Pathologic role of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in epileptic disorders: implication for pharmacological interventions

Abstract

AbstractAccumulating evidence suggests that neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) may play a key role in the pathophysiology of some neurological diseases such as epilepsy. Based on genetic studies in patients with epileptic disorders worldwide and animal models of seizure, it has been demonstrated that nAChR activity is altered in some specific types of epilepsy, including autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE) and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). Neuronal nAChR antagonists also have antiepileptic effects in pre-clinical studies. There is some evidence that conventional antiepileptic drugs may affect neuronal nAChR function. In this review, we re-examine the evidence for the involvement of nAChRs in the pathophysiology of some epileptic disorders, especially ADNFLE and JME, and provide an overview of nAChR antagonists that have been evaluated in animal models of seizure.