Seizure News and Research

Latest Seizure News and Research

Suicide link with epilepsy drugs examined

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is asking 14 drug manufacturers to check their data for any evidence that epilepsy drugs trigger suicidal thoughts or behaviour.

22 Apr 2005

Electroshock therapy speeds improvement in schizophrenia patients

Shock therapy, a controversial practice conjuring frightening images of behavior control, still has a place in schizophrenia treatment, a newly updated research review shows.

20 Apr 2005

Drug that reduces the pain of fibromyalgia and improves sleep

A study of a drug that reduces the pain of fibromyalgia and improves sleep is published by a University of Kentucky physician in the peer-reviewed journal, Arthritis & Rheumatism.

12 Apr 2005

Breakdown in brain cell communication may contribute to the most common biochemical cause of mental retardation

The process is akin to a baseball game gone bad. Imagine if a pitcher were joined by six players simultaneously winding up on the mound. Crouched behind home plate, the single catcher would soon be overwhelmed. Even if the coach sent in teammates to catch the extra balls, confusion would reign on the field.

12 Apr 2005

Florida sues drug company for Medicaid fraud

Charlie Crist, Florida's Attorney General is taking three pharmaceutical companies to court for $25 million, accusing them of illegally inflating prices on generic drugs used to treat depression, schizophrenia, seizures and angina.

6 Apr 2005

Chronic pain treatments more effective when taken together

People suffering from chronic, debilitating pain caused by nerve damage or disease report better pain relief at lower doses of a combined drug treatment than from either drug administered individually, a new Queen’s study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) shows.

3 Apr 2005

Solving sleep problems helps epileptic children

Sleeping woes may explain why children with epilepsy are often so hyperactive, say researchers with the University of Florida's Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute.

30 Mar 2005

Gene variations explain drug dose required to control seizures

Determining which variants of particular genes patients with epilepsy carry might enable doctors to better predict the dose of drugs necessary to control their seizures, suggest basic findings by researchers at the Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy (IGSP) and the University College London.

28 Mar 2005

Some hospital beds pose a risk of suffocation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered the seizure of enclosed hospital beds made by Vail Products Inc. after 30 people became trapped in the beds; seven of these have died. The beds apparently pose a risk of suffocation.

22 Mar 2005

Mixed results on the effects of epilepsy drugs taken during pregnancy

New studies show mixed results on the effects of epilepsy drugs taken during pregnancy. With a newer drug, lamotrigine, the risk of birth defects was similar to that in women without epilepsy. But long-time epilepsy drug valproic acid, or sodium valproate, does increase the risk of birth defects.

22 Mar 2005

Anticonvulsant drug valproate poses greater birth-defect risk than suspected

Use of the anticonvulsant drug valproate during pregnancy may pose a significantly great risk of birth defects than does use of other antiseizure medications.

22 Mar 2005

The good news and the bad news on epilepsy drugs for pregnant women

Two new studies on the effects of epilepsy drugs taken during pregnancy show mixed results. The risk of birth defects with a newer drug, lamotrigine, was similar to that in women without epilepsy.

21 Mar 2005

New study to evaluate Pegasys and Copegus to treat hepatitis C in liver transplant patients

Roche has initiated a new study to evaluate treatment strategies to reduce post-transplant recurrence of hepatitis C infection with the most prescribed hepatitis C treatment combination in the U.S., Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a) and Copegus (ribavirin, USP).

21 Mar 2005

New center focuses on rare Batten disease

For children with Batten disease and their families, the cruelty of the disease, which robs children of their sight, their cognitive faculties and finally their lives, is made worse by the hunt for a doctor experienced at recognizing and treating patients.

16 Mar 2005

Cough medicine may cause seizures

Canadian consumers are being advised by Health Canada not to use specific brands of a generic cough syrup that could possibly result in seizures for children under three years of age.

14 Mar 2005

U.S Marshals action affects Glaxo share price

Early this month, U.S. marshals seized batches of Paxil CR and Avandamet at manufacturing and distribution sites in Puerto Rico and Knoxville, Tennessee.

8 Mar 2005

Batches of the drugs Paxil and Avandamet seized by federal officials

Batches of the drugs Paxil CR and Avandamet United States, were seized by marshals at manufacturing and distribution plants in Tennessee and Puerto Rico after federal officials said the manufacturer failed to correct violations of production safety standards.

5 Mar 2005

Methamphetamine, biggest illegal drug menace in America

Ten Attorneys General and officials from 13 other states came together today to attack what they called the biggest illegal drug menace in America: the use and production of methamphetamine.

28 Feb 2005

Mathematical model describes the electrical storm that rages during a brain seizure

"We're trying to get to the underlying state of the brain that leads to these seizures," said Mark Kramer, a Ph.D. student in UC Berkeley's Applied Science and Technology Program and lead author of the paper. "Our hope is that the model can highlight potential areas where a seizure can be stopped."

24 Feb 2005

New study details trends in diagnosis, treatment of brain tumours

A two year study involving over 560 patients with the newly-diagnosed malignant brain tumors shows that patterns of care are varied and there is a need for new, detailed clinical guidelines for management of brain tumors. The study is published in the Feb. 2, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

3 Feb 2005