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Advanced Neurology Epilepsy after traumatic brain injuries
Figure 4. Mechanism of brain damage after primary and secondary brain injury. The figure was created using BioRender (https://www.biorender.com/).
Abbreviations: BBB: Blood-brain barrier; CBF: Cerebral blood flow; ICP: Intracranial pressure.
without limitations, as they can have significant side effects 8.4. Neuroprotective agents
and may not be effective for all patients, particularly in Neuroprotective strategies, including antioxidants, anti-
drug-resistant cases. 68 inflammatory drugs, and agents targeting neurogenesis,
8.2. Advanced therapies and interventions are under investigation for their ability to prevent or
mitigate TBI-induced epilepsy. For example, compounds
Newer AEDs such as lacosamide and brivaracetam have such as minocycline, N-acetylcysteine, ceftriaxone, zinc,
shown promise in treating post-TBI epilepsy, with better Vitamin D, leucine, and magnesium have been evaluated
efficacy and fewer side effects compared to older drugs. for their potential to reduce neuronal damage and prevent
In addition, combination therapy, which involves using seizure onset. 72
multiple AEDs, is becoming more common to achieve
better seizure control in refractory cases. 69 8.5. Stem cell therapy
8.3. Neurostimulation techniques Stem cell therapy is another promising area of research for
TBI-induced epilepsy. By promoting neural regeneration
DBS and TMS are emerging as potential treatments for and repairing damaged brain tissue, stem cells may help
drug-resistant epilepsy following TBI. These non-invasive to restore the normal function of affected brain regions,
or minimally invasive techniques aim to modulate brain potentially preventing or reducing the incidence of seizures. 73
activity, reducing the frequency and severity of seizures in
patients who do not respond well to medications. 70 8.6. Impact of anticoagulation and platelet
Gene-based therapies are an exciting frontier in epilepsy inhibitors on neurotrauma outcomes
treatment, especially for post-TBI epilepsy. The use of In patients with cardiovascular diseases, anticoagulants,
viral vectors to deliver genes that encode neuroprotective and platelet inhibitors are frequently used to prevent
proteins or regulate ion channel activity could potentially thromboembolic events. However, their use in patients
restore normal brain function and prevent the development with TBI presents serious problems because they can
of seizures. 71 worsen intracranial hemorrhage, raise mortality risks,
Volume 4 Issue 4 (2025) 8 doi: 10.36922/an.8356

