Title:Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Disease: Current Concepts and Treatment
Perspective on Two Closely Related Pathologies
Volume: 20
Issue: 11
Author(s): Antonio Leo, Martina Tallarico, Miriam Sciaccaluga, Rita Citraro*Cinzia Costa
Affiliation:
- System and Applied Pharmacology@University Magna Grecia (FAS@UMG) Research Center, Science of Health Department,
School of Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
Keywords:
Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, pharmacology, perspective of treatment, network hyperexcitability, neurological comorbidities.
Abstract: The literature on epileptic seizures in Alzheimer's disease has significantly increased over
the past decades. Remarkably, several studies suggest a bi-directional link between these two common
neurological diseases, with either condition carrying a nearly 2-fold risk of contracting the other
in comparison to healthy subjects. In this respect, evidence from both clinical and preclinical
studies indicates that epileptogenesis and neurodegeneration possibly share common underlying
mechanisms. However, the precise association between epileptogenesis and neurodegeneration still
needs to be fully elucidated. Targeted intervention to reduce abnormal network hyperexcitability
might constitute a therapeutic strategy to postpone the onset of later neurodegenerative changes and
consequent cognitive decline by many years in patients. By virtue of this, an early diagnosis and
treatment of seizures in patients with Alzheimer’s disease should be pursued. To date, no guidelines
are available for treating epileptic activity in this context, largely due to the paucity of studies sufficient
to answer the related questions. Accordingly, clinical trials are mandatory, not only to inform
clinicians about symptomatic management of seizures in Alzheimer’s disease patients but also to detect
if treatment with antiseizure medications could have disease-modifying effects. Moreover, it
will be fundamental to expand the application of animal models of Alzheimer’s disease to comorbid
conditions, such as epilepsy both to reveal the mechanisms underlying seizure onset and to better
define their role in cognitive decline. Such models could also be useful to identify pharmacological
compounds having therapeutically effectiveness as well as reliable early biomarkers for seizures in
Alzheimer’s disease.
