Breaking news on epilepsy
Randomised Trial Confirms Efficacy Of Ketogenic Diet In Preventing Epileptic Seizures In Children published
Sat, 03 May 2008 01:00:00 PDT
A randomised controlled trial has confirmed the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in helping control and prevent epileptic seizures in children with drug-resistant epilepsy. These are the conclusions of authors of an Article published early Online and in the June edition of The Lancet Neurology. The ketogenic diet has been used widely and successfully to treat children with drug-resistant epilepsy since the 1920s.
Epilepsy Drug Causes Bone Loss In Young Women published
Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Young women who took the commonly used epilepsy drug phenytoin for one year showed significant bone loss compared to women taking other epilepsy drugs, according to a study published in the April 29, 2008, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.Researchers tested the bone health of 93 women with epilepsy who were between the ages of 18 and 40 and were taking the epilepsy drugs phenytoin, carbamazepine, lamotrigine or valproate.
Data Presented At AAN Support Potential For Adjunctive Use Of Intravenous Lacosamide As Short-Term Replacement For Oral Treatment In Partial Epilepsy published
Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Data presented at a platform session of the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Chicago support the potential for adjunctive use of intravenous lacosamide 200-600 mg/day using infusion durations as fast as 10 minutes for short term replacement of oral lacosamide in adult patients with partial onset seizures. Regulatory filings for lacosamide oral tablet, oral syrup and intravenous formulation are currently under review by the U.
Elderly Epilepsy Patients Have Higher Risk Of Cognitive Decline published
Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT
An article published in the May 2008 issue of Epilepsia calls attention to the lack of knowledge regarding cognitive aging in chronic epilepsy patients. For persons with chronic epilepsy, little is known about the impact of aging on the course of cognitive and brain health, the prevalence of clinical disorders of aging (mild cognitive impairment, dementia), or the disease burdens and risk factors associated with abnormal cognitive and brain aging.
Study May Lead To Improved Treatments For Epilepsy published
Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PDT
Using a rodent model of epilepsy, researchers found one of the body's own neurotransmitters released during seizures, glutamate, turns on a signaling pathway in the brain that increases production of a protein that could reduce medication entry into the brain. Researchers say this may explain why approximately 30 percent of patients with epilepsy do not respond to antiepileptic medications.
Diabetes Drug May Hold Potential As Treatment For Epilepsy, Using Same Mechanism As Ketogenic Diet published
Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:00:00 PDT
Two years ago, University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists reported they had suppressed epileptic seizures in rats by giving them a glycolytic-inhibitor, inhibiting the brain's ability to turn sugar into excess energy and blocking the expression of seizure-related genes. The discovery was greeted with excitement and hope for a new class of drugs for epilepsy, which afflicts more than 50 million people worldwide.
Diabetes Drug May Hold Potential As Treatment For Epilepsy published
Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Metformine, a widely used diabetic drug, might also be an effective and safe therapy for epilepsy, researchers report. This new approach may be especially helpful for the subset of patients who have recurrent seizures despite therapy with the best available drugs.The basis for metformine's effect is similar to a ketogenic diet, which is an attempt to minimize dietary starch and sugar. Epilepsy patients have been using this severe dietary approach for centuries, which led Dr.
Room For Improvement In Balancing Epileptic Seizure Control And Side Effects published
Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:00:00 PDT
On the heels of the nation's largest event dedicated to the epilepsy community, the National Walk for Epilepsy, advocates have announced their recommendations in response to a new national survey uncovering key challenges facing the epilepsy community. Challenges include gaps in patient-physician communication around medication-related side effects and low public awareness of epilepsy.
Abundance Of Hubs Influences Seizures And Offers Insight Into How Epilepsy Develops published
Wed, 26 Mar 2008 04:00:00 PDT
An increased number of neuron "hubs" in the epileptic brain may be the root cause for the seizures that characterize the disorder, according to a UC Irvine study.Researchers Robert Morgan and Ivan Soltesz with the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology identified that these hubs - a small number of highly connected neurons - are formed in the hippocampus during the transition from a healthy brain to an epileptic one.
Structure Of Brain Receptor Implicated In Epilepsy And PMT Determined By Scientists published
Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have published new research in the journal Molecular Pharmacology identifying the structure of a receptor in the brain implicated in conditions such as epilepsy and pre-menstrual tension. The same receptor has also been reported to be highly sensitive to alcohol.
Epilepsy Action Provides New Service For Helpline Users, UK published
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:00:00 PDT
Advice and information about epilepsy is now available at the touch of a button thanks to a new text message service launched. Epilepsy Action, the UK's largest member-led epilepsy organisation, has introduced the new service to ensure advice and information about epilepsy is as accessible as possible. The system allows people to text questions to the Epilepsy Helpline from their mobile phone.
Researchers Find Gene Behind Rare Form Of Epilepsy, Only 3 Known Affected Individuals published
Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:00:00 PDT
Researchers have found a gene responsible for a particularly debilitating form of epilepsy that also leads to kidney failure, according to a report published online on February 28th and also in the March 7th print issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, a publication of Cell Press. What's more, the new findings, which begin to "crack open the cell biology of the problem," were made with the help of just three affected individuals.
FDA Accepts For Review OVATION's Two NDA Submissions For Sabril(R) published
Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:00:00 PDT
OVATION Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the company's new drug applications (NDA) for Sabril® (vigabatrin) in two types of epilepsies. The FDA assigned a priority NDA review for Sabril for the treatment of Infantile Spasms (IS), and will review the submission for refractory complex partial seizures (CPS) in the same time frame.
Cause Of Children's Seizures Pinpointed By Hypnosis published
Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:00:00 PDT
It was no way for an 11-year-old to live. For a month the boy had endured daily episodes of uncontrollable jerking and foaming at the mouth, and his physicians at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford were concerned that the boy had epilepsy. Before starting the boy on a lifetime of anti-seizure medications, though, they turned to an unconventional diagnostic tool: hypnosis.
FDA Alerts Doctors About Suicide Risk Of Antiepileptic Drugs published
Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:00:00 PDT
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new information, yesterday, 31st January, to alert doctors and other health professionals about the increased risk of patients having suicidal thoughts and behaviours as a result of taking antiepileptic drugs for epilepsy, bipolar disorder, migraines, and other conditions.
Epilepsy Hospitalizations Rise After 8-Year Decline, USA published
Thu, 31 Jan 2008 02:00:00 PDT
Epilepsy-related hospitalizations, which fell from 176,000 in 1993 to 95,000 in 2000, climbed to 136,000 in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The recent 5-year climb represented a 43 percent increase. Epilepsy, a condition characterized by recurrent seizures that may include repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions, affects 1 to 2 percent of the U.S. population.
Epileptic Seizures In Adults Cut Using Modified Atkins Diet published
Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:00:00 PDT
A modified version of a popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can significantly cut the number of seizures in adults with epilepsy, a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests. The Atkins-like diet, which has shown promise for seizure control in children, may offer a new lifeline for patients when drugs and other treatments fail or cause complications.
When Mysterious Protein Deleted In Mice Deafness And Seizures Result published
Fri, 25 Jan 2008 05:00:00 PDT
Scientists have discovered that mice genetically engineered to lack a particular protein in the brain have profound deafness and seizures. The finding suggests a pathway, they say, for exploring the hereditary causes of deafness and epilepsy in humans.More broadly, the discovery provides an entry point for gaining new insight into the role of glutamate, the chemical messenger carried by the protein, says the team, led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco.
Epilepsy Action Urges Caution Over Drug-Switching, UK published
Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:00:00 PDT
Epilepsy Action, the UK's largest member-led epilepsy organisation, has urged caution over calls for GPs to prescribe generic versions of drugs rather than branded ones. The Commons public accounts committee - a cross party group of MPs - has suggested that switching to the use of more generic drugs would save money as part of NHS spending on prescriptions.
Keppra XR(TM) Extended- Release Tablets Filed With The FDA published
Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:00:00 PDT
UCB announced that the New Drug Application (NDA) for the use of Keppra XR(TM) (levetiracetam) extended- release tablets in the adjunctive treatment of partial onset seizures in adults with epilepsy has been accepted for filing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "This filing is another important step in the development of UCB's epilepsy franchise and demonstrates our commitment to bringing new and innovative therapies to the epilepsy community.
"Speaking Out For Epilepsy" Podcast, USA published
Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:00:00 PDT
Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc. has partnered with the Epilepsy Foundation to create the "Speaking Out for Epilepsy" podcast, a new educational resource for the more than three million Americans with epilepsy. The podcast features Alan Faneca of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Alan has overcome many obstacles on his journey to becoming a six-time, All-Pro offensive guard - his greatest challenge, however, was off the field when he was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 14.
Taro To Launch Oxcarbazepine In The United States, USA published
Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. ("Taro," Pink Sheets: TAROF) reported that it settled a pending lawsuit with Novartis and will be launching Oxcarbazepine Tablets 150 mg, 300 mg, and 600 mg ("Oxcarbazepine Tablets") in the United States. Oxcarbazepine Tablets, marketed by Novartis as Trileptal® Tablets, is a prescription pharmaceutical product used in treating seizures.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Announces Receipt Of FDA Orphan Drug Designation For Recurrent Acute Repetitive Seizures Product Candidate published
Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAZZ) announced that it has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its JZP-8 product candidate for the treatment of recurrent acute repetitive seizures. In December 2007, Jazz Pharmaceuticals dosed the first patient in a Phase II clinical trial of JZP-8. JZP-8 is a novel drug delivery formulation incorporating clonazepam, a widely prescribed benzodiazepine.
The Protein ADK Links Epilepsy And Brain Pathology published
Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:00:00 PDT
The brain of individuals who suffer from epilepsy is characterized by astrogliosis, a brain pathology evidenced by a complex series of changes in the morphology and function of brain cells known as astrocytes. Little is known about how astrogliosis relates to the dysfunction of brain cells known as neurons in individuals with epilepsy, but filling in the blanks in our knowledge could lead to new possibilities for therapeutic intervention.
Treating Epilepsy With An Atkins-Like Diet: Leptin Attenuates Rodent Seizure Severity published
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:00:00 PDT
Not all individuals who have epilepsy respond to traditional treatments and these individuals are said to have medically refractory epilepsy. Strict use of a ketogenic diet high in fats and extremely low in carbohydrates is sometimes used for treatment of refractory epilepsy, and is effective about half of the time. However, the mechanisms whereby ketogenic diets suppress epileptic symptoms have long been a mystery.
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