The effect of probiotic supplementation on drug resistant epilepsy in children

Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease, and in addition to the genetic characteristics, environmental factors such as electrolyte disorders play a role in the recurrence of seizures. Unfortunately, antiepileptic drugs are not effective enough in one third of epilepsy patients. Nowadays, probiotics are considered as a supplement for the treatment of neurological diseases. Although previous studies have focused on the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and metabolic effects of probiotics, it is possible that the effects of probiotics go beyond this.

This study was conducted with 9 patients with drug resistant epilepsy under the age of 16. In the first phase of the study, the epilepsy frequency of children was monitored, and in the second phase, probiotic supplements were prescribed to them for two months. At the beginning and end of the second phase, the serum concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions of the patients were evaluated and compared by paired t-test. Epilepsy frequency and severity based on NHS3 and HASS scales were measured and compared by Wilcoxon statistical test, also.

Two-month administration of probiotic supplement significantly reduced the frequency of epilepsy (P=0.005), the seizure severity with the NHS3 scale (P=0.002) and the seizure severity with the HASS scale (P<0.0001). On the other hand, the serum levels of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium did not differ before and after probiotic administration, significantly.

Probiotic consumption can play a role in improving the clinical symptoms of patients by reducing the severity and frequency of epilepsy, but it was not effective on the serum level of electrolytes. Therefore, more studies are necessary to investigate the mechanism of probiotics effectiveness and the factors affecting the serum level of electrolytes in children with drug-resistant epilepsy.