[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6775\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESimple blood test could reveal epilepsy risk \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.who.int\/mediacentre\/factsheets\/fs999\/en\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E50 million people are affected by epilepsy\u003C\/a\u003E worldwide. However, diagnosing the disease remains challenging and treatments are often unsuccessful: only 70% of patients taking anti-epileptic drugs are seizure-free.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Diagnosis of epilepsy is really difficult,\u2019 explained David Henshall, professor of molecular physiology and neuroscience at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. \u2018Seizures are the main clinical symptom for the disease but it is very rare that a doctor will witness the patient having a seizure. This makes epilepsy completely different from Parkinson\u2019s disease, for example, where the doctor can observe the symptoms.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most common tests for epilepsy is an electroencephalogram (EEG), which detects abnormal electrical activity in the brain. \u2018The problem is that a lot of people with epilepsy have normal EEGs, while others may have abnormal EEGs but do not have epilepsy,\u2019 said Prof. Henshall. \u2018That\u2019s why we need a better test.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn ideal solution would be a simple blood test that detects biomarkers \u2013 the tell-tale molecular signs that someone has epilepsy. Prof. Henshall leads the EPIMIRNA consortium which has been studying micro RNA (miRNA) \u2013 micro ribonucleic acid, molecules which can influence genes \u2013 to see if these could be the key to diagnosing epilepsy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy comparing the levels of several miRNA molecules in the blood of healthy volunteers with levels in epilepsy patients, the researchers can see which ones are associated with epilepsy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We have identified a set of miRNAs that are consistently changed in the blood levels of people with epilepsy,\u2019 Prof Henshall said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018Seizures are the main clinical symptom for the disease but it is very rare that a doctor will witness the patient having a seizure.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProfessor David Henshall, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeizures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the promising applications of this finding will be in helping doctors to distinguish between patients with epilepsy and those who have seizures for other reasons. \u2018There is a challenging group of patients who have non-epileptic seizures or psychogenic attacks (seizures of psychological origin),\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018These patients are often put on epilepsy drugs for long periods before it is realised that they do not have epilepsy. We found that (people in that) group have normal levels of epilepsy-related miRNAs \u2013 it\u2019s one of our most valuable findings.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe group is now working with chemists to develop a prototype device that can detect low levels of these biomarkers in the blood. If successful, a finger-prick blood test, similar to a blood glucose test used in diabetes patients \u2013 could be available within five years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce diagnosed, the challenge becomes finding the right treatment. Not all epilepsy patients are the same and a drug that works well in one patient might not prevent seizures in another. Many patients try several drugs before finding the one that best suits them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, by combining biomarkers and other tools \u2013 such as brain scans \u2013 researchers hope to help doctors choose the right treatment for the right patient every time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Single biomarkers have not been very successful (in guiding treatments) because epilepsy is a complex condition with multiple processes involved,\u2019 said Merab Kokaia, professor of neurology at Lund University in Sweden. \u2018Combinational biomarkers could improve diagnosis but also improve outcomes by beginning treatment earlier.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf doctors know which brain processes are involved in a patient\u2019s epilepsy, they can predict how the disease will develop and perhaps even stop it in its tracks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bit.ly\/newsalertsignup\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/news-alert-final.jpg\u0022 alt width=\u0022983\u0022 height=\u0022222\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBiomarkers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Kokaia leads the EPITARGET project which has identified biomarkers in the blood that could lead to more tailored treatments. These includes miRNAs and a protein known as HMGB1, amongst others.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the key areas of interest is the effect of trauma on the brain. People who have suffered traumatic brain injury are at higher risk of developing epilepsy, but only 20-25% actually develop the condition. Before a patient begins to suffer epileptic seizures, several changes in the brain take place. This gradual process, known as epileptogenesis, could be arrested through early treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Using selective and specific reliable biomarkers, we want to identify patients at risk so that we can treat them and perhaps prevent the development of epilepsy,\u2019 said Prof. Kokaia. \u2018We have shown that this is possible in animals and will test it in humans.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIdentifying biomarkers and changes to brain structures may ultimately lead to new treatments that target the molecules shown to be active in epilepsy. \u2018Combining biomarkers is key,\u2019 said Prof Kokaia. \u2018It could make treatment more personalised in the years to come.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAll research in this article is funded by the EU. The key findings from these and other epilepsy research projects will be presented at the epiXchange conference in Brussels, Belgium on 23 May. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003EThe Issue\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EApproximately 6 million people in Europe suffer from epilepsy, a chronic brain disorder that is characterised by recurrent seizures. It affects people of all ages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the last decade the EU allocated around \u20ac176 million in funding for research into dianostic tools and therapeutic interventions for epilepsy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2011, the European Parliament submitted a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epilepsyallianceeurope.org\/european-parliament\/eu-written-declaration-on-epilepsy\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Ewritten declaration on epilepsy\u003C\/a\u003E which led to the 2015 establishment of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/epi-care.eu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEuropean Reference Network\u003C\/a\u003E for the care of individuals with rare and complex epilepsies.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-rmyuilguy-s1hsmehrnkxk2zqx8ok-e9gd5oj95kd5u\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-RmYUilGUy-S1hsmeHRNKxk2zqX8OK_E9gD5Oj95kD5U\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]