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Research on mice points to possible cause of seizuresNew research has uncovered possible causes of epilepsy related to signals in the brain that go haywire.
It suggests that when a certain protein is missing in the brains of mice, the animals have epileptic seizures. The protein appears to be important to the brain's ability to calm and fine-tune itself.
The researchers, who report their findings in the Sept. 18 issue of
Cell, found that neural connections in the brain were excitable in the mice even though connections appeared normal.
When the protein was restored, the brains of the mice began acting normally again.
The specific protein referred to is one encoded by plasticity related gene-1 (PRG-1) and is found only in the brain, according to the researchers. Its calming effect depends on how the protein interacts with lipids that provide a signaling function in the brain.