Epilepsy News Today

24/09/2017

The European Commission has approved the expansion of the use of UCB's VIMPAT (lacosamide) to include monotherapy and adjunctive therapy of partial-onset (focal) seizures in children aged 4 years and older. This approval adds a new option to help manage childhood epilepsy and follows a favorable review from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency… [ 303 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/09/23/vimpat-eu-approved-pediatric-partial-onset-seizures/

The EU has expanded the use of UCB's VIMPAT to treat pediatric patients aged at least 4 years as a mono- and adjunctive therapy of partial-onset seizures

24/07/2017

Pairnomix has joined efforts with StemoniX to develop a lab-based model of epileptic seizures using so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The model, which researchers refer to as a “seizure-in-a-dish” model system, will allow scientists to study seizures at a network level. In this way, they can use the model to screen for anti-epileptic drugs in a fast and easy manner. [ 286 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/07/24/epilepsy-model-developed-by-pairnomix-stemonix-search-new-anti-seizure-drug/

Read about how two U.S. companies, Pairnomix and StemoniX, plan to jointly develop a new model of epileptic brain activity using stem cells.

21/07/2017

Doctors have several anti-seizure options to treat epilepsy, but little data exists to show which of these treatments is best for children. Nevertheless, according to a recent study on therapies prescribed for children under 3 with epilepsy, doctors in the U.S. appear to prefer Keppra (levetiracetam) as either a first or second option for treatment. The study, “Initial Treatment for Non-Syndromic Early-Life Epilepsy: an Unexpected Consensus… [ 479 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/07/21/pediatric-epilepsy-study-finds-that-despite-lack-of-efficacy-data-consensus-exists-among-us-doctors-on-keppra/

A study on therapies prescribed for pediatric epilepsy found that doctors in the U.S.prefer Keppra (levetiracetam) despite a range of options.

19/07/2017

The European Medicines Agency has scheduled an unprecedented public hearing in September on whether epilepsy therapies that contain sodium valproate pose a risk to pregnant women. It will be the first time the agency will make a hearing part of a therapy review process. The event is scheduled for Sept. 26 at its offices in London. Hearings can give government agencies insight into people's thoughts about sensitive topics. [ 227 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/07/19/european-regulators-to-hold-public-hearing-on-valproate-therapies-effect-on-pregnant-women/

Read about the European Medicines Agency scheduling an unprecedented public hearing on volproate epilepsy therapies' effect on pregnant women.

17/07/2017

A technique called MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MgLiTT) may be a potential treatment for epilepsy patients, according to a recent review. Researchers say that MgLiTT may be a particularly viable option for patients whose seizures are caused by tumor-like bodies affecting the hypothalamus, which are difficult to treat with traditional surgery. The review, titled “Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Epilepsy… [ 347 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/07/17/mri-guided-laser-technique-potential-surgery-treatment-certain-epilepsy-patients/

Read about a review that explains why MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MgLiTT) may help treat seizures in certain epilepsy patients.

14/07/2017

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $3.4 million grant to a Cleveland Clinic-led research collaboration whose objective is to come up with a more comprehensive model for predicting epilepsy surgery outcomes. Dr. Lara Jehi of the Cleveland Clinic, who received the grant, will head the multi-center research team's effort to develop an updated version of a predictive tool known as a nomogram. [ 482 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/07/14/epilepsy-researcher-wins-multi-million-dollar-grant-to-develop-surgery-outcome-predictor/

Read about a Cleveland Clinic researcher winning a $3.4 million grant to develop a more comprehensive model for predicting epilepsy surgery outcomes.

12/07/2017

Researchers studied the medical records of patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy who underwent surgery for the disorder at the age of 50 or older and found that the treatment was as effective as it was for patients younger than 50. However, there was a higher risk of complications from the procedure. The study, “Epilepsy surgery in patients older than 50 years: Effectiveness, safety, and predictors of outcome… [ 340 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/07/12/surgery-still-effective-in-older-patients-with-drug-resistant-focal-epilepsy/

Surgery in patients age 50 and older with drug-resistant focal epilepsy was found to be as effective as it was in patients younger than 50.

10/07/2017

An ultra-marathon cyclist with epilepsy has broken the world indoor-track records for the longest distances achieved in six and eight hours. Katie Ford dedicated the records she broke on July 2 at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow's Emirates Arena to raising epilepsy awareness. The Glasgow rider covered just over 190 miles in 12 hours on the track. In addition to the six- and eight-hour distance records, she broke Britain's fastest 100-mile indoor time and the… [ 626 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/07/10/scot-with-epilepy-breaks-two-world-indoor-cycling-distance-records/

Read about Katie Ford of Glasgow, Scotland, who has epilepsy, breaking two world indoor cycling distance records in her hometown arena.

05/07/2017

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved LivaNova’s VNS Therapy Systems for the treatment of drug-resistant partial onset epileptic seizures in children as young as 4, making it the only approved device for treating refractory epilepsy in children. “Epilepsy can be a very trying and debilitating disease that can hold a child back from reaching his or her full potential,” Damien McDonald, LivaNova’s CEO, said in a… [ 392 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/07/05/livanovas-vns-therapy-for-medication-refractory-epilepsy-approved-for-young-children/

30/06/2017

The epilepsy therapy known as Zebinix in Europe and Aptiom in the United States does not impair cognition in children, a Phase 2 clinical trial indicates. Children with focal epilepsy who received the treatment had roughly the same ability to pay attention and process information, and about the same working memory, as children who were not treated, researchers said. Researchers from the Portuguese company [ 438 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/06/30/phase-2-trial-shows-zebinix-or-aptiom-does-not-impair-cognition-in-children-with-epilepsy/

Read about a trial indicating that an epilepsy therapy known as Zebinix in Europe and Aptiom in the United States does not impair cognition in children.

28/06/2017

Almost half of epilepsy patients surveyed in a British poll say they've forgotten to take their medications at least once in the past month. Researchers at Epilepsy Research UK wanted to know how meticulously people receiving their newsletter adhere to medication regimes. They stress, however, that these results pertain to a sample of 125 respondents and that the poll is still active. [ 329 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/06/28/epilepsy-patients-often-forget-to-take-their-medications-uk-poll-finds/

Read about an Epilepsy Research UK poll showing that almost half of respondents report forgetting to take their medications at least once in the past month.

26/06/2017

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted expanded approval to LivaNova’s VNS Therapy Systems for people with drug-resistant epilepsy that allows use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, the company announced. VNS Therapy is a device that regularly sends mild pulses to the vagus nerve to prevent, halt, or shorten seizures. But use of the device has until now been problematic if patients needed MRI scans, a routine procedure for epilepsy patients. [ 275 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/06/26/epilepsy-treatment-vns-therapy-systems-by-livanova-approved-for-use-with-mri-brain-scans/

23/06/2017

Zogenix’s ZX008 (low-dose fenfluramine) has been granted Orphan Drug designation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a potential treatment for Lennox Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), a severe childhood form of epilepsy. The drug already received the same status in Europe earlier this year. The FDA attributes Orphan Drug status to experimental drugs designed to treat rare, life-threatening or chronically debilitating diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people, and for which there are unsatisfactory or no prevention and treatment options. [ 261 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/06/23/zx008-receives-fda-orphan-drug-status-to-treat-lennox-gastaut-syndrome/

21/06/2017

Childhood abuse, both sexual and emotional, is more frequently reported in epilepsy patients when compared to the general population, according to the results of a German study. These findings are in agreement with previous studies and highlight the need for additional vigilance on the familiar settings of children with epilepsy. The study “Current psychiatric disorders in patients with epilepsy are predicted by maltreatment experiences during childhood… [ 316 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/06/21/epilepsy-patients-abuse-children-study/

Childhood abuse, both sexual and emotional, is more frequently reported in epilepsy patients when compared to the general population, a German study finds.

19/06/2017

Chronic childhood illnesses such as epilepsy could increase the risk that a person will develop clinical depression as an adult, according to new research. The study, “Research Review: Childhood chronic physical illness and adult emotional health – a systematic review and meta-analysis,” was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. A team led by Dr. Darya Gaysina, a psychology lecturer at the University of Sussex in England, decided to see if there were associations between chronic illnesses in childhood and emotional problems in adulthood. [ 230 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/06/19/chronic-childhood-illnesses-such-as-epilepsy-could-increase-risk-of-adult-depression/

Read about a study suggesting that chronic childhood diseases such as epilepsy increases the risk of a person developing clinical depression as an adult.

16/06/2017

Researchers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas have discovered that more than 100 genes are linked to memory processing in the brain. The discovery could lead to the development of new therapies for memory-associated conditions such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and others, the study’s authors said. The findings are reported in the article, “Human Genomic Signatures of Brain Oscillations During Memory Encoding… [ 316 more words ]

https://epilepsynewstoday.com/2017/06/16/researchers-link-gene-expression-and-memory-processing-in-the-brain/

Researchers discovered that more than 100 genes are linked to memory processing in the brain. This could lead to therapies for memory-impairment conditions.