Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Feb 9;12(2):410.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12020410.

Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Biomarkers of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy: A Comprehensive Overview

Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Biomarkers of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy: A Comprehensive Overview

Dimitrios Kazis et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

This paper presents an in-depth exploration of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy (PTE), a complex neurological disorder following traumatic brain injury (TBI), characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures. With TBI being a global health concern, understanding PTE is crucial for effective diagnosis, management, and prognosis. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology, risk factors, and emerging biomarkers of PTE, thereby informing clinical practice and guiding future research. The epidemiological aspect of the study reveals PTE as a significant contributor to acquired epilepsies, with varying incidence influenced by injury severity, age, and intracranial pathologies. The paper delves into the multifactorial nature of PTE risk factors, encompassing clinical, demographic, and genetic elements. Key insights include the association of injury severity, intracranial hemorrhages, and early seizures with increased PTE risk, and the roles of age, gender, and genetic predispositions. Advancements in neuroimaging, electroencephalography, and molecular biology are presented, highlighting their roles in identifying potential PTE biomarkers. These biomarkers, ranging from radiological signs to electroencephalography EEG patterns and molecular indicators, hold promise for enhancing PTE pathogenesis understanding, early diagnosis, and therapeutic guidance. The paper also discusses the critical roles of astrocytes and microglia in PTE, emphasizing the significance of neuroinflammation in PTE development. The insights from this review suggest potential therapeutic targets in neuroinflammation pathways. In conclusion, this paper synthesizes current knowledge in the field, emphasizing the need for continued research and a multidisciplinary approach to effectively manage PTE. Future research directions include longitudinal studies for a better understanding of TBI and PTE outcomes, and the development of targeted interventions based on individualized risk profiles. This research contributes significantly to the broader understanding of epilepsy and TBI.

Keywords: biomarkers in epilepsy; neuroimaging; neuroinflammation; post-traumatic epilepsy; risk factors for PTE; traumatic brain injury.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Similar articles

References

    1. Jennett W.B. Late Epilepsy after Blunt Head Injuries: A Clinical Study based on 282 Cases of Traumatic Epilepsy Hunterian Lecture delivered at the Royal College of Surgeons of England on 23rd March 1961. Ann. R. Coll. Surg. Engl. 1961;29:370. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Annegers J.F., Hauser W.A., Coan S.P., Rocca W.A. A population-based study of seizures after traumatic brain injuries. N. Engl. J. Med. 1998;338:20–24. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199801013380104. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Christensen J., Pedersen M.G., Pedersen C.B., Sidenius P., Olsen J., Vestergaard M. Long-term risk of epilepsy after traumatic brain injury in children and young adults: A population-based cohort study. Lancet. 2009;373:1105–1110. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60214-2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lee S.T., Lui T.N. Early seizures after mild closed head injury. J. Neurosurg. 1992;76:435–439. doi: 10.3171/jns.1992.76.3.0435. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Majidi S., Makke Y., Ewida A., Sianati B., Qureshi A.I., Koubeissi M.Z. Prevalence and risk factors for early seizure in patients with traumatic brain injury: Analysis from National Trauma Data Bank. J. Neurocrit. Care. 2017;27:90–95. doi: 10.1007/s12028-016-0363-6. - DOI - PubMed

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.

LinkOut - more resources