Epilepsy News and Research

Latest Epilepsy News and Research

Biomedical engineering professor wins prestigious 2014 Early Career Achievement Award

Qi Wang, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, recently won the prestigious 2014 Early Career Achievement Award from the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS).

12 Aug 2014

Low levels of vitamin D may double dementia, Alzheimer's risks

In the largest study of its kind, researchers suggests that in older people, not getting enough vitamin D may double the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The study is published in the August 6, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Aug 2014

Researchers take major step forward in developing real ALS treatments

A series of studies begun by Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists eight years ago has lead to a report published today that may be a major step forward in the quest to develop real treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

7 Aug 2014

Researchers at NIH-FEI Living Lab for Structural Biology achieve breakthrough biological results

FEI is pleased to announce that researchers at the NIH-FEI Living Lab for Structural Biology have achieved breakthrough biological results, using FEI’s Titan Krios™ transmission electron microscope (TEM), to elucidate the structural mechanism by which glutamate receptors participate in the transmission of signals between neurons in the brain. Their work is described in Nature, “Structural Mechanism of Glutamate Receptor Activation and Desensitization,” by Meyerson, et al., (DOI: 10.1038/nature13603), http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13603.html .

From Thermo Fisher Scientific – Electron Microscopy Solutions 4 Aug 2014

Research reveals that seizures linked to feelings of anxiety

New research by clinical psychologists from the UK and US has revealed psychogenic seizures which could be mistaken for epilepsy are linked to feelings of anxiety.

3 Aug 2014

Computational biologists develop program for easy diagnosis of hereditary illnesses

In the case of a cough or a sore throat, the doctor can usually diagnose a common cold immediately. However, the diagnosis of hereditary illnesses like cystic fibrosis, which affects the metabolism, or Huntington's disease, which leads to cognitive decline, is much more complex.

29 Jul 2014

Little-known supportive cells in brain may play major role in cognitive function

When you're expecting something-like the meal you've ordered at a restaurant-or when something captures your interest, unique electrical rhythms sweep through your brain.

29 Jul 2014

Immune system play role in memory impairment associated with chronic epilepsy

Could the body's own immune system play a role in memory impairment and cognitive dysfunction associated with conditions like chronic epilepsy, Alzheimer's dementia and concussions? Cleveland Clinic researchers believe so, based on a study published online by PLOS ONE.

25 Jul 2014

Monitoring pulse regularly after stroke helps prevent next stroke

New research suggests that regularly monitoring your pulse after a stroke or the pulse of a loved one who has experienced a stroke may be a simple and effective first step in detecting irregular heartbeat, a major cause of having a second stroke.

24 Jul 2014

Study reveals novel epilepsy pathway linked to neurodegenerative diseases

A recent scientific discovery showed that mutations in prickle genes cause epilepsy, which in humans is a brain disorder characterized by repeated seizures over time. However, the mechanism responsible for generating prickle-associated seizures was unknown.

23 Jul 2014

Researchers explore brain estrogens to mitigate learning and memory problems

New studies being launched by neurobiologist Luke Remage-Healey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will investigate how estrogens produced in the brains of young birds enhance their ability to learn songs during a critical window during development.

22 Jul 2014

First diagnostic criteria proposed for Christianson Syndrome

Because the severe autism-like condition Christianson Syndrome was only first reported in 1999 and some symptoms take more than a decade to appear, families and doctors urgently need fundamental information about it. A new study that doubles the number of cases now documented in the scientific literature provides the most definitive characterization of CS to date.

22 Jul 2014

People with mild traumatic brain injury may have brain damage and memory problems

Even mild traumatic brain injury may cause brain damage and thinking and memory problems, according to a study published in the July 16, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Jul 2014

Novagant releases GoldenCBD oil including capsules and liquids

Novagant Corp. is pleased to announce that in this month of July it will release its GoldenCBD™ oil that will be available in several forms, including capsules and liquids. It will be the answer for those Medical Cannabis Patients living outside Washington and Colorado.

16 Jul 2014

Astrocytes play role in forming inhibitory synapses

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- In the brains of all vertebrates, information is transmitted through synapses, a mechanism that allows an electric or chemical signal to be passed from one brain cell to another.

11 Jul 2014

Researchers examine which teens have emotional symptoms after concussion

After a concussion, teens who are sensitive to light or noise may be more likely to also have emotional symptoms such as anxiety, according to a study released today that will be presented at The Sports Concussion Conference in Chicago, July 11 to 13, 2014, hosted by the American Academy of Neurology, the world's leading authority on diagnosing and managing sports concussion.

11 Jul 2014

New paper states that doctors have ethical obligation to educate, protect athletes from concussion

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the largest professional association of neurologists and a leading authority on sports concussion, is releasing a new position paper that states doctors have an ethical obligation to educate and protect athletes from sports concussion and clear them to play only when the athlete is medically ready, standing firm against objections from players, parents or coaches.

10 Jul 2014

NIH funds Phase II 90-subject pediatric clinical trial at UCLA

NeuroSigma, Inc., a California-based life sciences company focused on commercialization of its non-invasive Monarch eTNS System for the treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, today announced that the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded UCLA a grant that funds a Phase II 90-subject pediatric clinical trial at the University of California, Los Angeles focused on the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with NeuroSigma's external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) System.

10 Jul 2014

Scientists find a new strategy for brain cancer treatment

Scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University and McGill University Health Centre have shown that a member of the protein family known as SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) is a key to why tumour cells multiply uncontrollably, especially in the case of glioblastoma. T

9 Jul 2014

UCLA project receives $15M to restore lost memory functions in brain-injured people

The UCLA Program in Memory Restoration has been awarded up to $15 million by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for a four -year project aiming to help brain-injured people restore lost memory functions.

9 Jul 2014