The brain has its own thermostat. A study shows epilepsy may interfere with it
Doctors have long known that changes in body temperature can affect seizure activity. Fever can trigger seizures in some young children, while in rare forms of epilepsy, bathing in hot water can bring on a seizure. Raised body temperature can also trigger seizures in Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that usually begins in infancy and is particularly sensitive to fever and overheating.
Recent research suggests that the brain possesses its own internal thermostat, which may be disrupted in epilepsy patients. Scientists from Italy, Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands discovered that epilepsy can alter the brain's temperature control centers, potentially leading to altered body temperature regulation. Using mice with a condition resembling human temporal lobe epilepsy, the researchers observed that body temperature in the hippocampus increased three days after the brain injury used to induce epilepsy.
This rise in temperature persisted even after the onset of seizures, indicating that the higher temperature was not solely due to seizure activity. The study also revealed that epilepsy is associated with fewer nerve cells and inflammation in regions of the hypothalamus responsible for temperature regulation. Additionally, thyroid hormone levels were disrupted in the mice, suggesting a potential disruption in the hormonal signaling chain.
While these findings in mice do not definitively prove impaired temperature regulation in people with epilepsy, they suggest a potential link worth investigating. The researchers also found that changes in temperature regulation may be more prevalent in people with epilepsy associated with visible brain damage. The study's authors propose that if the brain's temperature-control system is altered in certain forms of epilepsy, it could potentially make seizures more likely in people whose ability to regulate temperature is already compromised, such as during heat waves.
Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore potential treatments targeting the temperature regulation mechanisms in epilepsy.
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