Epilepsy News and Research

Latest Epilepsy News and Research

Individual neurons slow down when we are sleep deprived, study finds

It has been established that sleep deprivation slows down our reaction time, but it has been unclear exactly how the lack of sleep affects brain activity and subsequent behavior.

8 Nov 2017

Major labeling inaccuracies in cannabidiol extract products

There is a growing demand among consumers for marijuana containing products supposedly providing several health benefits in a range od diseases and conditions. This has spawned thousands of websites that are selling these products online. Many of these contain mislabeled cannabidiol (CBD) or a compound found in cannabis or marijuana finds a new study.

7 Nov 2017

Study finds mislabeling in nearly 70% of cannabidiol products sold online

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the medicinal use of Cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical that naturally occurs the in cannabis plant (aka "marijuana"). There is interest in CBD as a medicine because there is some evidence that it has medical benefits,

7 Nov 2017

Mislabeling of cannabidiol products poses safety and efficacy issues for consumers

Growing consumer demand for cannabis-related products purported to have medicinal benefits has created an environment where people are using mislabeled cannabidiol products sold online.

7 Nov 2017

Sleepless nights lead to sluggish brain activity

A new study has shown that some brain cells actually slow down if a person has not got adequate sleep at night. This leads to periods of mental lapses. Researchers of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Tel Aviv University have proven this in their published study that appeared in the journal Nature Medicine online this Monday (6th of November 2017).

6 Nov 2017

Gelatin promotes faster healing of the blood brain barrier after injury

Researchers already know that gelatin-covered electrode implants cause less damage to brain tissue than electrodes with no gelatin coating. Researchers at the Neuronano Research Centre at Lund University in Sweden have now shown that microglia, the brain's cleansing cells, and the enzymes that the cells use in the cleaning process, change in the presence of gelatin.

6 Nov 2017

Scientists identify eight new genes involved in epileptic encephalopathy

Approximately 30 per cent of patients with epilepsy do not respond to anti-epileptic drugs. In these cases, all neurologists can do is attempt to find the right combination of medication through trial and error.

6 Nov 2017

Inflammation in mid-life may be linked to brain shrinkage decades later

People who have biomarkers tied to inflammation in their blood in their 40s and 50s may have more brain shrinkage decades later than people without the biomarkers, according to a study published in the November 1, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The brain cell loss was found especially in areas of the brain that are affected by Alzheimer's disease.

2 Nov 2017

Researchers compile biggest recorded collection of families with epilepsy

Researchers from Swansea University Medical School have joined up with five other centers from around the world to compile the biggest recorded collection of families with forms of epilepsy where genetics may play a part in the recurring feature of the condition.

2 Nov 2017

Cleveland Clinic researchers win grants to study ethical issues involving brain surgery

The NIH BRAIN Initiative has awarded two Cleveland Clinic researchers grants to study ethical issues involving brain surgery, as part of the first neuroethics grants awarded by the initiative.

31 Oct 2017

Wristband devices may improve detection and characterization of epileptic seizures

New research published in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy, indicates that wristband devices may improve the detection and characterization of seizures in patients with epilepsy.

30 Oct 2017

Pilot study: Focused ultrasound shows potential for managing Parkinson's tremor

An initial test to determine if a scalpel-free form of brain surgery can reduce tremor caused by Parkinson's disease has produced encouraging results. Further research is warranted, the researchers conclude in a paper published today by the scientific journal JAMA Neurology.

30 Oct 2017

Study demonstrates beneficial effects of calorie-restricted diet in mice

Caloric restriction diets have been associated with various health benefits, but their effects on the skin have not been previously demonstrated. Research conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil shows that controlling calories helps mice live longer, although it reduces the reserves of fat in adipose tissue needed to keep the body warm.

30 Oct 2017

Researchers uncover new molecular binding site that can influence electrical impulses in nerves

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have discovered a previously unknown molecular binding site that can influence electrical impulses in nerves.

27 Oct 2017

UCLA researchers precisely stimulate the brain to enhance recollection of distinct memories

Neuroscientists at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have discovered precisely where and how to electrically stimulate the human brain to enhance people's recollection of distinct memories. People with epilepsy who received low-current electrical pulses showed a significant improvement in their ability to recognize specific faces and ignore similar ones.

25 Oct 2017

New study hopes to shed light on mechanism behind epileptic and non-epileptic seizures

Seizures are a common result of traumatic brain injury, especially in military veterans. A new study funded by the DOD, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, and conducted in Providence RI and Birmingham AL hopes to shed new light on the mechanism behind seizures associated with post-traumatic epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

25 Oct 2017

Case report of a 21 year old woman sweating blood

She had a rare condition called hematohidrosis where she was sweating blood and her tears too contained blood. The dermatologists published the report of her rare case while protecting her identity, this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

24 Oct 2017