Epilepsy News and Research

Latest Epilepsy News and Research

Wellness Center USA closes PSI acquisition

Wellness Center USA, Inc., a Schaumburg IL based healthcare and nutraceutical company, reported the closing of its Psoria-Shield Inc. (PSI) acquisition. PSI is a Tampa, FL based developer and manufacturer of UltraViolet (UV) phototherapy devices for the treatment of skin diseases.

29 Aug 2012

New non-invasive brain scan can benefit patients with epileptic seizures

A team of University of Minnesota biomedical engineers and researchers from Mayo Clinic published a groundbreaking study today that outlines how a new type of non-invasive brain scan taken immediately after a seizure gives additional insight into possible causes and treatments for epilepsy patients.

27 Aug 2012

Novel questionnaire reliably assesses antiepileptic adverse effects in children

The adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs can be reliably measured in children from across the epilepsy spectrum in clinical and research settings with the novel Pediatric Epilepsy Side Effects Questionnaire, say US scientists.

23 Aug 2012

Signs of epilepsy in childhood

When parents hear the word "epilepsy," it typically triggers images of severe seizures – the ones that are easy to identify, involving a child falling, getting stiff and shaking all over. But the truth is, there are over 300,000 children and teens in the U.S. with epilepsy, and not all of them display such obvious signs of their medical condition.

23 Aug 2012

OBI’s Oxycyte improves imaging of penumbra following acute ischemic stroke

Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc., announced today that recent research conducted by its partner, Aurum Biosciences, Glasgow, Scotland, has shown that Oxycyte, OBI's proprietary perfluorocarbon-based intravenous emulsion, improves imaging of the penumbra following acute ischemic stroke in a rat model.

22 Aug 2012

Scientists unravel how brain cells encode pronunciation of individual vowels in speech

Diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease at 21, British physicist Stephen Hawking, now 70, relies on a computerized device to speak. Engineers are investigating the use of brainwaves to create a new form of communication for Hawking and other people suffering from paralysis. -Daily Mail

22 Aug 2012

People with metabolic abnormalities may experience rapid decline in their cognitive skills

People who are obese and also have high blood pressure and other risk factors called metabolic abnormalities may experience a faster decline in their cognitive skills over time than others, according to a study published in the August 21, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

21 Aug 2012

Febrile seizures increase hippocampal injury risk

Children with febrile status epilepticus are at risk for hippocampal injury and show abnormalities in the development of this brain area, show findings from a prospective multicenter study.

16 Aug 2012

People with no dementia symptoms and high protein levels more likely to avoid the disease

People who are free of dementia and have high levels of a protein that indicates the presence of inflammation have relatives who are more likely to avoid the disease as well, according to a new study published in the August 15, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Aug 2012

Study looks at differences in brain structure between karate practitioners

Brain scans have revealed distinctive features in the brain structure of karate experts, which could be linked to their ability to punch powerfully from close range. Researchers from Imperial College London and UCL (University College London) found that differences in the structure of white matter - the connections between brain regions - were correlated with how black belts and novices performed in a test of punching ability.

16 Aug 2012

Scientists develop new way to study role of GABA-A receptors in various disorders

A new way to study the role of a critical neurotransmitter in disorders such as epilepsy, anxiety, insomnia, depression, schizophrenia, and alcohol addiction has been developed by a group of scientists led by Gong Chen, an associate professor of biology at Penn State University.

9 Aug 2012

Healthcare professionals receive SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress abstract awards

Results of the highly anticipated Best Oral Presentation and Best Poster Awards were announced at SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress 2012, held on 3 and 4 August 2012 at the Raffles City Convention Centre.

8 Aug 2012

Astrocytes help reduce damaging effects of epilepsy

Epileptic fits are like thunderstorms raging in the brain: Nerve cells excite each other in an uncontrolled way so that strong, rhythmic electrical discharges sweep over whole brain regions. In the wake of such a seizure, the nerve cells are severely affected, and permanent damage is possible. The glia, a class of cells that surround the neurons in the brain, was long suspected to contribute to the damaging effects of epilepsy.

7 Aug 2012

Fainting appears to have strong genetic predisposition

Fainting has a strong genetic predisposition, according to new research published in the August 7, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Fainting, also called vasovagal syncope, is a brief loss of consciousness when your body reacts to certain triggers, such as emotional distress or the sight of blood.

7 Aug 2012

Caffeine may ease movement symptoms of Parkinson's

While drinking caffeine each day does not appear to help improve sleepiness among people with Parkinson's disease, it may have a benefit in controlling movement, according to new research published in the August 1, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Aug 2012

Researchers develop bioactive coating that actively suppresses brain's immune response

Brain-computer interfaces are at the cutting edge for treatment of neurological and psychological disorder, including Parkinson's, epilepsy, and depression. Among the most promising advance is deep brain stimulation (DBS) - a method in which a silicon chip implanted under the skin ejects high frequency currents that are transferred to the brain through implanted electrodes that transmit and receive the signals.

1 Aug 2012

New drug may be useful in treating long QT syndrome

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a new drug that may be useful in treating a heart rhythm condition called long QT syndrome.

1 Aug 2012

ATP1A3 gene mutations responsible for alternating hemiplegia of childhood

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare disorder that usually begins in infancy, with intermittent episodes of paralysis and stiffness, first affecting one side of the body, then the other. Symptoms mysteriously appear and disappear, again and again, and affected children often experience dozens of episodes per week. As they get older, children fall progressively behind their peers in both intellectual abilities and motor skills, and more than half develop epilepsy.

31 Jul 2012

EC approves Vertex's KALYDECO for treatment of cystic fibrosis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that the European Commission has approved KALYDECOTM (ivacaftor) for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 6 and older who have at least one copy of the G551D mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.

28 Jul 2012

MEG-MRI combined device for mapping the human brain

Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed the world's first device designed for mapping the human brain that combines whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. MEG measures the electrical function and MRI visualizes the structure of the brain. The merging of these two technologies will produce unprecedented accuracy in locating brain electrical activity non-invasively.

27 Jul 2012