Epilepsy Research News

January 2026

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A Surprising Brain Cleanup Reduced Epileptic Seizures and Restored Memory

New research suggests that temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), which causes seizures and often interferes with memory and thinking, is also tied to early aging in certain brain cells. Scientists report that eliminating these aging cells in mice led to fewer seizures, better memory, and protection against epilepsy in some animals.

When compared to individuals without epilepsy, the tissue from TLE patients showed a five-fold increase in senescent glial cells. These cells accumulate with age and release substances that can damage neurons and contribute to cognitive decline.

This led the team to investigate whether a similar buildup of aging cells occurred in a mouse model designed to mimic TLE. Within two weeks after the brain injury that initiated epilepsy in the mice, the researchers detected clear increases in markers of cellular aging at both gene and protein levels. When treatments were used to remove the aging cells, mice performed normally on maze-based memory tests, experienced fewer seizures, and about one-third were completely protected from developing epilepsy.

Depression Increases Epilepsy Risk, Makes it Harder to Treat

People with depression have more than double the risk of developing epilepsy, a new study says. In a separate study, researchers found that depression makes epilepsy more difficult to treat.

For the first study, researchers found that depression led to a 2.4-times increased risk of developing epilepsy, based on data pooled from eight prior studies. “Our findings show a consistent association that suggests an increased risk of developing epilepsy after depression, but they do not show that depression causes epilepsy,” lead researcher Dr. Ali Rafati, a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said. “We need to learn more about the biological connection, but the link between depression and epilepsy could be related to shared brain networks, stress and inflammation pathways, and sleep issues,” Rafati added.

For the second study, researchers analyzed data on more than 90,000 people recently diagnosed with epilepsy. Results showed that those with depression were 40% more likely to not be adequately helped by their first antiseizure medication.

“People with epilepsy are known to be at higher risk for mood disorders, but our study uncovers new information that those with depression are more likely to fail their first treatment,” lead researcher Dr. Samuel Terman, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said.

New Study Links Metabolic Defects to Dravet Syndrome

New research is the first to identify defects related to metabolism (how the body processes and uses energy) in children with Dravet syndrome.

Dravet syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy, usually diagnosed in infancy, that is associated with developmental delays and severe seizures. It has long been recognized for its neurological symptoms, but its underlying metabolic issues, especially at the cellular level, have not been extensively explored until this study.

“It’s been proven that some children with Dravet syndrome respond to ketogenic diets, which suggests that energy metabolism is somehow involved in the condition. Our goal was to explore this connection further to gain a deeper understanding of its role in managing the syndrome,” said Manisha Patel, PhD, the paper’s senior author and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The pilot study looked at the blood-derived immune cells of eight children with Dravet syndrome with known mutations in their sodium channels. Researchers then compared them to age- and sex-matched control cells to explore whether the cells from children with the condition exhibit different energy metabolism characteristics.

Late-Onset Epilepsy a Distinct Neurodegenerative Subtype?

Epilepsy is most common in older adults, and late-onset epilepsy (LOE), defined as recurrent seizures beginning after the age of 65, has been typically attributed to an acquired brain insult. However, LOE may represent a distinctive neurodegenerative-linked epilepsy subtype. LOE was the subject of many presentations at the annual American Epilepsy Society Meeting, held December 5-9, 2025, in Atlanta, GA.

Preliminary clinical data suggest that LOE has unique characteristics. Patients are more frequently female, have a heavier comorbidity load but lower disability, and rarely develop drug-resistant epilepsy.

Separate autopsy findings extend the picture, revealing that those who develop seizures later in life harbor more advanced Alzheimer-type and related neurodegenerative pathology, supporting the idea that LOE may arise from different underlying mechanisms.

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