Adnkronos Rome, 7 Feb. (Adnkronos Salute) – "As Sin we hope, for the future, that the equation 'person with epilepsy equals disability' will disappear definitively and that our country will soon be at the forefront in the fight against all brain diseases". Thus Angelo Labate, full professor of Neurology at the University of Messina and coordinator of the Epilepsy Study Group of the Italian Society of Neurology, on the occasion of the International Epilepsy Day, which is celebrated on 10 February, underlines that those who have received this diagnosis "must lead a normal life, must be able to access education, sports and the world of work like any other person. We hope – he continues – for a synergy of intent between scientific societies and patient associations in the fight against the stigma of epilepsy in parliamentary and legislative tables".
Epilepsy is a pathology caused by the repetition of a brief and sudden electrical activity in the brain that – as stated in a note – alters behavior based on the brain area from which it is generated. It is one of the most widespread neurological pathologies – it is in third place, after stroke and dementia – and is particularly present among the elderly. The World Health Organization estimates over 50 million cases in the world, with a prevalence between 5 and 7%, in the age group over 65. In Italy, where 30 thousand new cases are recorded every year, the pathology affects over 550 thousand people and 40% are drug-resistant. "The manifestations are varied and bizarre - explains Labate - such as episodes of sudden loss of consciousness, falling to the ground and convulsive-like movements, or crises in which particular sensations can be felt such as flashes of light, noises, tingling, images of memories from the past, automatisms. We can define it as a 'democratic' disease as it affects both sexes equally without a clear prevalence between women and men, it does not distinguish between races or social classes and it is not endemic to a specific geographical area".
The causes of epilepsy can have a genetic origin, especially in some rarer forms, while most are multifactorial or due to structural brain lesions, such as perinatal damage, malformations of the brain or blood vessels, strokes, meningitis or encephalitis. "Other causes of epilepsy, particularly frequent in the elderly - adds the neurologist - are metabolic and dysimmune", that is, due to an immune disorder, "or associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, however, a significant portion remains unknown. Prevention for a person with epilepsy means above all avoiding potential triggers such as, for example, significant alterations in the sleep-wake cycle, alcohol or drug abuse and light stimuli".
In recent years, research has made great strides in the treatment of the pathology. Today we have over 30 anti-seizure drugs, with third-generation ones offering more effective and tolerable molecules. In addition, epilepsy surgery, brain neurostimulation and the ketogenic diet represent valid therapeutic options, in some more complex cases. It should not be forgotten that some forms, which appear in childhood, spontaneously end with growth, possibly requiring therapies for limited periods, while waiting for spontaneous remission.
"Today, the neurologist has many tools available to treat epilepsy," concludes Labate, "and the expert's task is precisely to find the ideal anti-seizure drug for a personalized therapy. In this sense, especially third-generation drugs favor the synthesis of effective, tolerable molecules with little impact on quality of life. Today, we have only one drug that modifies the disease, but research is moving forward and, probably, in the next two or three years we will have drugs on the market that modify the course of the disease, without exclusively treating the symptom."