Epilepsy News and Research

Latest Epilepsy News and Research

Study: Anemia may increase risk of dementia

Anemia, or low levels of red blood cells, may increase the risk of dementia, according to a study published in the July 31, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

1 Aug 2013

NeuroSigma receives FDA approval to begin Phase III trial of Monarch eTNS System for epilepsy

NeuroSigma, Inc., today announced conditional approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of its Investigational Device Exemption application to commence a Phase III pivotal trial of the Monarch eTNS System for treatment of drug resistant epilepsy.

30 Jul 2013

FDA grants orphan-drug designation for Ligand’s Captisol-enabled Topiramate Injection

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan-drug designation for its proprietary Captisol-enabled Topiramate Injection for the treatment of partial onset or primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in hospitalized epilepsy patients who are unable to take oral topiramate.

26 Jul 2013

Epigenetic changes induced by ADO therapy prevent epilepsy progression

Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures that present in many different ways. In some cases epileptic patients exhibit a progressive increase in both frequency and severity of seizures. Epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation have recently been implied as an underlying cause of several neurologic disorders, including epilepsy.

26 Jul 2013

Silk implants placed in brain of animals may help stop progression of epilepsy

Silk has walked straight off the runway and into the lab. According to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, silk implants placed in the brain of laboratory animals and designed to release a specific chemical, adenosine, may help stop the progression of epilepsy.

26 Jul 2013

HONEI review shows that high glycemic index foods can exacerbate acne

A review carried out by the University of Hull has shed new light on the relationship between acne and diet. Published in Dermatological Nursing, the comprehensive review assesses the latest evidence and findings about the effects of food and nutrition on acne and suggest that high glycemic index foods such as milk could exacerbate the skin condition.

25 Jul 2013

Stem cell-based epilepsy approach may help in search for better medicines to treat seizure disorders

A new stem cell-based approach to studying epilepsy has yielded a surprising discovery about what causes one form of the disease, and may help in the search for better medicines to treat all kinds of seizure disorders.

25 Jul 2013

Stopping cholesterol drugs may increase risk of Parkinson's disease

People who stop taking cholesterol drugs may be at an increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease, according to research that appears in the July 24, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Jul 2013

Astrocytes can protect brain tissue and reduce disability due to stroke

One of regenerative medicine's greatest goals is to develop new treatments for stroke. So far, stem cell research for the disease has focused on developing therapeutic neurons - the primary movers of electrical impulses in the brain - to repair tissue damaged when oxygen to the brain is limited by a blood clot or break in a vessel. New UC Davis research, however, shows that other cells may be better suited for the task.

24 Jul 2013

NIH awards $1.7M grant to develop effective treatments for brain disorders

Ten percent of Americans experience a seizure in their lifetime, with three million diagnosed with epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder. Anticonvulsant medications can mitigate the hyperactivity of neurons that leads to seizures, but not without severe side effects, including cognitive impairment.

23 Jul 2013

Study finds link between mental illness and premature death in people with epilepsy

People with epilepsy are 11 times more likely to die prematurely than the general population, and the risk appears to be much higher for individuals with common co-existing psychiatric illnesses*, especially depression and alcohol and drug use disorders, new research published in The Lancet suggests.

22 Jul 2013

Study reveals correlation between premature death and mental illness in people with epilepsy

People with epilepsy are ten times more likely to die early, before their mid-fifties, compared with the general population, according to a 41 year study in Sweden published today in the Lancet and part-funded by the Wellcome Trust.

22 Jul 2013

Study supports topiramate as promising medication to treat addiction

The drug topiramate, typically used to treat epilepsy and more recently weight loss, may also help people addicted to both cocaine and alcohol use less cocaine, particularly heavy users, researchers in the department of Psychiatry at Penn Medicine report in a new study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

19 Jul 2013

Children exposed to AEDs in womb at risk of early development issues: Study

Children whose mothers took antiepileptic drugs while pregnant are at increased risk of early development issues, according to a new study published in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy.

18 Jul 2013

Scientists develop method to predict success of surgical procedure for temporal lobe epilepsy

Scientists at Bonn University Hospital and at the Max Planck Institute for neurological research in Cologne have developed a method with which the chances of success of a surgical procedure for temporal lobe epilepsy can be accurately predicted. The rate of accurate predictions is more than 90%. The results are now being presented in the scientific journal "NeuroImage:Clinical."

17 Jul 2013

Study demonstrates effectiveness of everolimus for TSC patients

A drug originally developed to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs has now been shown to dramatically reduce seizures in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex - a genetic disease characterized by benign tumors on multiple organ systems.

16 Jul 2013

Actavis’ Lamictal ODT drug receives FDA approval for treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder

Actavis, Inc. (NYSE: ACT) today announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Lamotrigine Orally Disintegrating Tablets, 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg and 200 mg, a generic equivalent to GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal® ODT.

16 Jul 2013

Research: Chinese people have higher risk of stroke than Caucasians

A new study suggests that Chinese people may be at higher risk for stroke than Caucasians. The research is published in the July 16, 2013, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Jul 2013

Genome sequencing promises to identify rare mutations that give rise to autism

An international consortium, consisting of Autism Speaks, Duke University School of Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children of Toronto, BGI and other institutes, has investigated the genetic variants in 32 families with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

12 Jul 2013

Older people with Alzheimer's disease less likely to have cancer and vice versa

Older people with Alzheimer's disease are less likely to also have cancer, and older people with cancer are less likely to also have Alzheimer's disease, according to the largest study to date on the topic, which appears in the July 10, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Jul 2013