Axonal sprouting and synaptogenesis in temporal lobe epilepsy: possible pathogenetic and therapeutic roles of neurite growth inhibitory factors.

Axonal sprouting and synaptic reorganization within the temporal lobe following neuronal injury have been implicated in the pathogenesis of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The molecular species responsible for these structural changes have yet to be fully defined. The recent characterization of molecules whose normal function within the nervous system is to inhibit neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis prompts the suggestion that a diminution or loss of such molecules might be of relevance to the pathogenesis of TLE. If so, the possibility of developing a novel therapeutic approach to TLE, distinct from currently available symptomatic therapies, to arrest the pathogenetic processes is also raised.