Implications of Neuroimaging for the Treatment of Epilepsy
February 2003
in “
Annals of Neurology
”
TLDR Neuroimaging suggests that treatments targeting brain steroids could help control epilepsy, especially types linked to the menstrual cycle.
The document from 2003 highlights the potential of neurosteroid-based therapies for treating epilepsy, with a focus on catamenial epilepsy, which is influenced by the menstrual cycle. It discusses the role of allopregnanolone, a progesterone metabolite, in enhancing GABA receptor activation to control seizures. A case report within the document suggests that the therapeutic effect of progesterone may depend on its conversion to a 5α-reduced metabolite, as evidenced by a woman with catamenial epilepsy whose condition worsened after taking finasteride, a drug that inhibits steroid conversion. This case indicates that endogenous neurosteroids can affect seizure susceptibility and points to the need for more research into neurosteroid-based therapies for epilepsy, including types not related to the menstrual cycle.
