Epilepsy

Epilepsy

The fourth most common neurological disorder is epilepsy, characterized by spontaneous and recurring seizures. Roughly, 65 million people world-wide are living with epilepsy, including 3.5 million individuals in the U.S., 500,000 of whom are children. Epilepsy can occur anytime in a person’s life, and 1 in 26 people will have epilepsy during their lifetime.  While seizures are the primary hallmark of epilepsy, over 1/3 of patients experience a spectrum of co-morbidities that can include altered cognitive development, as well as deficits in learning and memory, mood disorders and depression. There are still many unknowns about epilepsy, including how and why epileptic networks form and what are the cellular and molecular underpinnings of epilepsy. Moreover, a significant population of patients with epilepsy are resistant to medical intervention. UC Davis has a team of neuroscientists and clinician scientists who are dedicated to studying epilepsy and developing novel therapies for epilepsy. We also have a strong group of translational neuroscientist entrepreneurs who are developing new treatments and leading clinical trials at the cutting-edge of clinical care. 28 faculty members from 8 departments and 5 centers work in this area.

Faculty studying epilepsy