Science or fiction; living in extremes of the universe (space and under the sea) even with epilepsy: A systematic review

• Published in: Epilepsy & behavior 2023-07, Vol.144, p.109261-109261, Article 109261
• Main Authors: Farjoud Kouhanjani, Mohsen, Akbarialiabad, Hossein, Asadi-Pooya, Ali A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brain; EEG; Epilepsy; Seizure; Space
• ISSN: 1525-5050; 1525-5069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109261

•Evidence is scarce to provide comments on living in extreme environments with epilepsy.•Space conditions may alter the brain’s neural activity and cognitive processes.•There might be correlations between life under the sea and brain cortical activity. The current systematic review aimed to investigate whether living under the sea or in space is detrimental for patients with epilepsy (PWE). We hypothesized that living under such conditions may predispose PWE to experience seizure recurrence by altering their brain function in a way that predisposes them to seizures. This systematic review is reported according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. On October 26, 2022, we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Embase for relevant articles. Our endeavor yielded six papers. One study provided level 2 of evidence, while the rest of the publications provided level 4 or 5 of evidence. Five publications were about the effects of space missions (or simulations), and one manuscript discussed the impacts of underwater experience. Currently, there is no evidence to make any recommendations about living in extremes of the universe (space and under the sea) with epilepsy. The scientific community should invest more time and effort in comprehensively investigating the potential risks associated with missions and living in such conditions.