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Epilepsy, is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. Catamenial epilepsy is a subset of epilepsy, which includes women whose seizures are exacerbated by their menstrual cycle. Women with catamenial epilepsy are unusually sensitive to endogenous hormonal changes. This seizure exacerbation has a statistically significant positive correlation to serum estradiol/estrogen levels and ratios. Since at least the Greek times, there has been documented study of women with epilepsy and its correlation to the menstrual cycle. These patterns can easily be seen by charting out menses against seizure occurrence and type. ==Pathophysiology== Our understanding of the major gonadal hormones, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, has significantly increased in the last century. These hormones are synthesized in various locations in the body, including the ovaries, adrenal gland, liver, subcutaneous fat, and brain. There is considerable research showing that these steroidal hormones take part in an important role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. Broadly defined, estrogen and its many forms are thought to be “proconvulsant,” whereas progesterone is thought to be “anticonvulsant” by virtue of its conversion to the neurosteroid allopregnanolone.〔Reddy DS, Rogawski MA. Neurosteroids — Endogenous Regulators of Seizure Susceptibility and Role in the Treatment of Epilepsy (2012). In: Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado-Escueta AV, editors. Jasper's Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies (). 4th edition. Bethesda (MD): National Center for Biotechnology Information (US). Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK98218/〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Catamenial epilepsy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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