Association between the Serum Coenzyme Q10 Level and Seizure Control in Patients with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Abstract

Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is a chronic neurological disorder with somatic impacts and increased risk of metabolic comorbidities. Oxidative stress might play an important role in metabolic effects and as a regulator of seizure control, while coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) could improve insulin sensitivity through antioxidant effects. We aimed to investigate the association between CoQ10 level and clinical outcome, represented by the seizure frequency and quality of life, in DRE patients. DRE patients (N = 33) had significantly higher serum insulin levels and lower scores on the physical domain of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQoL) than gender-age matched controls. The serum CoQ10 level (2910.4 ± 1163.7 ng/mL) was much higher in DRE patients than the normal range. Moreover, the serum CoQ10 level was significantly correlated with the seizure frequency (r = −0.412, p = 0.037) and insulin level (r = 0.409, p = 0.038). Based on stratification by insulin resistance (HOMA-IR > 2.4), the subgroup analysis showed that patients with a greater HOMA-IR had higher CoQ10 levels and lower seizure frequency, and had a significantly worse quality of life. In summary, CoQ10 could be a mediator involved in the mechanism of epilepsy and serve as a biomarker of the clinical outcome in DER patients.

Changes in the Brain in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Unilateral Hippocampal Sclerosis: An Initial Case Series

“…The temporal lobe is the most epileptogenic part of the human brain. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a network disorder of the brain that predominately involves dysregulation of hippocampal function caused by neuronal hyperexcitability [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Chronic seizure activity may alter the diffusion properties of a seizure network.…”