title: Searching for new targets for treatment of pediatric epilepsy.
abstract: The highest incidence of seizures in humans occurs during the first year of life. The high susceptibility to seizures in neonates and infants is paralleled by animal studies showing a high propensity to seizures during early life. The immature brain is highly susceptible to seizures because of an imbalance of excitation and inhibition. While the primary outcome determinant of early-life seizures is etiology, there is evidence that seizures which are frequent or prolonged can result in long-term adverse consequences, and there is a consensus that recurrent early-life seizures should be treated. Unfortunately, seizures in many neonates and children remain refractory to therapy. There is therefore a pressing need for new seizure drugs as well as antiepileptic targets in children. In this review, we focus on mechanisms of early-life seizures, such as hypoxia-ischemia, and novel molecular targets, including the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noam
authors.forename: Yogendra H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Raol
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Holmes
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D054815:Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D054815:Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels