Inflammation and Anti-Inflammatory Treatments in Seizure Disorders

Call for Papers

The immune system is a complex milieu of cells, tissues, and organs that collectively function to provide protection from harmful substances. While the blood brain barrier confers immune specialization of the central nervous system, there is overwhelming evidence that inflammatory mechanisms contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The evidence also clearly demonstrates a role for inflammation in the generation of seizures and in their short- and long-term consequences. Recent advances continue to push the field forward as researchers address the complex challenges of unlocking the inflammatory processes and the mechanisms underlying their pathology. The findings of these studies stimulate the enticing possibility that anti-inflammatory treatments can be effective at mitigating seizures, the development of epilepsy, and the associated neuropathology and comorbidities.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will promote the continuing efforts to understand the anatomical, molecular, and physiological pathology underlying the contributions of inflammation to seizure disorders, as well as the development of strategies to treat these conditions. We are equally interested in articles describing novel basic science and clinical characterization of brain inflammation in seizure disorders. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Elucidating the role of inflammatory factors in seizures
• The development of epilepsy and comorbidities
• Development of anti-inflammatory strategies to treat seizures, epilepsy, and comorbidities
• Clinical studies examining inflammatory components and/or treatments of seizures, epilepsy, and comorbidities

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal’s Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ert/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/ert/indis/ according to the following timetable:

Lead Guest Editor

• Lee A. Shapiro, Department of Surgery, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX 76537, USA

Guest Editors

• Annamaria Vezzani, Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy
• Jan Bauer, Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
• Christian Steinhäuser, Institute of Cellular Neurosciences, Medical School, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
• Jacqueline French, New York University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, New York, NY 10016, USA