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Medicine and Health Sciences

Michael A. Rogawski

Neurosteroid

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Pediatric Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus Treated With Allopregnanolone, Eileen Broomall, Joanne Natale, Michele Grimason, Joshua Goldstein, Craig Smith, Celia Chang, Stephen Kanes, Michael Rogawski, Mark Wainwright Dec 2013

Pediatric Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus Treated With Allopregnanolone, Eileen Broomall, Joanne Natale, Michele Grimason, Joshua Goldstein, Craig Smith, Celia Chang, Stephen Kanes, Michael Rogawski, Mark Wainwright

Michael A. Rogawski

Super-refractory status epilepticus is a life-threatening condition. Resistance to benzodiazepine and barbiturate treatment for this disorder is thought to be due to internalization of synaptic GABA-A receptors, and withdrawal of benzodiazepines and barbiturates during treatment often triggers seizure recurrence. The neurosteroid allopregnanolone acts as a positive allosteric modulator of synaptic and extrasynaptic GABA-A receptors. Here we describe the use of allopregnanolone in two pediatric patients with super-refractory status epilepticus. This treatment allowed the general anesthetic infusions to be weaned with resolution of status epilepticus. This is the first report of allopregnanolone use to treat status epilepticus in children.


Neuroactive Steroids For The Treatment Of Status Epilepticus, Michael Rogawski, Carlos Loya, Kiran Reddy, Dorota Zolkowski, Christoph Lossin Dec 2012

Neuroactive Steroids For The Treatment Of Status Epilepticus, Michael Rogawski, Carlos Loya, Kiran Reddy, Dorota Zolkowski, Christoph Lossin

Michael A. Rogawski

Benzodiazepines are the current first-line standard-of-care treatment for status epilepticus but fail to terminate seizures in about one third of cases. Synaptic GABA-A receptors, which mediate phasic inhibition in central circuits, are the molecular target of benzodiazepines. As status epilepticus progresses, these receptors are internalized and become functionally inactivated, conferring benzodiazepine resistance, which is believed to be a major cause of treatment failure. GABA-A receptor positive allosteric modulator neuroactive steroids, such as allopregnanolone, also potentiate synaptic GABA-A receptors, but in addition they enhance extrasynaptic GABA-A receptors that mediate tonic inhibition. Extrasynaptic GABA-A receptors are not internalized, and desensitization of these …


Role Of Neurosteroids In The Anticonvulsant Activity Of Midazolam, Ashish Dhir, Michael A. Rogawski Mar 2012

Role Of Neurosteroids In The Anticonvulsant Activity Of Midazolam, Ashish Dhir, Michael A. Rogawski

Michael A. Rogawski

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Midazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine that is widely used as an intravenous sedative and anticonvulsant. Besides interacting with the benzodiazepine site associated with GABA-A receptors, some benzodiazepines act as agonists of translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO) to enhance the synthesis of steroids, including neurosteroids with positive modulatory actions on GABA-A receptors. We sought to determine if neurosteroidogenesis induced by midazolam contributes to its anticonvulsant action. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Mice were pretreated with neurosteroid synthesis inhibitors and potentiators followed by midazolam or clonazepam, a weak TSPO ligand. Anticonvulsant activity was assessed with the intravenous pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) threshold test. KEY …


Neurosteroid Replacement Therapy For Catamenial Epilepsy, Doodipala S. Reddy, Michael A. Rogawski Apr 2009

Neurosteroid Replacement Therapy For Catamenial Epilepsy, Doodipala S. Reddy, Michael A. Rogawski

Michael A. Rogawski

Perimenstural catamenial epilepsy, the cyclical occurrence of seizure exacerbations near the time of menstruation, affects a high proportion of women of reproductive age with drug refractory epilepsy. Enhanced seizure susceptibility in perimenstrual catamenial epilepsy is believed to be due to the withdrawal of the progesterone-derived GABA-A receptor modulating neurosteroid allopregnanolone as a result of the fall in progesterone at the time of menstruation. Studies in a rat pseudopregnancy model of catamenial epilepsy indicate that following neurosteroid withdrawal there is enhanced susceptibility to chemoconvulsant seizures. There is also a transitory increase in the frequency of spontaneous seizures in epleptic rats that …


Neurosteroids: Endogenous Modulators Of Seizure Susceptibility, Michael A. Rogawski, Doodipala S. Reddy Dec 2003

Neurosteroids: Endogenous Modulators Of Seizure Susceptibility, Michael A. Rogawski, Doodipala S. Reddy

Michael A. Rogawski

No abstract provided.


Of Blind Men And Brain Steroids, Michael A. Rogawski Dec 1999

Of Blind Men And Brain Steroids, Michael A. Rogawski

Michael A. Rogawski

Review of "Neurosteroids: A New Regulatory Function in the Nervous System" (edited by Etiene-Emile Baulieu, Paul Robel and Michael Schumacher), Humana Press, 1999. ISBN 0896 03545X The first recognized example of the profound influence of steroid hormones on the nervous system was perhaps the observation in prehistoric times that animal behaviour changes dramatically during oestrus (the period of female sexual receptivity). In recent years, much specific evidence has accumulated confirming that steroids affect the structure and function of the nervous system through effects on neurogenesis, cell death, cell migration, synapse formation and neuronal excitability.