Ask the Neurologist - Dr. David Ficker

Is epilepsy inherited?

One of the most common questions that is asked by patients is whether epilepsy is inherited. This is a challenging question to answer. In general, most epilepsy is not inherited. We do not completely understand the precise way that epilepsy is acquired.

There seems to be evidence that there are genes that may predispose, but not cause epilepsy. It appears most types of epilepsy are inherited in a “complex” way, meaning that there are probably several different genes for each syndrome, and you have to have some special combination of these genes to have epilepsy.

Researchers are trying to learn more about how genes influence epilepsy. These studies are difficult because large numbers of patients are needed to understand the genetic effects of epilepsy. A researcher at The University of Cincinnati is investigating the genetic code from epilepsy patients to identify changes in genes that are linked to the cause of epilepsy and their response to antiepileptic medication. We hope that our genetic discoveries will lead to new insight on the causes of epilepsy and to development of new

treatments. If you are interested in more information about this study, you can contact the study coordinator at 513-475-8781.