Frontiers in Neurology (Aug 2024)

NORSE/FIRES: how can we advance our understanding of this devastating condition?

  • Dimitrios Champsas,
  • Dimitrios Champsas,
  • Xushuo Zhang,
  • Richard Rosch,
  • Richard Rosch,
  • Evangelia Ioannidou,
  • Kimberly Gilmour,
  • Kimberly Gilmour,
  • Kimberly Gilmour,
  • Gerald Cooray,
  • Gerald Cooray,
  • Gavin Woodhall,
  • Suresh Pujar,
  • Suresh Pujar,
  • Marios Kaliakatsos,
  • Marios Kaliakatsos,
  • Sukhvir K. Wright,
  • Sukhvir K. Wright

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2024.1426051
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15

Abstract

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IntroductionNew onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) is a rare and devastating condition characterised by the sudden onset of refractory status epilepticus (RSE) without an identifiable acute or active structural, toxic, or metabolic cause in an individual without a pre-existing diagnosis of epilepsy. Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) is considered a subcategory of NORSE and presents following a febrile illness prior to seizure onset. NORSE/FIRES is associated with high morbidity and mortality in children and adults.Methods and resultsIn this review we first briefly summarise the reported clinical, paraclinical, treatment and outcome data in the literature. We then report on existing knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology in relation to in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical seizure and epilepsy models of potential relevance to NORSE/FIRES.DiscussionWe highlight how pre-clinical models can enhance our understanding of FIRES/NORSE and propose future directions for research.

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