The presence of characteristic molecules in the blood may indicate an impending epilepsy attack, reports the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI). Research by Irish scientists can help millions of sick people.
The World Health Organization estimates that over 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy, and a significant proportion of them are not helped by medication. One of the most difficult aspects of living with epilepsy is the unpredictable nature of epilepsy, as shown by surveys of people with epilepsy.
Epilepsy – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
Irish scientists from the FutureNeuro research center and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland analyzed blood samples taken from patients from hospitals in Dublin (Ireland) and Marburg (Germany). As it turned out, many hours before the onset of epileptic seizures, patients’ blood shows an elevated level of characteristic fragments of transfer RNA (tRNA).
The tRNA molecules play an important role in the process of protein synthesis in the cell. Under stress, tRNA is cut into fragments, some of which end up in the blood. High levels of tRNA in the blood may be related to the stress to which brain cells are exposed due to the phenomena that lead to an epilepsy attack.
According to the authors, the discovery may lead to the development of an early warning system capable of warning patients in advance of an epilepsy attack.