Role of Vitamin D in Childhood Epilepsy

Document Type : Reviews Articles.

Authors

1 Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt.

2 Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt

Abstract

Background:Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and also considered a steroid hormone, that plays an important role in the proper functioning of many organs of the body.Adequate vitamin D status plays a very important  role in terms of  appropriate  brain development and function .Regarding vitamin D,it's participation  in the central nervous system's function is corroborated by the presence of the enzyme 25(OH)D3-1alpha-hydroxylase, which form of the active form of vitaminD, and the presence of receptors of vitamin D (VDR) in the brain tissue , mostly in the hypothalamus and substantia nigra. The aim of this review: is to evaluate the roleof vitamin D in childhood epilepsy and to study  the vitamin D –antiepleptic drugs interactions among epileptic children.
Conclusion: vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are highly prevalent among children with epilepsy.A lot of antiepileptic drugs lower vitamin D level and lead to more seizures specially enzyme inducers' drugs.

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