Study Suggests Potential Heatwave Impact on Epilepsy
October 19, 2024
Article Published by Laboratory News
Heatwaves may be associated with an increase in abnormal brain activity among people with epilepsy, suggests a recent clinical study carried out by University College London (UCL). The association was revealed by chance in a group of patients receiving intracranial electroencephalography tests, which involve tracking brain activity by inserting small electrodes into the brain to measure electrical impulses. The testing coincided with several heatwaves, defined as a minimum of three days with daily maximum temperatures exceeding 28 degrees Celsius or 82 degrees Fahrenheit. UCL researchers compared brain activity and tracked seizures during heatwave vs. non-heatwave periods. Their data revealed both more seizures and more abnormal electrical brain activity in the heatwave periods. Discussing the research, published in Brain Communications, senior author Sanjay Sisodiya commented, “Our research shows that for some people with epilepsy in particular, those with the most severe epilepsies, higher ambient temperatures increase the likelihood of having seizures.” His team is now planning a larger study as the original research was limited to just nine people. Sisodiya, who recently led a review of hundreds of papers exploring the effect of climate change on neurological diseases, emphasized that examining the impact of heatwaves on human brain activity was crucial.