Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Seizures: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
Shaun E GruenbaumEric C ChenMani Ratnesh Singh SandhuKetaki DeshpandeRoni DhaherDenise HerseyTore EidPublished in: CNS drugs (2020)
The contradictory effects of BCAAs on seizure activity likely reflect differences in the complex mechanisms that underlie seizure disorders. Some of these mechanisms are likely mediated by BCAA's effects on glucose, glutamate, glutamine, and ammonia metabolism, activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway, and their effects on aromatic amino acid transport and neurotransmitter synthesis. We propose that a better understanding of mechanisms by which BCAAs affect seizures and neuronal viability is needed to advance the field of BCAA supplementation in epilepsy.