The gastrointestinal system communicates with the brain by way of vagus nerve fibers and the gut-brain axis. There is a well-known relationship between autoimmune diseases and epileptogenesis, and this may explain the involvement of gut microbiota in the course of epilepsy. Many seizures which are described, depending the severity and/or duration, as benign or epilepsy may be related and based on gastrointestinal origin. Epilepsy and related neurological symptoms may alert the clinician to additional life-threatening conditions and complications during the course of gastrointestinal system-based chronic disease such as inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease. Since the gut is the only part of inner body exposed to environment, novel therapeutic options that target gut microbiata may be promising in many diseases including epilepsy.
Part of the book: Epilepsy