Autosomal dominant lateral temporal lobe epilepsy (ADLTE) is characterized by frequent partial seizures (two to five per month) that are associated with auditory or other sensory auras. Tonic-clonic seizures also occur in the majority of ADLTE patients, but are infrequent, developing only about once a year.

"These partial seizures can have a significant impact on a patient's quality of life," notes Anderson. "Because patients can be disoriented and excessively tired following a seizure event, their day-to-day lives can sometimes be seriously disrupted. And when it comes to driving and other activities, there is still a real danger associated with this condition.

"One important reason to identify genetic causes of epilepsy is the hope that these discoveries will eventually lead to new therapies," he adds. "By identifying this new pathway, we may have found a new target for future drug development."

This study was supported in part by grants from the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation, and Autism Speaks/US National Alliance for Autism Research.

Study coauthors include BIDMC investigators Yu-Dong Zhou (first author), Sanghoon Lee, Zhe Jin and Stephen E.P. Smith, and Moriah Wright of Tufts University School of Medicine.

Source: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center