Potential biomarkers to distinguish epilepsy and non-epileptic seizures

William Curt LaFrance Jr, MD MPH, FAAN, FANPA, DFAPA, Brown University, Providence, RI, explains that his lab and several others are looking for biomarkers that can be used to distinguish epilepsy from non-epileptic seizures. These include serological biomarkers, such as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the plasma. First, his team hypothesized that patients with epilepsy would have higher BDNF levels than patients with non-epileptic seizures, but they found that both patients with epilepsy and patients with non-epileptic seizures had lower BDNF levels than healthy controls. Another class of biomarkers that studies have highlighted differences in is autonomic biomarkers, like differences in ictal and interictal heart rate. Prof. LaFrance’s team is now looking at functional and structural connectivity with functional neuroimaging. This interview took place at the American Academy of Neurology 2022 Congress in Seattle, WA.