Post-Traumatic Epilepsy

Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a devastating and often medically uncontrollable condition that develops in a significant portion of people following traumatic brain injury. Unlike other forms of epilepsy, PTE presents a unique clinical challenge because the physical trauma to the brain renders many standard antiseizure medications ineffective. Research from the Reddy Lab has focused on identifying the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms that drive the development of PTE, with particular attention to the latent period between initial injury and the onset of seizures — a critical window in which therapeutic intervention may be able to prevent epilepsy from developing altogether. Supported by the U.S. Department of Defense and the NIH, this work carries profound implications for veterans, soldiers, and civilians living with the long-term consequences of brain injury.

Selected Publications

Advances and challenges in experimental models of posttraumatic epilepsy for therapeutic interventions
D.S. Reddy, Victoria M. Golub, Sreevidya Ramakrishnan, Severn B. Churn, Lee A. Shapiro, Jaclyn Iannucci, Asla Pitkanen, Aristea S. Galanopoulou, Rama Maganti, Detlev Boison. Pharmacological Reviews Vol. 77 (2025) 100080 [PDF] [DOI]

Post-Traumatic Epilepsy and Comorbidities: Advanced Models, Molecular Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Novel Therapeutic Interventions
Victor M. Golub, D.S. Reddy. Pharmacological Reviews Vol. 74 pp. 387–438 (2022) [PDF] [DOI]

Contusion brain damage in mice for modelling of post-traumatic epilepsy with contralateral hippocampus sclerosis: Comprehensive and longitudinal characterization of spontaneous seizures, sensorimotor deficits, and neuropsychological co-morbidities
Victoria M. Golub, D.S. Reddy. Experimental Neurology Vol. 348 (2022) p. 113946; doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113946 [PDF] [DOI]