In my paper, I’m not going to explain the difference between voltage-gated and ligand-gated channels. When it comes to the channelopathic pathogenesis of sensory overload, I am only going to explain:
- What ion channels are.
- What channelopathies are.
- How wonky genes lead to channelopathies. These are congenital ion channel diseases. I’ll probably also touch on acquired ion channel diseases.
- The calcium-magnesium pump and the sodium-potassium pump. I’ll also mention some of the other electrolyte ‘waltzes and tangos’.
- How electrolyte dysregulation results in sensory overstimulation.
- Potential mechanisms for sensory overstimulation. Although a voltage-gated calcium channel disease is the most likely culprit for sensory overstimulation (refer to CACNA1A and other genes commonly known to cause this), I will also show how other ion channel diseases (such as potassium channelopathies) could also result in sensory overload — given that a number of ion channel diseases can lead to electrolyte imbalances.
I’ll also talk about cofactors: problems with calcium signalling in general, and problems with the cell membrane, and transcription RNA. But this isn’t my main focus, because my project is about the first step of treatment.
More later. Got to have supper now…