Ageing, epilepsy, and the microtubule cytoskeleton: a novel trio in brain research

Epilepsy can affect all ages, but it is more prevalent in the elderly and often induced by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neurodegenerative disease. What makes the ageing and TBI brain more vulnerable to seizures and epilepsy is unknown.

Microtubules are key mediators of neural communication, essential for synaptic organisation and function. Microtubule alterations are observed during ageing, in brain trauma, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Even though microtubule decay occurs in several conditions known to increase risk of epilepsy, microtubule decay has not been properly explored as epilepsy pathomechanism.

The aim of this studentship is to investigate a novel pathological path of adult-onset epilepsy, through the study of microtubule decay as a key mechanism that increases the risk to develop epilepsy during ageing, TBI and neurodegenerative conditions.