Epilepsy News and Research

Latest Epilepsy News and Research

New research reveals a shared genetic susceptibility to epilepsy and migraine

New research reveals a shared genetic susceptibility to epilepsy and migraine. Findings published in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), indicate that having a strong family history of seizure disorders increases the chance of having migraine with aura (MA).

7 Jan 2013

Link between Parkinson's and benomyl

For several years, neurologists at UCLA have been building a case that a link exists between pesticides and Parkinson's disease. To date, paraquat, maneb and ziram - common chemicals sprayed in California's Central Valley and elsewhere - have been tied to increases in the disease, not only among farmworkers but in individuals who simply lived or worked near fields and likely inhaled drifting particles.

6 Jan 2013

Low-carbohydrate diet effective in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

Dietary modification can be an effective adjunct to drugs in people with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, according to a study reported in Epilepsy and Behavior.

3 Jan 2013

New cost-effective, less invasive MRI method for diagnosis of dementia

A new way to use MRI scans may help determine whether dementia is Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia, according to new research published in the December 26, 2012, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Dec 2012

Acorda Therapeutics acquires Neuronex

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the Company has completed the acquisition of Neuronex, Inc., a privately held company developing a nasal spray formulation of diazepam. Under the terms of the agreement, Acorda paid $6.8 million to Neuronex to complete the acquisition.

21 Dec 2012

Novel virus-based gene therapy holds promise for Canavan disease

Research led by Paola Leone, PhD, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM), demonstrates the long term safety and benefit of a virus-based gene therapy that has been applied for the first time in a clinical setting.

21 Dec 2012

UCLA study assesses prevalence of various types of study partners in Alzheimer's trials

For Alzheimer's disease researchers who conduct clinical trials, enrolling enough patients to make a trial meaningful is always a challenge. To enroll a single patient in a study requires not one but two participants - the patient and what's known as a study partner. Study partners provide the patient with support and update researchers about the patient's progress.

21 Dec 2012

Radical surgery has lasting benefits for epileptic children

Hemispherectomy in children with medically refractory epilepsy offers a high rate of long-term seizure control, report US researchers.

20 Dec 2012

Genomic technology revolutionizes gene discovery and disease understanding in autism

Genomic technology has revolutionized gene discovery and disease understanding in autism, according to an article published in the December 20 issue of the journal Neuron.

20 Dec 2012

Ion channel acts as powerful ‘brake’ after epileptic seizures

Given that epilepsy impacts more than 2 million Americans, there is a pressing need for new therapies to prevent this disabling neurological disorder. New findings from the neuroscience laboratory of Mark S. Shapiro, Ph.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, published Dec. 20 in the high-impact scientific journal, Neuron, may provide hope.

19 Dec 2012

Patients achieve favorable seizure outcomes after resective epilepsy surgery

Brain surgery for certain difficult forms of epilepsy often reduces or eliminates seizures for more than 15 years after the procedure, according to new research by neurologists at Henry Ford Hospital.

19 Dec 2012

Case Western Reserve, UH Neurological Institute to present 6th International Epilepsy Colloquium

In partnership with Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Neurological Institute will present the 6th International Epilepsy Colloquium on tumoral epilepsy and epilepsy surgery in Cleveland, Ohio, May 20-24, 2013.

18 Dec 2012

Naurex announces completion of $38M Series B financing

Naurex Inc., a clinical-stage company developing innovative treatments to address unmet needs in psychiatry and neurology, today announced the completion of a $38 million Series B financing led by new investor Baxter Ventures.

17 Dec 2012

Bumetanide could treat children with severe autism or Asperger's syndrome

Although this therapy is not curative, it nevertheless reduced the autistic disorders' severity in three-quarters of the children. The researchers have filed a request for authorisation to perform a multi-centre European clinical trial in order to determine more precisely the population concerned by this therapy.

13 Dec 2012

Takeda, Lundbeck announce FDA acceptance of vortioxetine NDA submission

Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc., (Takeda) and H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) jointly announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing their submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) for vortioxetine for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adult patients.

13 Dec 2012

Two UT Southwestern researchers to receive 2013 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award

The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas (TAMEST) announced that two UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are among the four chosen for the 2013 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Awards.

12 Dec 2012

Carbon nanotubes can help regulate chloride levels in nerve cells that contribute to neural injuries

A nanomaterial engineered by researchers at Duke can help regulate chloride levels in nerve cells that contribute to chronic pain, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

11 Dec 2012

Advance Study to evaluate safety and benefit of DBS-f for patients with mild Alzheimer's

The first U.S. patient to enroll in Functional Neuromodulation's ADvance Study was successfully implanted with a deep brain stimulation (DBS) system. ADvance will evaluate the safety and potential clinical benefit of DBS of the fornix (DBS-f), a major inflow and output pathway in the brain's memory circuit, for patients with mild Alzheimer's.

7 Dec 2012

Ketogenic diet and fasting can reduce seizures in children

Children with persistent and drug-resistant seizures treated with the high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet may get an added therapeutic benefit from periodic fasting, according to a small Johns Hopkins Children's Center study.

7 Dec 2012

C-reactive protein levels increased in schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein compared with mentally healthy individuals, US researchers report.

6 Dec 2012