Epilepsy News and Research

Latest Epilepsy News and Research

Icagen suspends further enrollment in ICA-105665 study

Icagen, Inc. today announced that due to the occurrence of a serious adverse event in the photosensitivity study of ICA-105665, the Company has suspended further enrollment in the study. The serious adverse event occurred in the 600mg patient cohort following completion of the 500mg patient cohort.

14 Sep 2010

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation helps to regain motor function in partially paralyzed patients

Stroke patients who were left partially paralysed found that their condition improved after they received a simple and non-invasive method of brain stimulation, according to research in the September issue of the European Journal of Neurology.

14 Sep 2010

Mayo Clinic opens newly expanded neurophysiology laboratory at Florida campus

Mayo Clinic unveiled a newly expanded, state-of-the-art neurophysiology laboratory on its Florida campus to provide additional services and care for more patients, many of whom are referred by community physicians for specialized diagnostic testing.

10 Sep 2010

Questcor Pharmaceuticals provides update on sNDA for H.P. Acthar Gel

Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has informed Questcor that the FDA will require additional time beyond the current action date of September 11, 2010 to complete its review of Questcor's supplemental new drug application for H.P. Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) in the treatment of infantile spasms.

9 Sep 2010

Phase 3 REALIZE study shows milestone in treatment development for hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that 65% of people overall achieved a sustained viral response (SVR or viral cure) with a telaprevir-based regimen in the pivotal Phase 3 REALIZE study, as compared to 17% of people in the control arm who received pegylated-interferon and ribavirin alone.

8 Sep 2010

Researchers decode words from brain signals in paralyzed people

In an early step toward letting severely paralyzed people speak with their thoughts, University of Utah researchers translated brain signals into words using two grids of 16 microelectrodes implanted beneath the skull but atop the brain. "We have been able to decode spoken words using only signals from the brain with a device that has promise for long-term use in paralyzed patients who cannot now speak," says Bradley Greger, an assistant professor of bioengineering.

7 Sep 2010

Study shows mild cognitive impairment affects men more than women

A new study shows that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may affect more men than women. The research is published in the September 7, 2010, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Sep 2010

TNS therapy improves depression: Study

Major depression is a common and disabling brain condition marked not only by the presence of depressed mood but also by its effects on sleep, energy, decision-making, memory and thoughts of death or of suicide.

3 Sep 2010

European Menopause and Andropause Society's position statements on post-reproductive health of women

Elsevier announced today the publication of four important position statements from the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) in the journal Maturitas on common management problems in the post-reproductive health of women. The statements cover the management of the menopause in the context of obesity, epilepsy, endometriosis and premature ovarian failure. Each statement has summary recommendations as a quick aid for the busy clinician.

3 Sep 2010

ISWG researchers establish guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of infantile spasms

Researchers from across the U.S., as part of the Infantile Spasms Working Group (ISWG), established guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of infantile spasms (IS). The goal of the ISWG is to improve patient outcomes by creating protocols that educate pediatricians on early diagnosis and treatment options. Full details of this study appear online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy.

3 Sep 2010

Benefit of delaying cognitive decline comes at the cost of more rapid dementia progression

New research shows that mentally stimulating activities such as crossword puzzles, reading and listening to the radio may, at first, slow the decline of thinking skills but speed up dementia later in old age. The research is published in the September 1, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Sep 2010

Michigan, New York roll out high-risk pools

In Michigan, enrollment begins today and is open to adults 19 to 64, the Detroit Free Press reports. The pool "will provide comprehensive but not necessarily cheap coverage for people who can prove they have been denied health insurance in the past six months" and is "intended for any uninsured people in the last six months and who had been turned down by an insurer because of a pre-existing health problem.

2 Sep 2010

Brain lesion scan appearance shows increased multiple sclerosis activity during spring and summer

New research shows that multiple sclerosis (MS) activity can increase during spring and summer months. The research is published in the August 31, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

31 Aug 2010

Researchers examine functions of neuronal diversity

Much like snowflakes, no two neurons are exactly alike. But it's not the size or shape that sets one neuron apart from another, it's the way it responds to incoming stimuli. Carnegie Mellon University researchers have discovered that this diversity is critical to overall brain function and essential in how neurons process complex stimuli and code information.

30 Aug 2010

Increase in regeneration of nerve cells can alleviate or prevent memory loss

Production of new nerve cells in the human brain is linked to learning and memory, according to a new study from the University of Florida. The research is the first to show such a link in humans. The findings, published online and in an upcoming print issue of the journal Brain, provide clues about processes involved in age- and health-related memory loss and reveal potential cellular targets for drug therapy.

27 Aug 2010

Researchers recommend traumatic brain injury reclassification for additional funding

Traumatic brain injury, currently considered a singular event by the insurance industry and many health care providers, is instead the beginning of an ongoing process that impacts multiple organ systems and may cause or accelerate other diseases and disorders that can reduce life expectancy, according to research from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

27 Aug 2010

Researchers find two high-fat diets reduce absence epilepsy in children

Two high-fat diets the classic ketogenic and a modified version of the Atkins can reduce and, in some cases, completely eliminate seizures in children with a common seizure disorder known as absence epilepsy, say researchers from Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

27 Aug 2010

NSW bed sore death could have been prevented: Coroner

After the death of a severely disabled woman in New South Wales, the coroner has ruled that the death due to bed sores was avoidable and caregivers need more training to manage such cases. 26-year-old Kate Therese Bugmy died at Broken Hill Base Hospital in June 2007 as a result of sepsis from bed sores. She had severe cerebral palsy, epilepsy and an intellectual disability and weighed just 36 kilos when she died.

26 Aug 2010

Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance increases risk for Alzheimer's disease: Research

People with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes appear to be at an increased risk of developing plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to new research published in the August 25, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Aug 2010