A New Cell Type is Implicated in Epilepsy Caused by TBI

A recent study suggests that damage to interneurons disrupts neurotransmitter levels and plays a role in the development of epilepsy after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Published in Cerebral Cortex, the study examined the effect of TBI on the levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the cerebral cortex. Researchers identified a disrupted balance of GABA and its precursor, glutamate, as a factor in increased epileptic brain activity, findings that suggest traumatic brain injuries cause damage to the interneurons responsible for creating GABA. “Our study is an important step in identifying the mechanistic relationship between TBI and post-traumatic epilepsy. The study describes a potential outline of what happens after brain injury to trigger epilepsy, but the neurological causes of how TBI kills interneurons specifically after the initial injury are still unknown,” reveals first author David Cantu, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at Tufts University School of Medicine. To read more about the study, click here.