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Epilepsy is a group of disorders marked by problems in the normal functioning of the brain. These problems can produce seizures, unusual body movements, a loss of consciousness or changes in consciousness, as well as mental problems or problems with the senses.

Sirolimus effective in treating children with Pretzel syndrome, new study reports

With a better understanding of underlying mechanisms that cause a rare neurodevelopmental disorder in the Old Order Mennonite population, referred to as Pretzel syndrome, a new study reports that five children were successfully treated with a drug that modifies the disease process, minimizing seizures and improving receptive language. [More]
BD receives FDA approval for second prefilled injectable drug

BD receives FDA approval for second prefilled injectable drug

BD Rx Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of leading global medical technology company BD, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the second drug to be offered in the recently launched BD Simplist line of ready-to-administer prefilled generic injectables. [More]

Maternal use of valproate during pregnancy increases risk of autism in offspring

Maternal use of valproate (a drug used for the treatment of epilepsy and other neuropsychological disorders) during pregnancy was associated with a significantly increased risk of autism in offspring, according to a study in the April 24 issue of JAMA. [More]
Study: Stem cell transplant heals neurological deficits in mice

Study: Stem cell transplant heals neurological deficits in mice

For the first time, human embryonic stem cells have been transformed into nerve cells that helped mice regain the ability to learn and remember. [More]

Research: Gene behind epilepsy syndrome could play a key role in other idiopathic epilepsies

Researchers at the University Department of Neurology at the MedUni Vienna have identified a gene behind an epilepsy syndrome, which could also play an important role in other idiopathic (genetically caused) epilepsies. [More]
FDA authorizes SK Biopharmaceuticals' IND application for SKL15508 to treat CIAS

FDA authorizes SK Biopharmaceuticals' IND application for SKL15508 to treat CIAS

The Korea-based international pharmaceutical company, SK Biopharmaceuticals, announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the Investigational New Drug application for SKL15508 to treat cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia. [More]
Americans with brain diseases have more difficulty in finding a neurologist, new study reveals

Americans with brain diseases have more difficulty in finding a neurologist, new study reveals

Americans with brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis who need to see a neurologist may face longer wait times or have more difficulty finding a neurologist, according to a new study published in the April 17, 2013, online issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. [More]
Research suggests fainting may be genetic while certain triggers may not be inherited

Research suggests fainting may be genetic while certain triggers may not be inherited

New research suggests that fainting may be genetic and, in some families, only one gene may be responsible. However, a predisposition to certain triggers, such as emotional distress or the sight of blood, may not be inherited. [More]
fMRI: A non-invasive tool to map critical areas of brain before surgery

fMRI: A non-invasive tool to map critical areas of brain before surgery

A new functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique may provide neurosurgeons with a non-invasive tool to help in mapping critical areas of the brain before surgery, reports a study in the April issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. [More]
Research: ACOT7 enzyme keeps neurons' fat levels under control

Research: ACOT7 enzyme keeps neurons' fat levels under control

We're all fatheads. That is, our brain cells are packed with fat molecules, more of them than almost any other cell type. Still, if the brain cells' fat content gets too high, they'll be in trouble. In a recent study in mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins pinpointed an enzyme that keeps neurons' fat levels under control, and may be implicated in human neurological diseases. [More]
TBI can increase depression, personality impulsivity, PTSD in PNES patients

TBI can increase depression, personality impulsivity, PTSD in PNES patients

A new study by a Rhode Island Hospital researcher has found that traumatic brain injury (TBI) can significantly increase the odds of having major depression, personality impulsivity and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). [More]
Scientist receives NIH grant to study genetic causes of autism spectrum disorders in African Americans

Scientist receives NIH grant to study genetic causes of autism spectrum disorders in African Americans

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Dr. Daniel Geschwind, director of the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment, a five-year, $10 million grant to continue his research on the genetic causes of autism spectrum disorders and to expand his investigations to include the genetics of autism in African Americans. [More]
Study examines developmental delays in children within six weeks of CSE

Study examines developmental delays in children within six weeks of CSE

Researchers from the UK determined that developmental delays are present in children within six weeks following convulsive status epilepticus -a seizure lasting longer than thirty minutes. [More]
Viewpoints: Obama's brain initiative is 'modest but welcome start;' Disability insurance facing 'immediate crisis'

Viewpoints: Obama's brain initiative is 'modest but welcome start;' Disability insurance facing 'immediate crisis'

President Obama officially announced his new brain research initiative on Tuesday, with a pledge to put $100 million in his 2014 budget to support work at three federal agencies. [More]
Three institutions partner to create research breakthroughs in children's health

Three institutions partner to create research breakthroughs in children's health

Virginia Tech, Children's National Medical Center, and the George Washington University have partnered in a unique program to create research breakthroughs in children's health. [More]

Obama rolls out $100M initiative to study the brain

President Obama revealed a $100 million plan Tuesday to study and better understand the human brain in part to attempt to find better treatments for Alzheimer's and other diseases. [More]

Epileptic seizures can propagate via anatomically connected networks in brain

The seizures that affect people with temporal-lobe epilepsy usually start in a region of the brain called the hippocampus. [More]

First Edition: April 3, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how the latest round of payment rates for private Medicare plans led to stock market gains for insurers. [More]

Report shows identical genetic mutations are shared among neurodevelopmental disorders

A paper published this month in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet Neurology suggests that a broad spectrum of developmental and psychiatric disorders, ranging from autism and intellectual disability to schizophrenia, should be conceptualized as different manifestations of a common underlying denominator, "developmental brain dysfunction," rather than completely independent conditions with distinct causes. [More]

EEG can be used to identify treatable causes of common disorders in hospital patients, say researchers

EEG Could be More Widely Used to Identify Treatable Causes of Common Disorders in Hospital Patients, Say Researchers in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. [More]