NEWS
Genetic Testing Can Help Pinpoint Epilepsy Earlier
A new study supports routine genetic testing for epilepsy in young children with seizures. "Precision medicine means nothing without precision diagnosis, and we can now provide precision diagnosis," said study lead author Anne Berg, of the Stanley Manne Children's...
Pairnomix, StemoniX Develop Epilepsy Model in Search for New Anti-seizure Drugs
Pairnomix has joined efforts with StemoniX to develop a lab-based model of epileptic seizures using so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The model, which researchers refer to as a “seizure-in-a-dish” model system, will allow scientists to study seizures...
Data Lacking to Explain Why US Doctors Prefer Keppra to Treat Pediatric Epilepsy
Doctors have several anti-seizure options to treat epilepsy, but little data exists to show which of these treatments is best for children. Nevertheless, according to a recent study on therapies prescribed for children under 3 with epilepsy, doctors in the U.S. appear...
This Is What It’s Really Like to Have Epilepsy
Epilepsy nearly took Emily Borghard's life before she was diagnosed—she's not only learned to live with the condition, but thrive as well. For Emily Borghard, 28, life growing up on a farm in upstate New York was filled with carefree activities in her close-knit...
This musician strummed a guitar during his own brain surgery
Guitar players can strum almost anywhere, from a beach to a park bench to an operating room -- while undergoing brain surgery. That's where Abhishek Prasad peddled his musical wares during a four-hour surgery in India that aimed to correct cramping in his fingers, his...
Epilepsy Therapies Can Worsen Some Mitochondrial Disorders, Experts Warn
Epilepsy is a common manifestation of mitochondrial disorders for about half of the people with the energy-production malfunction. In most cases, doctors can use epilepsy therapies to treat epilepsy stemming from mitochondrial problems. But the treatments can worsen...
What causes seizures in sleep? Nocturnal epilepsy explained
Epilepsy is a serious condition that is characterized by uncontrollable limb twitching, jerking, and in many cases, loss of consciousness. Caused by abnormal activity in brain cells, seizures can affect brain processes and lead to symptoms such as confusion, a lack of...
Eye test could help diagnose autism
A new study out in European Journal of Neuroscience could herald a new tool that helps physicians identify a sub-group of people with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The test, which consists of measuring rapid eye movements, may indicate deficits in an area of the...
Cannabis compound quells seizures in severe epilepsy syndrom
A component of marijuana called cannabidiol eased seizures in children with Dravet syndrome, a potentially fatal form of epilepsy, in a late-stage clinical trial1. Dravet syndrome stems from mutations in sodium channels, most often in a gene called SCN1A. A gene in...
Epilepsy biomarkers pave way for noninvasive diagnosis, better treatments
Researchers have identified a unique metabolic signature associated with epileptic brain tissue that causes seizures. The chemical biomarker can be detected noninvasively using technology based on magnetic resonance imaging. It will allow physicians to precisely...
Potential Surgery Treatment for Certain Epilepsy Patients, Review Says
A technique called MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MgLiTT) may be a potential treatment for epilepsy patients, according to a recent review. Researchers say that MgLiTT may be a particularly viable option for patients whose seizures are caused by...
Health & Wellness: Detecting childhood epilepsy — it’s not their attention span
Sometimes Shelby would be there, but not “all there.” At the dinner table, her parents and siblings would catch her “zoning out”; she’d stop paying attention to the conversation and need to be jostled back to focus. They’d chide her for being so rude, then continue...
Surgery in Older Patients with Drug-resistant Focal Epilepsy Still Effective, Study Finds
Researchers studied the medical records of patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy who underwent surgery for the disorder at the age of 50 or older and found that the treatment was as effective as it was for patients younger than 50. However, there was a higher...
Autism: Which children respond to oxytocin treatment?
Oxytocin treatment has been proven efficient in improving the social behavior of some children with autism, studies have found. A new clinical trial investigates which children will respond best to this treatment and why. Autism is a developmental disability that...
Ultra-Marathon Cyclist Who Is Epileptic Breaks Two World Indoor Distance Records
An ultra-marathon cyclist with epilepsy has broken world indoor-track records for the longest distances covered in six and eight hours. Katie Ford dedicated the records she broke on July 2 at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow’s Emirates Arena to raising epilepsy...
Stereo EEG provides a deep, detailed map of the brain as physicians evaluate patients for the surgical treatment of epilepsy.
For patients that find their seizures difficult to manage on medications, other treatment options such as diet, devices or surgery may be beneficial. Dr. Amy Crepeau, neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, discusses the evaluation of patients with epilepsy using brain...
How an autism gene mutation alters brain development
By analyzing the brains of mice, researchers have discovered how mutations in a gene called CHD8 may alter brain development and cognitive functioning to cause autism.Researchers from the United States and Canada found that CHD8 gene mutations altered gene expression...
What is the vagus nerve?
The vagus nerve is the longest and most complex of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves that emanate from the brain. It transmits information to or from the surface of the brain to tissues and organs elsewhere in the body.The name "vagus" comes from the Latin term for...
FDA Approves VNS Therapy Treatment for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in Children as Young as Four Years Old
It was announced today that the FDA approves VNS Therapy® system (“VNS Therapy”) in patients as young as four years of age with partial onset seizures that are refractory to antiepileptic medications. This groundbreaking achievement makes VNS Therapy the first and...
Nearly Half of Persons With Epilepsy Forget to Take Their Meds at Least Once a Month, Poll Shows
Almost half of epilepsy patients surveyed in a British poll say they’ve forgotten to take their medications at least once in the past month. Researchers at Epilepsy Research UK wanted to know how meticulously people receiving their newsletter adhere to medication...
