Apo E Linked to Epilepsy After Traumatic Brain Injury

A study has found that individuals carrying the gene for the epsilon 4 variation of apolipoprotein E (apo E) were 2.41 times more likely to develop epileptic-type seizures after traumatic brain injury than those not carrying the gene.

About ten years ago, Apo E was linked to increased risk for development of Alzheimer's disease. In the current study, which was published in the June 2003 issue of the Archives of Neurology, investigators examined the linkage between Apo E and the development of epileptic-type seizures after traumatic brain injury.

A group of 106 patients with moderate-to-severe brain injuries were evaluated six months after having been admitted to hospital. In addition, DNA samples were examined to determine the patients' Apo E variant.

Of the 106 patients, 29 had the epsilon 4 variation of apoE, and 77 did not. Of the apoE carriers, 34% had post-traumatic seizures, while only 14% of those without the gene had seizures.

"Post-traumatic epilepsy is a common and frequently disabling complication of traumatic brain injury, for which there is no effective prophylactic therapy,” explained first author Dr. Diaz-Arrastia, associate professor of neurology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, USA; ). "What this finding indicates is that if we learn to manipulate aspects of lipid or lipoprotein metabolism in the brain we may be able to develop therapies to prevent post-traumatic epilepsy.




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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center