Secondary Epileptogenesis: Common to See, but Possible to Treat?

Yujia Shen; Yiwei Gong; Yeping Ruan; Zhong Chen; Cenglin Xu

doi:10.3389/fneur.2021.747372

Secondary Epileptogenesis: Common to See, but Possible to Treat?

Front Neurol. 2021 Dec 6:12:747372. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.747372. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yujia Shen^{1

2}, Yiwei Gong^{1

2}, Yeping Ruan¹, Zhong Chen^{1

2}, Cenglin Xu¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
² Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

Abstract

Secondary epileptogenesis is a common phenomenon in epilepsy, characterized by epileptiform discharges from the regions outside the primary focus. It is one of the major reasons for pharmacoresistance and surgical failure. Compared with primary epileptogenesis, the mechanism of secondary epileptogenesis is usually more complex and diverse. In this review, we aim to summarize the characteristics of secondary epileptogenesis from both clinical and laboratory studies in a historical view. Mechanisms of secondary epileptogenesis in molecular, cellular, and circuity levels are further presented. Potential treatments targeting the process are discussed as well. At last, we highlight the importance of circuitry studies, which would further illustrate precise treatments of secondary epileptogenesis in the future.

Keywords: mechanisms; neural circuits; neuromodulation; pharmacotherapy; secondary epileptogenesis.

Publication types

Review