VEGFA and Apnea: Since BBB damage is associated with HIF-1α and VEGF upregulation [20, 33], we have, for the first time, identified a positive co-localization of HIF-1α and VEGF with DAPK (Fig. 6) in the epilepsy brain vasculature as well as in neurons, which could be due to cerebral apnea and impaired cerebral oxygenation in such brain pathologies.