From zero to one hundred in the genetics of Febrile Seizures

Finally. Only a few months ago, we wondered what happened to the genetics of Febrile Seizures, given that there was a paucity of publications in this field. Now, a recent publication in Nature Genetics presents the first well-powered genome-wide association study in Febrile Seizures in almost 2,000 patients, including a large subgroup of patients with Febrile Seizures after MMR vaccinations. The authors provide compelling evidence for common variants in known epilepsy genes. However, the strongest genetic risk for Febrile Seizures is in a known disease gene that nobody expected. Continue reading