Epilepsy

The Epilepsy Foundation is striking back against a campaign by Twitter trolls to flood some hashtags with flashing GIFs designed to trigger seizures in vulnerable individuals. The cyber-attacks follow on from a similar attack on a journalist in 2016.

Two compelling new studies are building on a hypothesis suggesting age-related dementia is caused by a leaky blood-brain barrier. Experts suggest the studies are interesting but not particularly applicable to human cases of dementia.

CBD is now an FDA-approved medicine, but there has been very little study into how food affects the cannabis-derived compound’s absorption. A valuable new study has strikingly found that CBD absorption is significantly increased when it is consumed alongside high-fat foods.

Cilantro, also known as coriander, has been traditionally used as a folk medicine for thousands of years. One of those uses has been as an anticonvulsant to prevent the onset of epileptic seizures. New research has homed in on the molecular action that explains how this herb can reduce seizures.

A team of chemists from the University of California, Davis, recently demonstrated a new synthetic analogue of cannabidiol (CBD) may be just as effective for medicinal uses as its naturally extracted counterpart. This synthetic CBD compound also promises to be easier, cheaper and faster to produce.

​There may be new hope for people who suffer from epilepsy. A recent study has shown that an experimental implant reduces seizures in epileptic rats by 93 percent, and that the effects remain after the device has been removed.

According to a recent study, between 7 and 17 percent of all epilepsy-related deaths are due to a complication known as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). Although SUDEP isn't well understood, it is hoped that a new armband may help stop it in its tracks.

​Although seizures can be controlled via pharmaceuticals, there are often some unpleasant side effects – plus the medications don't work on all people. According to new research, however, a soft and flexible neurotransmitter-dispensing brain implant may someday do a better job.

​In a landmark announcement the FDA has approved a drug consisting of cannabidiol (CBD), to treat 2 forms of severe childhood-onset epilepsies. CBD is derived from marijuana and the FDA’s approval of this new medicine will force the DEA to reschedule the compound from its current restricted level.​

The ketogenic diet was developed a century ago to treat children with severe epilepsy, but how it actually worked was always unclear. Now a new study suggests the diet can elevate levels of specific gut bacteria that subsequently affect certain neurotransmitters to reduce the risk of seizures.

A new clinical trial has provided strong evidence that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, significantly reduces the frequency of seizures in children with a rare form of epilepsy.​

A consortium headed by the University of Bonn in Germany has received financing to develop a sensor to detect and warn of epileptic seizures. The sensor can be worn like a hearing aid.