This review highlights rare genetic diseases caused by mTOR pathway hyperactivation, summarising their genetics, symptoms, and treatments. It also showcases UK efforts to unite researchers, clinicians, and patients to improve diagnosis and care.
This study identifies genetic variants—particularly involving the gene SLCO5A1—that are linked to impulsivity in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, highlighting synaptic regulation as a key biological mechanism.
This paper shows that treatment response varies according to patient subgroups, with women faring worst of all. The study also sheds light on the problem of stress-triggered seizures.
In this paper we measure trait impulsivity in JME using two self-report questionnaires (BIS-brief and BIS-11). We see that trait impulsivity is elevated in JME compared to matched controls and comparable to scores in those with personality and neurotic disorders. Elevated impulsivity in JME is associated with having more frequent seizures (particularly absence seizures) as well as experiencing a psychiatric adverse event on levetiracetam
We have mapped the items from epilepsy-specific questionnaires for children to our recently developed core outcome set for children
We have found and appraised the measurement properties of existing epilepsy-specific questionnaires of children’s health-related quality of life.
We have identified 38 outcomes across 10 domains that young people with epilepsy, parents of children with epilepsy and professionals think should be measured in childhood epilepsy research.
Rolandic epilepsy (RE) is the most common genetic childhood epilepsy, with seizures at night and neurodevelopmental impairments such as dyslexia. In this study of 186 children with RE from ethnically diverse populations, we identified rare copy number variation (CNV, large duplications or deletions of DNA) in 84. Download publication (PDF)
We evaluated a new epilepsy genetic diagnostic and counseling service covering a UK population of 3.5 million. We calculated diagnostic yield, estimated clinical impact, and surveyed referring clinicians and families. We costed alternative investigational pathways for neonatal onset epilepsy. Download publication (PDF)