Hormones and Absence Epilepsy

The document from 2017 discussed the complex relationship between hormones and absence epilepsy, highlighting that stress and gonadal hormones significantly influence seizure activity. Contrary to the common belief that estrogen and corticosteroids are proconvulsant and progesterone is anticonvulsant, the studies indicated that progesterone actually facilitates the occurrence of absence seizures, likely through its conversion to allopregnanolone and its action on GABAA receptors. However, during pregnancy, when progesterone levels are high, absence seizures decrease, suggesting a variable effect of progesterone depending on physiological conditions. The document also noted that estradiol does not affect absence seizures, while testosterone may influence them through its metabolites. Additionally, stress was mentioned as a factor that could modulate absence seizures, possibly through GABAA receptor modulation. The paper suggested that changes in GABAA receptor subunits might explain the different effects of progesterone across various life stages such as puberty, the ovulation cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.