NEWS
Early-Life Seizures Prematurely Wake Up Brain Networks Tied to Autism
Antiepileptic Drug May Keep Synapses ‘Silent’ Longer So Brain Can Develop Normally, Penn Study Suggests Early-life seizures prematurely switch on key synapses in the brain that may contribute to further neurodevelopmental delay in children with autism and other...
First Dry Electrode, Wireless EEG Headset Approved by FDA for Clinical Use
Tired of the sticky stuff in your hair when you get an EEG? Well the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just gave approval for a dry electrode EEG Headset. A privately held medical technology company is transforming the way electroencephalography (EEG) is...
What is Status Epilepticus?
Status epilepticus (SE) is an extremely serious and often fatal medical emergency. It may be defined as a continuous seizure which lasts for 30 minutes or more, or as 2 or more seizure episodes without the patient recovering full consciousness in between any 2...
Status Epilepticus Risk Factors and Complications
Status epilepticus (SE) is a condition in which seizure activity in the brain persists for prolonged periods of time. It is associated with significant mortality of 15-22% in adults and has a high complication rate. The potential complications are multi-organ in range...
Social Security Probed For Disability Case Delays
A lack of support staff, low morale and bad management are being cited by a government watchdog report as reasons for problems that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is having in providing adequate customer service to the millions of individuals who rely on its...
Advanced brain scanner allows neuroimaging in moving subjects
A new innovation in brain scanner technology promises high-resolution neuroimaging in subjects without restricting their head and body movements. Neurons are specialized cells that are designed to generate electrochemical signals. These signals are the currency used...
Cognitive-behavioural therapy does not meaningfully reduce depression in most people with epilepsy: a systematic review of clinically reliable improvement
Depression and anxiety are common comorbid conditions in people with epilepsy. Their presence is associated with an increase in suicide risk, increase healthcare costs, increase in mortality and reduced quality of life. There are also knock-on effects for seizure...
Gut bacteria play key role in anti-seizure effects of ketogenic diet
UCLA scientists have identified specific gut bacteria that play an essential role in the anti-seizure effects of the high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. The study, published today in the journal Cell, is the first to establish a causal link between seizure...
Personalizing therapeutic brain stimulation
Research could inform development of individualized stimulation protocols for neuropsychiatric disorders A study of epilepsy patients with implanted electrodes provides an unprecedented view of the changes in brain activity created by electrical stimulation....
Researchers discover novel mode of neurotransmitter-based communication
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine have discovered the first example of a novel mode of neurotransmitter-based communication. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, challenges current dogma about mechanisms of signaling...
Call to action builds on 2015 WHO Resolution on Epilepsy, which aims to improve knowledge, services, and treatment of epilepsy worldwide
Representatives from the International League against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE), alongside prominent members of the Global epilepsy community, are meeting this week to encourage World Health Assembly (WHA) members and the World...
Mechanism underlying malformation associated with severe epilepsy is revealed
Study suggests dysregulation of gene NEUROG2 could be linked to development of focal cortical dysplasia, one of the most common causes of drug-resistant epilepsy One of the most frequent causes of drug-resistant epilepsy, considered a difficult disease to...
With Epilepsy on The Rise, Thousands of Americans Are Turning To The Internet For Advice
Epilepsy is on the rise in the USA, recent figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirm. According to a 2018 report issued by the CDC, “Active Epilepsy and Seizure Control in Adults — United States, 2013 and 2015”, the number of...
Cannabis Compound Confirmed as Epilepsy Treatment for Atonic Seizures (Drop Attacks)
Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant that does not produce a “high” and has been an increasing focus of medical research, was shown in a new large-scale, randomized, controlled trial to significantly reduce the number of dangerous seizures in...
Epilepsy, Medical Marijuana and CBD: Myths and Facts
While a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment for two rare forms of epilepsy, CBD medication is not the same thing as medical marijuana, which is more available than ever before and...
Child Protective Services called on parents treating kid with CBD oil for epilepsy
Photo: Jaelah Jerger (L) and Vala Jerger (R) (Photo courtesy their mother.) Indiana allows CBD oil for epilepsy, but the girl’s particular form of epilepsy is not protected. It all began last August. Even though the laws in Indiana for cannabis are...
Many States Considering Illegal CBD Crackdown Laws
Michigan, Texas and many other states are looking at doing what the Texas Department of State Health is thinking about; a crackdown on foods and oils which contain CBD. CBD is a component in marijuana/hemp plants. Unlike THC, the psychedelic active ingredient...
UCB Announces BRIVIACT® (Brivaracetam) now Approved by FDA to Treat Partial-onset (Focal) Seizures in Pediatric Epilepsy Patients
BRIVIACT® (brivaracetam) CV oral formulations are approved as a monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in patients four years of age and older with partial-onset seizures - Approval provides pediatric epilepsy patients a treatment option which can be initiated at a...
Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Treatment Commences Clinical Trial Recruitment
This week, AMO Pharma Limited announced the commencement of patient recruitment for an interventional study of AMO-01, an investigational Ras-ERK pathway inhibitor for the treatment of Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS). "Treatment of Phelan-McDermid syndrome...
FDA Reports a Life-Threatening Immune Reaction to Lamotrigine: What You Should Know
A rare but life-threatening immune reaction in response to lamotrigine (Lamictal) requires prompt diagnosis and treatment, according to a recent alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On April 25, the FDA issued what it calls a "drug safety...
