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Kcnq2 Localization In The Brainstem, Christina Valera
Kcnq2 Localization In The Brainstem, Christina Valera
Honors Scholar Theses
KCNQ2 channels are potassium channels that serve to control neuronal excitability. Loss of function mutations in these channels are known to cause various forms of epilepsy. Recently, KCNQ2 R201C and R201H gain of function mutations have been shown to exhibit an exaggerated startle response and other unique phenotypes uncharacteristic of epilepsy. These phenotypes resemble hyperekplexia, a condition in which glycine neurotransmission in the spinal cord and brainstem is affected. While KCNQ2 has widespread localization throughout the brain, its presence in the brainstem remains unknown. We used immunostaining to determine the localization of KCNQ2 in the vagus nerve and hypoglossal nerve …
Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: Multiple Hypotheses, Few Answers, Fei Tang, Anika M. S. Hartz, Björn Bauer
Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: Multiple Hypotheses, Few Answers, Fei Tang, Anika M. S. Hartz, Björn Bauer
Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects over 70 million people worldwide. Despite the recent introduction of new antiseizure drugs (ASDs), about one-third of patients with epilepsy have seizures refractory to pharmacotherapy. Early identification of patients who will become refractory to ASDs could help direct such patients to appropriate non-pharmacological treatment, but the complexity in the temporal patterns of epilepsy could make such identification difficult. The target hypothesis and transporter hypothesis are the most cited theories trying to explain refractory epilepsy, but neither theory alone fully explains the neurobiological basis of pharmacoresistance. This review summarizes evidence for and against …