Anticonvulsant News and Research

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UCSF-led study gathers data on safety, tolerability of purified cannabinoid for children with epilepsy

A new international multi-center study led by researchers from UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital is the first to evaluate whether purified cannabinoid is effective in treating severe forms of childhood epilepsy that do not respond to standard antiepileptic drugs.

5 Feb 2014

Researchers suggest possible novel target for seizure-blocking medicines

Researchers in the biomedical engineering department at Case Western Reserve University have found that epileptic activity can spread through a part of the brain in a new way, suggesting a possible novel target for seizure-blocking medicines.

24 Jan 2014

Study shows direct link between metabolism in brain cells and ability to signal information

A new study by scientists at McGill University and the University of Zurich shows a direct link between metabolism in brain cells and their ability to signal information. The research may explain why the seizures of many epilepsy patients can be controlled by a specially formulated diet.

16 Jan 2014

Medicare seeks to tighten drug program rules to fight fraud

Draft regulations issued Monday would overhaul the prescription drug program and could save up to $1.3 billion over five years.

7 Jan 2014

Study shows VEEG telemetry monitoring with early cessation of AED therapy is safe, effective

Patients with epilepsy often undergo evaluation by concurrent video and EEG monitoring (vEEG) for therapeutic planning, including possible epilepsy surgery. Seizures during monitoring increase the diagnostic yield and requires the withdrawal of anticonvulsant drugs (AEDs) to allow seizures to occur.

9 Dec 2013

$Management of refractory convulsive status epilepticus varies at different medical centers$

Management of refractory convulsive status epilepticus varies at different medical centers

The management of refractory convulsive status epilepticus varies at different medical centers and from patient to patient. Rapid success in aborting these non-stop seizures is crucial as the risk of neurological damage is high and, though rare, may result in death depending on seizure duration. By pooling data and analyzing current RCSE management practices, researchers representing a multicenter network of tertiary referral hospitals in the U.S. conducted a study that could lead to improved treatment outcomes for potentially life-threatening seizures.

9 Dec 2013

Anti-epileptic drugs, bone loss and supplements

Antiepileptic drugs are medications used to prevent and control seizure disorders. These medications are also frequently used for other diagnoses other than seizures, however this current study concentrated on patients with a seizure disorder.

25 Nov 2013

GW Pharmaceuticals starts GWP42006 Phase 1 clinical trial for epilepsy treatment

GW Pharmaceuticals plc announced today it has commenced a Phase 1 clinical trial of product candidate GWP42006 for the treatment of epilepsy.

18 Sep 2013

Researchers identify first disease gene for idiopathic focal epilepsy in childhood

More than 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, with a third of these being children. The most common forms of epilepsy in children occur without any apparent trigger and only affect certain regions of the brain.

12 Aug 2013

Epigenetic changes induced by ADO therapy prevent epilepsy progression

Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures that present in many different ways. In some cases epileptic patients exhibit a progressive increase in both frequency and severity of seizures. Epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation have recently been implied as an underlying cause of several neurologic disorders, including epilepsy.

26 Jul 2013

NIH awards $1.7M grant to develop effective treatments for brain disorders

Ten percent of Americans experience a seizure in their lifetime, with three million diagnosed with epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder. Anticonvulsant medications can mitigate the hyperactivity of neurons that leads to seizures, but not without severe side effects, including cognitive impairment.

23 Jul 2013

Study supports topiramate as promising medication to treat addiction

The drug topiramate, typically used to treat epilepsy and more recently weight loss, may also help people addicted to both cocaine and alcohol use less cocaine, particularly heavy users, researchers in the department of Psychiatry at Penn Medicine report in a new study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

19 Jul 2013

Nimodipine reduces febrile seizures

Fever-induced childhood seizures, known as febrile seizures, can be terrifying for parents to witness. The full-body convulsions, which mostly affect children six months to five years old, can last from mere seconds up to more than 40 minutes. Currently, children are not treated with daily anticonvulsant medication to prevent these seizures even when they recur repeatedly because toxic side effects of existing treatments outweigh potential benefits.

12 Jun 2013

Nearly 1/10 stroke patients suffer from chronic and debilitating pain

Nearly 1 in 10 stroke patients suffer chronic and debilitating pain, typically described as sharp, stabbing or burning. It's called central poststroke pain syndrome (CPSP). It was first described more than 100 years ago, and it is treatable with medications and magnetic or electrical stimulation of the brain.

9 May 2013

Peripheral neuropathic pain patch treatments: an interview with Anne Hodgkins, Astellas Pharma

Peripheral neuropathic pain is caused by lesion or disease to the peripheral somatosensory nervous system. Nerve damage that can lead to peripheral neuropathic pain can happen as a result of a range of different diseases, medications or traumatic injuries.

8 May 2013

Restless legs syndrome and insomnia: a possible explanation

Johns Hopkins researchers believe they may have discovered an explanation for the sleepless nights associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS), a symptom that persists even when the disruptive, overwhelming nocturnal urge to move the legs is treated successfully with medication.

7 May 2013

Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience gets grant for research into neurological disorders

The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, the first and only U.S. extension of the prestigious Max Planck Society, today announced it has received approximately $1,257,500 in grant funding from prestigious national and international organizations to fund research into Parkinson-s, epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

15 Mar 2013

Valproate, pregnancy and IQ: an interview with Professor Kimford Meador

Valproate (sodium salt of valproic acid) is an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of epilepsy, migraine and bipolar disorder as well as some other off label psychiatric indications.

11 Feb 2013

Merck’s resubmission of the NDA for suggammadex sodium injection accepted for review by the FDA

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the resubmission of the New Drug Application (NDA) for sugammadex sodium injection has been accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Merck expects the FDA’s review to be completed in the first half of 2013.

7 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