Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder affecting more than 50 million people worldwide (Ngugi and others 2010). Patients suffer recurrent seizures, which are a result of aberrant, excessive, and synchronous firings of groups of neurons within the brain. Seizures originating from within a specific brain region are focal or localization-related, whereas generalized seizures occur simultaneously within both hemispheres of the brain. Seizures are dampened or reduced in many epileptic patients through treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). There are more than 20 AEDs in common use, each working to dampen brain excitability by boosting inhibitory or attenuating excitatory neurotransmission. However, in approximately 30% of epileptic patients, many AEDs fail to control seizures, and no current treatment options are disease-modifying or are known to prevent epilepsy in at-risk patients (Kwan and Brodie 2000).

中文翻译：

---

癫痫的表观遗传学及其进展

癫痫病是一种普遍的神经系统疾病，影响全世界超过5000万人（Ngugi等人，2010）。患者会反复发作，这是大脑内神经元组异常，过度和同步放电的结果。源自特定大脑区域的癫痫发作与局灶性或局部性相关，而全身性癫痫发作同时在大脑的两个半球内发生。通过使用抗癫痫药（AED）治疗，可以缓解或减少许多癫痫患者的癫痫发作。常用的AED超过20种，每种都通过增强抑制性或减弱兴奋性神经传递来减弱大脑的兴奋性。但是，在大约30％的癫痫患者中，许多AED无法控制癫痫发作，