipid metabolism in the development of brain disorders in individuals with epilepsy.

“Our study emphasized the importance of early intervention in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy for brain health, and provided new insights to improve the quality of survival of patients with epilepsy,” the authors write.

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