Citation

Perucca P, Smith G, Santana-Gomez C, Bragin A, Staba R. Neurobiol. Dis. 2019; 123: 69-74.

Affiliation

Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.nbd.2018.06.002

PMID

29883622

Abstract

Post-traumatic epilepsy is the architype of acquired epilepsies, wherein a brain insult initiates an epileptogenic process culminating in an unprovoked seizure after weeks, months or years. Identifying biomarkers of such process is a prerequisite for developing and implementing targeted therapies aimed at preventing the development of epilepsy. Currently, there are no validated electrophysiological biomarkers of post-traumatic epileptogenesis. Experimental EEG studies using the lateral fluid percussion injury model have identified three candidate biomarkers of post-traumatic epileptogenesis: pathological high-frequency oscillations (HFOs, 80-300 Hz); repetitive HFOs and spikes (rHFOSs); and reduction in sleep spindle duration and dominant frequency at the transition from stage III to rapid eye movement sleep. EEG studies in humans have yielded conflicting data; recent evidence suggests that epileptiform abnormalities detected acutely after traumatic brain injury carry a significantly increased risk of subsequent epilepsy. Well-designed studies are required to validate these promising findings, and ultimately establish whether there are post-traumatic electrophysiological features which can guide the development of 'antiepileptogenic' therapies.

Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

Biomarker; EEG; Electrophysiology; Epileptogenesis; High-frequency oscillations; Post-traumatic epilepsy; Repetitive HFOs and spikes; Seizure; Sleep spindles; Traumatic brain injury