Source: UANewsUniversity of Arizona researchers identified a likely cause of a severe form of epilepsy.
A mutation in a sodium channel protein may be the culprit.
A team headed by Michael Hammer from the UA utilized next generation genome sequencing to decipher the entire DNA from a patient who died from sudden unexplained epileptic death.
Their findings revealed the mutated coding for a sodium channel protein in the central nervous system.
Also, the family felt emotional relief with an explanation to a prior absence of medical diagnosis and any family history of similar disease.
The research team published its results in the March issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.
Read more: http://uanews.org/node/45094
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