Role of Sodium Channels in Epilepsy
- 1The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- 2Department of Pharmacology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0632
- 3The Centre for Neural Engineering, The Department of Electrical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- 4The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Correspondence: steven.petrou{at}florey.edu.au
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are fundamentally important for the generation and coordinated transmission of action potentials throughout the nervous system. It is, therefore, unsurprising that they have been shown to play a central role in the genesis and alleviation of epilepsy. Genetic studies on patients with epilepsy have identified more than 700 mutations among the genes that encode for VGSCs attesting to their role in pathogenesis. Further, many common antiepileptic drugs act on VGSCs to suppress seizure activity. Here, we present an account of the role of VGSCs in epilepsy, both through their pathogenic dysfunction and as targets for pharmacotherapy.
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