Epilepsy and Oxidative Stress

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological condition reported worldwide. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation have been strongly associated with not just epileptogenesis, but also the progression and consequences of the disease as well. Neurons generate significant amount of free radicals due to their high oxygen consumption when transmitting signals. These potentially toxic molecules can lead to oxidative stress that are linked to various brain diseases. Oxidative stress is mainly caused by the redox dysregulation, an imbalance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant molecules. As both neuroinflammation and oxidative stress can be found across the epilepsies, rather than being separate entities, both neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are linked and forms a deleterious cycle which contributes to epilepsy pathogenesis. This chapter summarizes the interplay between oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, focusing on their contribution to epilepsy, as well as elucidates where the current anti-seizure medications (ASM) stand in the current treatment strategies and their interaction with oxidative stress.