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      Is elevated norepinephrine an etiological factor in some cases of epilepsy?

      Seizure
      Elsevier BV

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          Abstract

          It is well established that the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) has anticonvulsant properties. However, NE may also have proconvulsant properties under some conditions, both in animal epilepsy models and in humans. This paper examines the hypothesis that this neurotransmitter has proconvulsant properties, where much of the pharmaceutical evidence comes from rodent models. In assessing the elevated NE epilepsy hypothesis, the following seven lines of evidence are examined that include studies of: (1) antidepressants that raise the level of NE; (2) clonidine and other alpha 2 adrenergic agonist drugs that lower the level of NE; (3) prazosin and other drugs that affect alpha adrenoceptors; (4) propranolol and other drugs that affect beta adrenoceptors; (5) pheochromocytoma, which is a rare cancer of the adrenal glands that can boost NE levels; (6) comorbidity of epilepsy with bipolar disorder, hypertension, and obesity, where all four conditions may involve elevated NE; and (7) psychological stress, which is associated with increased release of NE. The body of evidence supporting the NE proconvulsant hypothesis is consistent with the notion that elevated, endogenous noradrenergic transmission is an etiological factor in some cases of epilepsy.

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          Author and article information

          Journal
          Seizure
          Seizure
          Elsevier BV
          10591311
          July 2010
          July 2010
          : 19
          : 6
          : 311-318
          Article
          10.1016/j.seizure.2010.04.011
          20493725
          fd3a1522-344d-49f5-94d3-6bc53a1fdeb8
          © 2010

          https://www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/

          https://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/

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