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Microscopy image of a human stem cell-derived hippocampal organoid. When the tissue carries an epilepsy-causing variant in the SCN8A gene, inhibitory neurons (seen in red) are disrupted, and hippocampal brainwave activity patterns are altered.

UCLA Researchers Find how Epilepsy Genes Disrupt Different Brain Regions using Stem Cell Models

09/18/2025 / UCLA

Using patient-derived stem cells, the researchers generated advanced cellular models of two key brain areas: the cortex and the hippocampus.

Most Epilepsy Patients Wait a Year After Starting Treatment for Seizure Relief

09/18/2025 / NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Langone Health

Findings suggest that those with focal epilepsy should expect a long adjustment period as their health care provider determines the best treatment regimen for them.

Standard Complete Blood Count to Predict Long-Term Outcomes in Febrile Infection–Related Epilepsy Syndrome (FIRES)

09/18/2025 / Epilepsia

Adults with unfavorable outcomes had elevated ratios of monocytes relative to lymphocytes. In children, unfavorable outcomes correlated with increased red cell size.

Fig. 2 Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) applied across the cohorts. (a) PRS for longevity was lower in the SUDEP cohort (n = 161) than in the Epilepsy (n = 768) (Adjusted P = 0·0096, at PT = 10−3, Tukey's test) and the Healthy control (n = 1153) cohorts (Adjusted P = 0·0016, at PT = 10−3, Tukey's test). The difference between the Epilepsy (n = 768) and the Healthy controls (n = 1153) was not significant (Adjusted P = 0·34, at PT = 10−3, Tukey's test). (b) PRS for epilepsy was not significantly different between the SUDEP cohort (n = 161) and the Epilepsy controls (n = 768) (Adjusted P = 0·76, at PT = 0·1, Tukey's test). PRS for epilepsy was significantly higher in the SUDEP cohort (n = 161) than in the Healthy controls (n = 1153) (Adjusted P = 6·6 × 10−7, at PT = 0·1, Tukey's test) and significantly higher in the Epilepsy controls (n = 768) compared to the Healthy controls (n = 1153) (Adjusted P < 2·22 × 10−16, at PT = 0·1, Tukey's test). (c) PRS for intelligence was significantly lower in the SUDEP cohort (n = 161) compared with the Epilepsy controls (n = 768) (Adjusted P = 0·0073, at PT = 0·01, Tukey's test) and the Healthy controls (n = 1153) (Adjusted P = 0·00024, at PT = 0·01, Tukey's test). PRS for epilepsy was not significantly different between the Epilepsy controls (n = 768) and the Healthy controls (n = 1153) (Adjusted P = 0·039, at PT = 0·01, Tukey's test). The per-PRS P values shown in the graphics are estimated using a post-hoc multiple pairwise comparisons (Tukey's test). As multiple PRS analyses were performed, the final Adjusted P value significance threshold was set to α = 0·05/3.

SUDEP Risk is Influenced by Genomics: a Polygenic Risk Score Study

09/18/2025 / The Lancet

Researchers found that common genetic variation contributes to SUDEP risk, offering new approaches to improve SUDEP risk prediction and to understand the underlying biological mechanisms of SUDEP.

Enhancing Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) research through development of pre-clinical common data elements

08/20/2025 / Epilepsia Open

We assembled experts in preclinical and clinical SUDEP research to develop Common Data Elements (CDEs) and Case Report Forms (CRFs) to enable standardization and translation of preclinical SUDEP data.

Early-Onset Neonatal Infection and Epilepsy in Children

08/20/2025 / JAMA Network

Exploration of the association between early-onset neonatal infection, specifically sepsis and meningitis, and childhood epilepsy.

Long-term Hippocampal Low-Frequency Stimulation Alleviates Focal Seizures, Memory Deficits and Synaptic Pathology in Epileptic Mice

08/20/2025 / Science Direct

Insights into the seizure type-specific effects of hippocampal low-frequency stimulation, and support for the idea that it could contribute to enhanced seizure control and quality of life in Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy patients.