Study links celiac disease to hard-to-treat epilepsy, raising new dietary treatment possibilities in Finland

A recent doctoral study from the University of Tampere suggests a possible link between celiac disease and the development of hard-to-treat epilepsy, a connection that has not been identified before. Researcher Maria Peltola expressed surprise at this finding, which may open new avenues for dietary treatments in epilepsy care.

Epilepsy is a complex neurological disorder often limited to seizure prevention. Over 30% of those with epilepsy do not receive adequate help from medication. The most common form of difficult-to-treat epilepsy in adults is temporal lobe epilepsy, primarily caused by sclerosis, which involves the loss and scarring of neurons in the hippocampus.

Approximately 8-10% of individuals will experience at least one epileptic seizure in their lifetime, but more than half of those will never receive an epilepsy diagnosis. Less than 1% of the Finnish population has epilepsy, with even fewer suffering from its difficult-to-treat form. Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder, can manifest not only with gastrointestinal symptoms but also with neurological issues, such as degeneration of the cerebellum and peripheral nerves. It affects about 2% of the Finnish population.

Peltola’s study indicated that among patients with both temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis, one in five had autoimmune conditions related to celiac disease. Of the 253 patients with difficult-to-treat epilepsy studied, 9% had celiac-related autoimmunity. Peltola noted that this unexpected result suggests that immune reactions caused by gluten may contribute to the development of difficult-to-treat epilepsy and damage to the hippocampus.

The study has also shown a higher than expected prevalence of celiac disease among those with epilepsy. However, it has yet to investigate whether a gluten-free diet could slow disease progression. Currently, the primary treatment for hippocampal sclerosis associated with temporal lobe epilepsy is surgical, involving the removal of seizure-inducing brain tissue. Peltola’s dissertation defense is scheduled for October 18 at the University of Tampere.