Epilepsy Talk
A simple blood test to reveal seizures? | July 20, 2025
How about if a simple blood test could reveal whether or not you’ve had an epileptic seizure?
That’s what a recent study by Doctors at Stanford University, California discovered.
The blood test which must be used within 10 to 20 minutes after a seizure, can identify generalized tonic-clonic seizures and complex partial seizures in both adults and older children, because the level of prolactin in the blood goes up.
Researchers say epileptic seizures are thought to affect the hypothalamus and may alter the release of this hormone prolactin, causing the levels of the hormone to rise.
The results also showed that the test could accurately identify seizures from nonseizure type episodes. Because levels of prolactin in the blood increase after seizures, but not during nonseizure activity.
In the study, which appears in the journal Neurology, researchers evaluated eight studies on the prolactin blood test.
But they say the test cannot distinguish epileptic seizures from those caused by a fainting episodes, because prolactin levels also rise after these types of seizures.
And there was also not enough evidence to determine whether the prolactin test is useful in evaluating cases of status epilepticus, repetitive seizures, or neonatal seizures.
But the guidelines state that the test is useful as an adjunct test, especially in cases where video EEG monitoring is not readily available.
In addition, your doctor may take a blood sample to check for signs of infections, genetic conditions or other conditions which may be associated with seizures.
Blood tests will also be used to monitor anti-seizure medication levels in your blood, to make sure you’re at the appropriate “therapeutic level” for the most effective results, to eliminate “toxic” levels, and check for possible side-effects.
These tests may also be ordered to determine the general physical well-being of your body.
In adults, appropriate blood tests — glucose, electrolytes, calcium, renal function, liver function, and urine to identify potential causes and/or to identify additional significant disorders — should also be addressed.
They can also be used to detect if you have an infection or been exposed to any poisons that may have caused your seizures.
All of this from a single blood test!
Be sure to ask your neurologist about this very simple diagnostic tool. If he/she doesn’t know about it yet, a little education may be your first job! (See references below.)
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Resources:
https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/PressRelease/316
https://www.cureepilepsy.org/news/simple-blood-test-could-easily-pinpoint-epileptic-seizures/
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-02-simple-blood-reveal-epilepsy.html
https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/epilepsy-blood-test
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Are there any blood tests to see if MSG, monosodium glutamate or aspartame can be the cause of a grand mal seizure? That determine that those substances are responsable for it? Or that they can cause prolactin levels to rise in the first place? If so, how can a person with epilepsy defend themselves eating any processed food without a warning label?
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Comment by Andy — July 20, 2025 @ 12:22 PM
Aspartame is considered a neurogenic ingredient, but neither MSG or aspartame are directly proven to cause seizures.
MSG and aspartame have to be included on labels by law. But often they are disguised as non understandable ingredients.
No full disclosure here. Despite FDA warnings.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 20, 2025 @ 1:12 PM