Role Of Gut Microbiota In Epilepsy

Nearly one thousand different types of bacteria colonize the human gut. Some of these bacteria are helpful to us while others can cause disease. Obesity, diabetes, stomach ulcers and Parkinson’s disease have all been linked to changes in the gut bacterial flora. However, little is known about the role of the gut bacteria in epilepsy. The goal here is to investigate whether certain types of gut bacteria can stop or trigger seizures and how they are able to do so. If successful, our research could pave the way for completely new treatments for epilepsy by safely manipulating the gut bacteria using dietary intervention, probiotics, or short courses of antibiotics.