Pig snout

Pig brain cells may have cured a sea lion’s epilepsy—are humans next?

The patient’s seizures were getting more severe and increasingly frequent. One or two per month grew to several each week. Each burst of uncontrolled electrical activity sent shock waves through his injured brain, causing tremors and confusion. Unable to eat, his body weight dropped by nearly one-third in a few months. His health was deteriorating…

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Whole-Plant Cannabis Effective, Tolerated for Pediatric Epilepsy

Whole-plant medical cannabis seems effective and well tolerated for children with intractable epilepsy, according to a study published online Dec. 14 in the BMJ Paediatrics Open. Rayyan Zafar, from DrugScience in London, and colleagues conducted a retrospective study using clinical data from caretakers and clinicians to examine the feasibility of using whole-plant cannabis medicines to…

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Epilepsy and Learning Difficulties: Finding Solutions

If your child with epilepsy has learning difficulties, you are not alone. Compared with their peers, children with epilepsy are more likely to face challenges with acquiring knowledge or skills through experience or study. By understanding the issues, you’ll be in the best position to help. Several factors may be in play. The first is…

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Close up picture of a scalpel

Precise new form of brain surgery requires no incisions, scalpels

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have developed a noninvasive way to remove faulty brain circuits that could allow doctors to treat debilitating neurological diseases without the need for conventional brain surgery. The UVA team, together with colleagues at Stanford University, indicate that the approach, if successfully translated to the operating room, could revolutionize…

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The Medical Minute: What you need to know about epilepsy

All people with epilepsy have seizures, but not everyone who has had a seizure has epilepsy. The illness, which affects 3.5 million children and adults in the U.S., is a brain disorder characterized by recurring seizures. Many patients live in constant fear of when their next one is coming, when they might black out and…

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Hypertension monitor with a high reading

Hypertension linked to 2.5 times higher risk of epilepsy

Epilepsy is the third most common neurological condition that affects older people after stroke and dementia. Research shows that late-onset epilepsy has become more widespread in the last 2 decades. The number of people with the condition will probably continue to rise as the aging population increases, and epilepsy will likely become a significant public…

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ultrasound display

Pilot study of focused ultrasound for drug-resistant epilepsy

Epilepsy is a disease characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures and by the neurobiological, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of this condition. Surgical intervention has been shown to confer improvements in seizure-free outcomes and quality of life for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Read the full article here

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Medical Myths: All about epilepsy

In today’s edition of Medical Myths, we will inspect and overturn 13 misunderstandings associated with epilepsy. Among other questions, we ask whether epilepsy is contagious, whether seizures hurt, and what treatment is available. Read the full article here

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