Genetics of epilepsy

Epilepsy is a “seizure disorder.” If you have epilepsy, your brain activity can become abnormal. You can have a rush of electrical activity in your brain that affects your body. That effect on your body is the seizure. Seizures can look different in different people. -You may have fast, jerking motions called convulsions. -You might slump or fall forward. -You may have unusual behavior. It might even be hard to tell if someone is having a seizure. Some people get warning signs. Some people don’t. Everyone is different. 1 in 26 people will get epilepsy at some point. It can develop at any age and cause other health problems. It is more common in young children and older adults. Medicine helps some people. What causes epilepsy? Head injuries can cause epilepsy. A brain tumor or stroke can also be the cause. Some infections may cause epilepsy. Some people with autism also have epilepsy. Genetics can play a part. My genes are different than your genes. That’s what make us unique. But, those differences can also raise our risk for a disease. Scientists know that some gene changes can raise our risk for epilepsy. There is a lot we do not know. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center want to study epilepsy. They will use BioVU to find patients who do and do not have epilepsy. They will look for gene differences in both groups. They will compare genes in patients who are similar in age and background. They will work with researchers from around the world. The goal is to find gene changes linked to each type of epilepsy. Their results may help us learn more about epilepsy. The goal is to find better ways to help people with epilepsy. We may also find new drugs that work better.