Breast Cancer Drug Update: How Estrogen Synthesis Affects Seizure Episodes

Seizures can be suppressed through a type of drug that slows down the production of estrogen and also used for the breast cancer treatment. According to the new study conducted by the Northwestern University, this drug is able to provide a fast and effective therapy for brain seizures.

The seizures also enhance the estrogen production in the male and female brains, as discovered by senior author Catherine S. Woolley and Satoru M. Sato, a postdoctoral fellow. This enhanced estrogen production plays an undetermined role in the increase of seizure activity.

New methods of seizure treatment have been discovered, suggesting the shut down of the estrogen production in the brain when the seizure starts. However, the present treatments are not aimed at, since both functions by reducing the general neural activity and provide several side effects like dizziness, difficulty in concentrating and drowsiness, according to NDTV.

Status epilepticus is considered as a neurological emergency, which happens when massive groups of connected neurons are exceedingly firing in synchrony for a long period of time. Understanding that the estrogen synthesis while having seizures increase seizures activity will provide the researchers with a particular target for treating the escalation cycle.

The study discovered that preventing the estrogen synthesis following the onset of seizure greatly suppressed the seizures in both male and female without the help of other interventions or anti-seizure medications. The effect was observed in the recordings of hippocampal electroencephalogram or ECG and in the behavior of animals.  

The mortality rate of status epilepticus is at 20 percent, while those who were treated have an increased chance more unprovoked seizures. This is why new methods of controlling acute seizure are required according to the researchers.  

Seizure should be properly distinguished from epilepsy, according to Woolley, noting that the latter is a condition in which the patient has spontaneous and recurrent seizures that often lasts for just a few minutes. Status epilepticus, on the other hand, is the more severe episode of seizure, which affects 40 out of 100,000 people per year,  Science Codex reported.