|
|
Mitochondria are components of cells that are involved in metabolism and enzyme production. They are the energy factories of our cells. They also contain genetic material. Particular abnormalities in the mitochondrial genes are often associated with epileptic disorders. The metabolic disorders involving the mitochondria affect different parts of the body, including muscle and brain.
Mitochondria are inherited through the mother. Two mitochondrial disorders are often associated with epileptic seizures:
One is MELAS: mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis (meaning too much lactic acid in the blood), and strokelike episodes. MELAS can lead to strokelike episodes at a young age (usually before 40), seizures, dementia, headaches, vomiting, unsteadiness, and ill effects from exercise. Persons with MELAS can have both generalized seizures (including myoclonic and tonic-clonic) and partial seizures.
The other mitochondrial disorder with epileptic seizures is MERRF: myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red muscle fibers). MERRF is one of the progressive myoclonic epilepsies. It can also be associated with hearing loss, unsteadiness, dementia, and ill effects from exercise. In addition to myoclonic seizures, patients with MERRF often have generalized tonic-clonic seizures that can be controlled with standard medications.
There are other mitochondrial disorders that do not fit clearly into the MELAS or MERRF syndromes but which can cause epilepsy and additional neurologic problems.
Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed:12/15/06
This content is user-generated. Content is not monitored nor consistently reviewed by the epilepsy.com Editorial Board. Epilepsy.com therefore cannot guarantee the accuracy of any content edited with the Wiki sections. While epilepsy.com, the Epilepsy Therapy Project, and its partners encourage visitor interaction and publishing within these sections, users should use caution when exploring content, especially as it pertains to health concerns. No content on epilepsy.com is intended to replace the care of a doctor. We encourage you to contact your own health care provider for individual medical advice. We cannot provide second opinions or make specific recommendations regarding therapy, nor does this Wiki content constitute a recommendation for any diagnosis or treatment options.
No members have contributed to this topic yet. Be the first!
Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.
Epilepsy.com Members: If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Edit this Wiki" button at the top of this page. Put in your own content about this topic in the Main Body text area and submit the page. Or, learn more about Wikis before you begin.
Register Today: If you are not an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member.
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Epilepsy | Oct 21, 2009 | |
| kieran | ||
| Why are some muscle twinges unimportant? | Sep 25, 2009 | |
| MichaelK | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Keppra | Mar 22, 2010 | |
| clfcsparrow | ||
| how to get the glue out of your hair | Mar 22, 2010 | |
| rootbeergirl16 | ||
| Does Epilepsy Get Worse With Aging? | Mar 22, 2010 | |
| tara michelucci | ||
| Seizure Meds & Work? | Mar 22, 2010 | |
| GodivaGirl | ||
| Anyone experience memory loss? | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| tiff_25 | ||
| Self sleep-study help | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| pellykate | ||
| 2 year old hates taking med - Ideas?? | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| Blaine | ||
| Ecstatic Seizures | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| victoria.w | ||
| Seizures During Sleep | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| Morning Sunshine | ||
| Seizures while sleeping~ | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| ache | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,444 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,978 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,915 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,855 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 15,659 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 13,152 | |
| George R | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 13,061 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 11,491 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised | 10,092 | |
| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 9,479 | |
| Maggie | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Advice on DEPAKOTE/ MYOCLONUS | Feb 16, 2009 | |
| ds1212 | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| We won! | Mar 22, 2010 | |
| chandagunn | ||
| MOV to MP4 for Zune | Mar 22, 2010 | |
| echoChristina | ||
| How to convert FLV videos for Apple TV? | Mar 22, 2010 | |
| sally2010 | ||
| New vs Secondhand Vans | Mar 22, 2010 | |
| linhongzi | ||
| Professional Clogs in the Medical Field | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| wulidan | ||
| I need some HELP! PLEASE READ | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| Senior_10 | ||
| Meds | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| cait888 | ||
| Jillian's Progress | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| jillsmom | ||
| My memory, mental function's been badly affected. Is it the medication, or the fits? | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| Gubs | ||
| Any ideas? | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| Gubs | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts | 8,008 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| my partial complex seizures | 3,878 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,662 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,475 | |
| JudiS | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,074 | |
| pksmom | ||
| Feeling Sick | 2,934 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 2,924 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,819 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,758 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,603 | |
| teft | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Absence Seizures in Kids | Mar 17, 2010 | |
| zmommy | ||
| Baytown Texas Epilepsy Support Group | Mar 16, 2010 | |
| cmender1984 | ||
| Mothers With Epilepsy | Mar 16, 2010 | |
| cmender1984 | ||
| Seizures: First Diagnosis Infantile Spasms, Second Diagnosis: Atonic Drop Seizures | Mar 11, 2010 | |
| trey2007 | ||
| DestinyMaker | Mar 10, 2010 | |
| destinymaker | ||
| you are not alone my friend. | Mar 1, 2010 | |
| donnia | ||
| Panayiotopoulos Syndrome | Mar 1, 2010 | |
| valentina | ||
| i have Epilepsy and A career... looking to talk to others of te same | Feb 25, 2010 | |
| krayb450 | ||
| College Students Living and Learning with Epilepsy | Feb 22, 2010 | |
| risingagain13 | ||
| Just Been Diagnosed Of Having Epilepsy? | Feb 19, 2010 | |
| norrmbeam | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Years of Searching For a Diagnosis | Jun 6, 2009 | |
| capecodmom | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Help me | Mar 21, 2010 | |
| Senior_10 | ||
| My Son Has Seizures | Mar 20, 2010 | |
| KimandLannie | ||
| Nathan | Mar 20, 2010 | |
| shamm | ||
| Choosing Your Perfect Dishwasher | Mar 20, 2010 | |
| linhongzi | ||
| MBT shoes and foot health of any contact | Mar 19, 2010 | |
| zxq2012 | ||
| I am a worried Morther | Mar 18, 2010 | |
| spades | ||
| Army Gifts Lift Our Soldiers’ Spirits | Mar 18, 2010 | |
| bobo0 | ||
| Never Grew Out of It! | Mar 17, 2010 | |
| fhsu_recruiter | ||
| Sophies Story- Infantile Spasms | Mar 17, 2010 | |
| sophiesmummy | ||
| MIGUEL'S STORY | Mar 15, 2010 | |
| miguelitos mom | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,300 | |
| kroiz | ||
| (TLE) seizures, insurance company denies me for health care due to epilepsy | 891 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 473 | |
| snoby | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 449 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 428 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 406 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 382 | |
| javaman | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy | 354 | |
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 343 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| Life......... | 337 | |
| dizzygal | ||
| View all Stories | ||
