Growth Factors &; Epilepsy

The discovery that a variety of growth factors modulate excitability in the adult brain, and that the expression of growth factors and their receptors are often modulated by seizure activity, has opened an exciting new chapter in epilepsy research. Recent findings shed new light on these and other ways growth factor neurobiology impacts epilepsy research, including the role of growth factors in seizure-induced neurogenesis, kindling, and morphological changes that contribute to the epileptic phenotype. In addition to neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and the p75 and trk receptors for neurotrophins, recent studies also implicate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in seizure-induced structural and functional changes. The current volume highlights seminal contributions to this field by renowned scientists in both the growth factor and epilepsy research fields.