SCN1A and epilepsy: Genetic factors have been associated with epilepsy in the past such as rare genetic variations found by linkage studies as well as common genetic variations found by genome-wide association studies [22, 23] For example, a meta-analysis combining multiple epilepsy cohorts found positive associations with the disease [24], the strongest in SCN1A, a gene already associated with the genetic mechanism of the disease via linkage studies and subsequent sequencing [25] or more recently as harboring de novo variants [26].