Neuroinflammation in epilepsy: Mitochondrial connections and therapeutic targets
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Epilepsies impact approximately 65 million people worldwide. Clinical management can be difficult – approximately one third of patients fail to respond to existing antiseizure drugs. Neuroinflammation has been implicated in epileptogenesis in animal and clinical studies and is often associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Seizures are common among patients with primary genetic mitochondrial diseases. Neuroinflammation is commonly reported in mitochondrial diseases where neurologic dysfunction is present, including seizures, and recent findings show that at least some seizures in mitochondrial disease can be prevented by immune suppressing interventions. Existing anti-seizure therapies generally target neuronal functions without addressing potential underlying inflammatory etiology, while inflammatory mediators provide new candidates for intervention. Here, we detail evidence linking inflammation to epilepsy, with an emphasis on epilepsies linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, and discuss as the therapeutic potential of anti-inflammatory interventions in epilepsies.
Source: Brain Mechanisms
Institutions: Northumbria University, Seattle Children's Research Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,580
OpenAlex ID: W7119100516