NEWS
Watch Video On How Deep Brain Stimulation Works
How does Deep Brain Stimulation work? Dell Seton Medical Center and the University of Texas Dell Medical School have become the first place in Texas to treat epilepsy using deep brain stimulation. The treatment — which already has been used for treating movement...
Journeys through psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: Diagnosis, treatment and stigma
Franci van den Berg and Nina Pye live 13,500 kilometers apart: one at the southern tip of Africa, the other in London. According to Google Maps, it’s a 177-hour drive from one to the other. Yet Franci and Nina are connected, in a way; they both have spent years...
Case Report Highlights SUDEP Risk With Cannabis Monotherapy for Epilepsy
A case study of 2 patients with epilepsy who switched from standard-of-care treatment to cannabis therapy reports a relationship between the use of cannabinoids and mortality, specifically suggesting that the risk for death may be higher for patients who only rely on...
Majority of Pediatric Epilepsy Readmissions Are Preventable
Approximately one-fifth of pediatric epilepsyhospital readmissions, many of which occur within 7 days of index discharge, are preventable, according to the findings of a research paper published in Pediatric Neurology. A collaborative, interdisciplinary team from a...
As the Hemp “CBD?” ood Craze Grows, States and Cities Unsure of How to Regulate
At Joshua Hudson’s smoothie shop, a bohemian outpost called Twisted Smoothie in a small strip mall here, customers can add a 15 mg or 30 mg shot of cannabidiol, or CBD, to their blended drinks for a few extra dollars. They also can get a mini-lecture from Hudson on...
I’m Mad as Hell, and I’m Not Going to Stay Silent About Epilepsy Anymore
Epilepsy is life-threatening, and so is public ignorance about epilepsy. I might not be conscious before I finish writing this sentence. Before the end of this one, I might be dead. And that uncertainty will remain for every sentence, every paragraph, every article,...
White Matter, Cortical Volume May Predict Risk for Late-Onset Epilepsy
According to study results published in Neurology,white matter hyperintensities and lower cortical volume scores are associated with a higher risk for late-onset epilepsy in older adults. A total of 1920 individuals (median age, 62.7) who participated in the...
Less-invasive procedure helps surgeons pinpoint epilepsy surgical candidates
A minimally invasive procedure to determine whether patients with drug-resistant epilepsy are candidates for brain surgery is safer, more efficient, and leads to better outcomes than the traditional method, according to new research by The University of Texas Health...
Single gene linked to host of abnormalities during neurodevelopment
Yale researchers have shown that mutations of a gene associated with autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and epilepsy cause some of the same structural and behavioral abnormalities that characterize those neurodevelopmental disorders, they report March 5 in the...
First Cannabinoid-Based Rapid Seizure Cessation Formulation Patent Granted
JC Pharma Inc. was recently awarded a US Patent (US10206901B2) entitled, "Method and composition for acute treatment of seizures" for its Cannabis sativa-derived intranasal formulation used to terminate ongoing seizure activity in epilepsy and self-injurious behavior...
ADHD Medication Does Not Increase Seizure Risk
Medication for ADHD does not increase the risk for seizures in people with epilepsy, according to the results of a study published in the February issue of the journal Epilepsia. The research used data from three Swedish registries, identifying more than 21,000 people...
Which Epilepsy Panel is Most Cost-Effective for Genetic Testing?
A cost-effective analysis has found that an epilepsy panel (EP) with deletion/duplication testing as well as whole-exome sequencing (WES) represent the most cost-effective genetic tests for epilepsy, particularly in comparison with chromosomal microarray (CMA)....
Blamed, Shamed, Misdiagnosed: Inside the World of Psychogenic Seizures
It’s 2016 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Twenty-year-old Mariana is preparing to undergo a video EEG. She was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 11, but that diagnosis will soon be changed. Mariana doesn’t have epilepsy. She has psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, or...
Evolving Knowledge of Epilepsy Incidence and Etiology
A panel of experts elucidate updated information regarding the incidence and causes of epilepsy that may lead to better, more accurate management. WATCH VIDEO HERE Michael R. Sperling, MD: Hello, and thank you for joining this NeurologyLive™ Peer Exchange titled...
Prominent Goals of Therapy in Epilepsy Management
Michael R. Sperling, MD: So, when we’re putting people on therapy, obviously the standard goal that we all are going to advocate is no seizures, no adverse effects. But, in the real world, that is a little tougher to accomplish. But, practically speaking, when you...
Tools in the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Epilepsy
Michael R. Sperling, MD: Moving along from this, what are the tools that we really think are essential for accurate diagnosis? And I think we all agree that the best tool is our mouth and our ears, right? Epilepsy is still a diagnosis made by taking a history. You...
CBD 101 – CBD 101
On any given day, my email inbox will contain at least 10 press releases for something involving or containing cannabidiol—the cannabis compound more colloquially known as CBD. In my persepctive, it’s entertaining and a bit alarming watching CBD flood consumer...
Neuroelectrics Announces Positive Results for Treatment of Medication-Resistant Epilepsy Using Starstim™
At the recent American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Neuroelectrics Corporation presented positive results from its clinical trial treating patients with drug resistant epilepsy with Starstim™, a device that uses mild electric currents applied on the...
Epilepsy: Triangular relationship in the brain Researchers decipher complex interaction in brain’s network
When an epileptic seizure occurs in the brain, the nerve cells lose their usual pattern and fire in a very fast rhythm. The cause is a complex interplay of various factors. Scientists at the University of Bonn have now discovered the important role of one of the...
EEG helps scientists predict epileptic seizures minutes in advance
Elizabeth Delacruz can't crawl or toddle around like most youngsters nearing their second birthday. Photo: Carmen Mejia holds her daughter Elizabeth, who metabolic disorder causes her frequent seizures. Photo Credit: UT Southwestern A rare metabolic disorder that...