A recent research showed that a faulty immune reaction could be the main culprit behind development of epilepsy.

Researchers found that in mice, the initial seizure caused the release of a body chemical within the blood vessels, which increasesd the "adhesion" of leukocytes, keeping them in the brains blood vessels for longer. The mice would normally move on to develop full epilepsy, but the frequency of subsequent seizures was markedly reduced when the researchers blocked the "stickiness" chemical with the aid of antibodies or genetic therapy. The analysis of brain tissue from people with epilepsy also showed a far greater abundance of leukocytes than in those without the condition.

The researchers concluded that drugs targeting this "stickiness" might be a good way of preventing, or perhaps even treating, epilepsy in humans.

But the researchers are still not sure whether the same mechanism leads to epilepsy in humans.

Researchers said, "Importantly there are already drugs in use that may target this process, but which have not been tested in epilepsy and so this study could lead to trials of novel treatments for epilepsy in the near future."