A new study published in the Lancet has identified the world's first environmental risk factor for a common form of childhood epilepsy, Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centro-temporal Spikes (BECTS). BECTS is also known as Benign Rolandic Epilepsy and accounts for about 20% of all childhood epilepsy. The mechanisms behind BECTS are not well understood, but but it is thought that genetic factors play a role in susceptibility to it.
The environmental risk factor that has been identified is smoking during pregnancy. While this contributory factor may appear obvious at first glance – given the well-documented impacts of smoking during pregnancy – the researchers believe that their work could lead to the development of new treatments.
This new study also discovered a new genetic association with the condition. In particular, it found an association with a gene called CHRNA5 being involved in BECTS risk.
Genetic variations within the CHRNA5 are known to be associated with nicotine dependence and smoking-related lung disease. Based on this, the researchers performed an analysis between risk factors and disease using data from the UK Biobank. The analysis demonstrated that maternal smoking during pregnancy quadrupled the risk of BECTS. This is the first ever environmental risk factor identified for the disease.
One of the study's authors, Professor Matt Brown from King’s College London, commented on the findings:
“The new evidence in our study showing that common genetic variants play an important role in BECTS susceptibility opens up immense research possibilities to better understand how epilepsy is caused. Maternal smoking in pregnancy being identified as the first ever environmental risk factor described in the development of BECTS offers a very clear message to clinicians and mothers about what can and should be done to limit the risk of children developing this common form of epilepsy."
The authors have also highlighted that because the CHRNA5 gene encodes a particular cholinergic receptor in the brain involved in BECTS risk, it is possible that a class of drugs called 'anticholinergics' may be effective in the treatment of BECTS. However, further research into this potential treatment is needed.
The full study can be found by visiting the Lancet website.