Prenatal stress and elevated seizure susceptibility: Molecular inheritable changes

Stressful episodes are common during early-life and may have a wide range of negative effects on both physical
and mental status of the offspring. In addition to various neurobehavioral complications induced by prenatal
stress (PS), seizure is a common complication with no fully explained cause. In this study, the association
between PS and seizure susceptibility was reviewed focusing on sex differences and various underlying
mechanisms. The role of drugs in the initiation of seizure and the effects of PS on the nervous system that
prone the brain for seizure, especially the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, are also discussed in detail
by reviewing the papers studying the effect of PS on glutamatergic, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic, and
adrenergic systems in the context of seizure and epilepsy. Finally, epigenetic changes in epilepsy are described,
and the underlying mechanisms of this change are expanded. As the effects of PS may be life-lasting, it is possible
to prevent future psychiatric and behavioral disorders including epilepsy by preventing avoidable PS risk factors