LAUSR

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by repeated and spontaneous epileptic seizures and is not well controlled by current medication. Traditional theory supports that epilepsy results from an imbalance of excitatory glutamate neurons and inhibitory GABAergic neurons. However, new evidence from clinical and preclinical research suggests that histamine in central nervous system plays an important role in the modulation of neural excitability and in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Many histamine receptor ligands have achieved curative effects in animal epilepsy models, among which, the H3 R antagonist pitolisant has shown an anti-epileptic effect in clinical trials. Recent studies, therefore, have focused on the potential action of histamine receptors to control and treat epilepsy. In this review, we summarize the findings from animal and clinical epilepsy research on the role of brain histamine and its receptors, we identify current gaps in the research, and we suggest where future studies are most needed.