NEWS
Brain MRI May Flag SUDEP Risk
MRI of the brain can detect potentially life-threatening brainstem damage in patients with epilepsy, suggesting the test could be used as a biomarker to identify those at risk for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), new research shows. "When we looked...
Device Shows Long-term Efficacy for Intractable Seizures
Almost three quarters of patients with medically intractable seizures who received neurostimulation with a novel device called the RNS System (NeuroPace Inc) had sustained seizure reduction at 8 years, new research shows. Furthermore, the analysis found that almost a...
Epilepsy Patients Failing Regular Meds Improved with Medical Cannabis
Reported better overall health as well as seizure control in pilot study Medically refractory epilepsy (MRE) patients in New York state who regularly used medical cannabis reported improvements in their health, according to a pilot survey presented here this week at...
Diet May Help Fight Epilepsy When Meds Fail
For children with epilepsy who don't find relief from their seizures with medication, a tightly controlled nutrition plan might help, a pair of new studies suggests. Called the ketogenic diet, the therapy provides a carefully balanced high-fat, low-carbohydrate...
Non-Drug Options Provide Seizure Relief in Children
Non-pharmaceutical therapies may offer seizure relief for children with epilepsy, and slow introduction of the ketogenic diet is effective, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society, held from Dec. 1 to 5 in Washington,...
Experiment Reveals Potency of Ultrasound in Treatment of Disease
A study has revealed that ultrasound can be key in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease and other neurological diseases (including epilepsy) in the future. An experiment that tested a macaque monkey and sheep has revealed that directing bursts of inaudible...
Seizure Frequency Predicts Neuropsychiatric Outcomes in BECTS
Findings from a large prospective study presented at the 2017 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, December 1-5, in Washington, DC, suggest that total number of seizures in children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS), not age at...
Bone Mineral Density Loss Prevention Needed in Epilepsy
Strict treatment for the prevention of bone mineral density (BMD) loss is needed in patients with epilepsy, according to data presented at the 2017 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, December 1-5, 2017 in Washington, DC. Researchers conducted a long-term...
Researchers succeed with epilepsy early-warning system
A brain implant promises to transform the lives of persons with epilepsy by alerting them in time to avoid danger and potentially prevent seizures. In a merger of maths, machine learning and neuroscience, Melbourne, Austrailia researchers say they have proven...
People with epilepsy may gain from sleep apnea treatment
It's been used by many people to help ease sleep apnea, but new research suggests the CPAP mask may also help ease seizures in people with epilepsy. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) involves wearing an airflow mask over the nose or mouth each night,...
Association Between Seizure Onset and Year of Menarche in Women With Epilepsy
There is a significant relationship between the age of seizure onset and the age of menarche (the first occurrence of menstruation) in women with epilepsy, according to research presented at the 2017 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, held December 1-5, 2017 in...
Innovative microscope poised to propel optogenetics studies
A newly developed microscope is providing scientists with a greatly enhanced tool to study how neurological disorders such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease affect neuron communication. This new microscope has more than 100 times larger field of view for studying...
Migraine therapy hailed as ‘incredibly important’ step forward
A new drug can reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks, clinical trials have revealed. The laboratory-made antibody Erenumab works by blocking a neural brain pathway called CGRP, and is the first drug in decades that prevents debilitating...
What to do when someone has a seizure?
If you've never witnessed someone having a seizure, it can be terrifying because there are a lot of unknowns. November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month and it's aimed at educating people about epilepsy and working towards a cure. "What we mean when...
Could a spinal fluid test help to diagnose migraine?
After discovering that people who get migraine have significantly higher levels of sodium in their cerebrospinal fluid than people who do not get it, researchers call for further research to study this avenue as a new way to diagnose the headache disorder. ...
Is Lamotrigine Safe in Pregnancy?
Researchers evaluated the safety of the anti-epileptic medication, lamotrigine use during pregnancy on newborns and child development. Most of the current evidence on antiepileptic drug (AED) use in pregnant women and the resulting increased incidence of child...
Wireless charging system can power up internal body implants
A new system that that wirelessly charges internal implants and wearables could be about to make life easier for patients with conditions such as epilepsy or diabetes. MagLense is a breakthrough product providing wireless power transfer to internal implants and...
Migraine, Tension-Type Headaches Common in Mitochondrial Patients, Study Shows
Researchers found that patients with different types of mitochondrial disease have higher rates of headaches compared to the general population. Tension-type headaches (TTH) were more frequent than migraines among this patient population, the study found. The...
The Complex Relationship Between Stress and Seizures
Actress Melanie Griffith recently revealed that she was diagnosed with epilepsy following a string of seizures over a period of 20 years. Speaking at an event to raise awareness for Women’s Brain Health Initiative, Griffith said, “Every seizure that I had was at a...
See these first-of-a-kind views of living human nerve cells
New database could shed light on how people’s brains tick The human brain is teeming with diversity. By plucking out delicate, live tissue during neurosurgery and then studying the resident cells, researchers have revealed a partial cast of neural characters...
