Discovery Science

The brain may inadvertently "learn" to have seizures by treating them like important memories to be stored, according to new research from Mayo Clinic. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that after a seizure, the brain enters a deep sleep state that mimics memory storage. This "saves" the seizure's path like a normal memory, strengthening the disease. The findings suggest new opportunities to prevent epilepsy from worsening by targeting brain activity during the hours immediately following a seizure — a critical period when harmful brain changes may occur.