Biomarkers and methods for evaluation and treatment of epileptic vs non-epileptic seizures / no seizures / psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

A method of diagnosing epilepsy or epileptic seizure (ES) in a patient, the method comprising:

• (a) contacting one or more biological samples obtained from the patient, prior to treatment, with one or more antibodies targeting Interleukin-16 (IL-16);
• (b) measuring the concentrations of IL-16 in the one or more biological samples;
• (c) comparing the concentrations of IL-16 in the one or more biological samples with the concentrations of IL-16 in one or more control samples obtained from a healthy patient;
• (d) determining the patient has epilepsy or ES when the concentrations of IL-16 are decreased in the one or more biological samples relative to the one or more control samples;
• and
• (e) administering, to the patient determined to have epilepsy or ES, one or more therapeutic agents selected from the group consisting of parsevenol, cenobamate, ganaxolone, phenytoin, fosphenytoin, midazolam, pregabalin, acetazolamide, methsuximide, ethotoin, piracetam, nitrazepam, paraldehyde, stiripentol, vigabatrin, brivaracetam, perampanel, rufinamide, lurasidone HCl, carbamazepine, clobazam, clonazepam, diazepam, divalproex, eslicarbazepine acetate, ethosuxemide, ezogabine, felbamate, gabapentin, lacosamide, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, lorazepam, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, primidone, tiagabine, topiramate, valproic acid, zonisamide, cannabis-based drugs, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, prodrugs, and derivatives thereof.