Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction in Epileptogenesis of the Temporal Lobe

Figure 1

Flowchart illustrating a possible pathway leading from common brain insults to the development of epilepsy. Stroke, trauma, tumor and infections, the common insults with an epileptic sequela, usually cause BBB dysfunction by three main mechanisms: inflammation, angiogenesis and metabolic failure. The inflammatory response, inducing BBB dysfunction, is increasingly enhanced by the BBB dysfunction itself, creating a positive feedback loop that may develop into a chronic condition. BBB dysfunction induces direct signaling in astrocytes and neurons, resulting in hyperexcitability and network hypersynchronicity, which manifests as spontaneous recurrent seizures.