Fidel Empalmado
I chose to research an article about seizures. My wife has
epilepsy, and has suffered from seizures for several years now. She is on the
highest dose of medication that she can be on; however, she still has seizures
if she has added stress, lack of sleep, or poor diet (which happens too often
with three children at home). On top of
having epilepsy, she is also prescribed medications for her depression and
anxiety. This condition not only affects her physically and emotionally, but also
takes a toll on the whole family. I have a great interest in educating myself
more on this topic hoping to eradicate her seizures or lessen the frequency of
them.
In our class, I have learned that electrical signal or
activity in the neurons are caused by ions flowing in and out of the protein
channels in the plasma membrane of cells.
Ions are atoms or molecules with a net electric charge due to the loss
or gain of one or more electrons. The ions that are involve in propagating
electrical signals are NA+(Sodium), Cl-(Chloride), Ca2(Calcium), K+(Potassium)
and A- (negatively charge anions).
In this article the author discovered a possible underlying
link in cause of seizures. Overexcited neurons have always been the known cause
for seizures, but this research shows just what “sparks the cells to go
haywire”.
While studying fruit flies, scientists found that “when
glial cells in the cortex of fruit flies cannot properly control their calcium
levels, they leave neighboring neurons vulnerable to seizures.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
identified a genetic mutation that causes fruit flies to seize when they are
exposed to heat or vibration. On studying the mutation, they found that it
affects a gene called zydeco that controls calcium exchange inside glial
cells.”
Additionally, this mutation that affects zydeco gene on
fruit flies, prevents tiny calcium fluctuations from occurring in glia, which
Melom believes results in a buildup of calcium inside the cells.
Because stress such as heat usually boost calcium levels,
the combination could trigger “some sort of glial reaction that spirals into a
seizure”. Another major question is how glial cells communicate with the
neurons, prodding them to over excite. The researchers believe that because the
same version of zydeco gene exist in mammals, the answer could help explain the
genesis of epileptic seizures in humans as well.
More simply put, overexcited neurons cause the seizure, but
there are several ways that neurons get overexcited. Researcher Jan Melom found
that “the mutation identified in the study prevents tiny calcium fluctuations
from occurring in glia, which Melom believes results in a buildup of calcium
inside the cells”. This causes a depolarized intracellular environment making
neurons overexcited. It is very interesting to hear this theory because my wife
did not have seizures until 5 years ago. With her current lifestyle as a mother
and having a husband going to school full time, she has become much more prone
to have seizures under this stressful environment. I am anxious for more
updates about this scientific breakthrough with the hopes of finding a cure to
this condition.
Scientific American
Melinda Wenner Moyer
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brains-gilal-cells-spark-seizures/
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