Abstract

The field of epilepsy genetics is contentious, particularly when it concerns the common epilepsies. More than a dozen loci have been suggested, the result of either linkage analysis and/or association analysis, but few of these findings have been replicated, let alone proven, and those that have are mostly for rare forms of epilepsy. Molecular genetics has revolutionised the understanding of epilepsy genetics and is beginning to have a significant clinical impact. Technological advances have resulted in new high-throughput approaches that promise to further our understanding of the molecular genetics of the epilepsies. The patents discussed in this review highlight the important discoveries that have contributed to our understanding of epilepsy genetics and provide valuable information as to where research in this area will be heading in the future. This knowledge not only informs clinicians about the biology of the epilepsies but also has important consequences for clinical practice and genetic counselling.

Keywords: Epilepsy, idiopathic generalized epilepsy, channelopathies, monogenic disease, complex phenotype, mutations, single nucleotide polymorphism