NEWS
Unhealthy Diet May Shrink the Brain
Consumption of an unhealthy Western diet characterized by meat, hamburgers, chips, and soft drinks, may reduce the volume of the left hippocampus, whereas a healthy diet of fresh vegetables and fish may increase hippocampal volume. In a study of more than 250...
Mindfulness Therapy Boosts QoL in Tough-to-Treat Epilepsy
Drug-resistant disease yields to thought training Mindfulness-based therapy (MT) and social support (SS) improved quality of life (QOL) in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy more than social support alone, according to a randomized controlled trial. Following...
Switching AED Forms Improves Seizure Control for Patients With ID
Different formulations of an antiepileptic drug (AED) may have a significant effect on the quality of life of people with epilepsy and intellectual disability (ID), a study shows. Often prone to comprehension and communication difficulties, people with ID may be...
Epilepsy and Pregnancy: What Are the Risks?
In the October/November issue of Neurology Now, we report on what women of reproductive age with epilepsy, migraine, or multiple sclerosis need to know about drugs used to treat these conditions. At press time, a new study was published that looked more closely at the...
‘Fitbit’ for brain could warn epileptic sufferers of seizures
MELBOURNE AUSTRILIA researchers have developed an implantable device to monitor epileptic seizures that they hope will work as a “Fitbit” for the brain, helping patients make lifestyle and treatment changes to increase their independence. Based on a cochlear...
Alzheimer’s Prevention: Epilepsy Drug to Be Tested
Researchers receive NIH grant to test novel drug therapy for Alzheimer's dementia Johns Hopkins University researchers have received an estimated $7.5 million National Institutes of Health grant to clinically test what would be the first treatment to prevent or delay...
Study sheds light on postictal generalised EEG suppression
A study in Neurology finds postictal generalised EEG suppression (PGES) to be more common in patients who are not given prompt oxygen, and after type 1 generalised convulsive seizures (GCS). The analysis of video-EEG recordings of 417 patients with drug-refractory...
Stratospheric Rise of Medical Marijuana in Epilepsy
The stratospheric rise of medical marijuana as a possible recognized treatment for epilepsy, now underway, is an example of what can be achieved through the sharing of personal stories on the Internet and social media, according to a leading expert in the field....
Marijuana Chemical Shows Promise Against Epilepsy
A chemical found in marijuana might help prevent epilepsy seizures, but drug laws have hampered research efforts, a new study says. Cannabidiol is one of the main active chemical compounds found in marijuana. But it doesn't make people high, the study authors said....
New Tool Helps Determine Why Patients Miss AED Doses
The major barrier to adherence to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is the frequency of dosing, followed by confusion over the kinds of drugs and tablets, a new study shows. Poor adherence is a major cause of insufficient seizure control. A new interview tool may help...
Genetic testing for pediatric epilepsy can be complicated, but beneficial
The use of genetic testing in pediatric epilepsy is complicated and the list of known epilepsy genes changes almost daily. The steps from a doctor initially evaluating a patient when they first demonstrate the symptoms of epilepsy to genetic diagnosis remain complex....
Tree Resin: Possible Cure for Epilepsy?
Resin contains substances that may cure epilepsy, say Linköping University researchers Sticky resin from conifers contains substances that could relieve or cure epilepsy. Researchers at Linköping University have synthesized and tested 71 substances known as resin...
AGH helms epileptic study
In the United States, one out of 26 people will be diagnosed with epilepsy at some point in their life, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. This chronic neurological condition causes seizures that severely affect a person’s awareness, consciousness, actions and...
Epilepsy Drug VS Acupuncture for Hot Flashes – Which is more effective?
The results might surprise you! Acupuncture: A viable treatment for breast cancer survivors experiencing hot flashes Acupuncture may be a viable treatment for women experiencing hot flashes as a result of estrogen-targeting therapies to treat breast cancer, according...
New mechanism discovered behind infant epilepsy
Scientists at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden have discovered a new explanation for severe early infant epilepsy. Mutations in the gene encoding the protein KCC2 can cause the disease, hereby confirming an earlier theory. The...
Dementia sufferers may begin to lose awareness of memory problems 2-3 years before onset
People who will develop dementia may begin to lose awareness of their memory problems two to three years before the actual onset of the disease, according to a new study published in the August 26, 2015, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American...
Interview With A Neurologist: UNDERSTANDING CAUSES OF SUDEP
What is sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)? Currently, the accepted definition of SUDEP is the sudden unexpected witnessed or unwitnessed, non-traumatic and non-drowning death in people with epilepsy, with or without evidence of a seizure. It doesn’t...
Pivotal global Phase III study data for Fycompa® (perampanel) in primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures now published in Neurology
Pivotal, global phase III study results for Fycompa® (perampanel) in primary generalised tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizures are published for the first time today in Neurology.1 Study 332 assesses the safety and efficacy of perampanel compared to placebo, in primary...
Hippocampus in the brain’s temporal lobe involved in quick, successful conflict resolution
The hippocampus in the brain's temporal lobe is responsible for more than just long-term memory. Researchers have for the first time demonstrated that it is also involved in quick and successful conflict resolution. The team headed by Prof Dr Nikolai Axmacher from the...
Aeolus Announces Publication of Study Showing AEOL 10150 Improves Memory and Protects Brain Damage in an Animal Model of Epilepsy
Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a biotechnology company developing compounds to protect against radiological and chemical threats, announced the publication of a study in mice demonstrating that treatment with their AEOL 10150 significantly improved memory and decreased...