Epilepsy is a neurological condition that has been recognized since ancient times. It is characterized by recurrent seizures and is often stigmatized and ostracized from society. In recent years, significant progress has been made in our understanding of the underlying causes and developing more effective treatments. In this review, we focus on the physical aspects of epilepsy and how exploring these modalities may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved. After a brief overview, we focus on the specific physical aspects of epilepsy, such as the impact of pressure, volume, heat, and relevant comorbidities on the condition. The paper concludes by discussing the main findings and limitations and potential areas for future research, highlighting the importance of understanding the physical aspects of epilepsy. HIGHLIGHTS* The physical aspects of epilepsy are often overlooked.* To gain a deeper comprehension of the underlying mechanism, understanding the involvement of the physical aspects is crucial.* The relation between epilepsy and pressure, volume, and heat introduces a consistent framework.* In conjunction with certain theoretical works, it is possible to establish a unifying and coherent framework for epilepsy.
The cause of anesthesia is still unknown, despite the excessive usage and the perfection of its application. The multifactorial nature of the phenomenon and the failure of many theories thus far have consolidated the belief that there is no unifying hypothesis. We think otherwise. The physical aspects of anesthesia lead us to a single cause. We regard anesthesia as the cessation of the dynamic structural connectivity of the brain. This perspective reveals the viscosity and volume of ISF as the main factors that modulate anesthesia. We formulate our theory as a set of hypotheses that form a consistent basis. We try to back up each hypothesis with the available knowledge and we make some speculative extrapolations in order to create a complete framework. We clearly point out the open issues that need further observation and discuss the ways for verification. In the end, if viscosity and volume of ISF are the main factors modulating anesthesia, as we conjectured, its consequences will not be limited to the very concept of anesthesia but will reach to understanding of the mechanisms of memory formation, analgesia, and consciousness. Surprisingly, it can also shed light on a seemingly unrelated phenomenon: epilepsy, which can be considered a dual case of anesthesia.
Schizophrenia is a devastating disease that affects at least 1% of humanity. Current understanding is focused on two different hypotheses: excessive dopamine and excessive pruning. Both hypotheses are not totally compliant with observations and are inadequate to provide a unifying framework that explains the cause, mechanism, and symptoms. In this hypothetical work, we propose a unifying hypothesis of schizophrenia. The proposed dysmodulation occurs as a result of growth factor deficiency and any impairment in the related endocrine circuitry. Consequently, synapse formation and pruning processes are regionally and temporally dysmodulated. This dysmodulation results in irregular wiring that contains residual unrelated connections and altered signaling pathways after maturation. We show that available evidence supports the proposed hypothesis, which can explain all the symptoms in a unified framework. If the proposed hypothesis is true, risk group identification and prevention will be straightforward. However, intervention should be performed earlier than currently thought. Unfortunately, after irregular wiring reaches an irreversible steady-state, treatment may not be possible. Nonetheless, even in that case severity of symptoms can be attenuated if the mechanism of synapse formation and pruning is fully understood.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.