Hormonal effects on epilepsy in women.

Some female gonadal and adrenal steroid hormones and their related pituitary peptides have neuroactive effects that can influence seizures. These effects may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy, the pattern of seizure occurrence, therapeutic interventions using naturally occurring hormones, and the development of hormone-based neuroactive synthetic analogues with potent antiepileptic properties.