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Epilepsy

Understanding Seizures

There are many kinds of seizures, but all come down to electrical signals getting twisted. How do seizures start? How can you help someone who is seizing? Here are the basics.
Epilepsy

Neurosteroids: A Major Step Forward

Research that began three-quarters of a century ago has led to one of the first new drugs to treat depression in 60 years—and the potential to treat much more.
Epilepsy

The Skinny on Epilepsy

To demystify epilepsy—which affects almost four million people in the US—a doctoral candidate presented “The Science of Epilepsy” with explanations of how seizures work and what to do if someone is having one.

Chamberland on stage
Epilepsy

Series Combats Disorders: First Up, Epilepsy

Why is there still so much stigma attached to epilepsy, which currently affects about one in 26 people in the US? The first of a three-part series invited speakers with firsthand experience to explain the origins and causes of the disease.
Epilepsy

The Evolving View of Astrocytes

Scientists have found that one type of glial cell that is prevalent in the cortex—the astrocyte—may play a role in sleep, learning, and memory.
Epilepsy

Cerebrum Podcast #1: A New Approach for Epilepsy – With Ray Dingledine and Bjørnar Hassel

In their May Cerebrum article, “A New Approach for Epilepsy,” Ray Dingledine, Ph.D., and Bjørnar Hassel, M.D., Ph.D.—longtime research collaborators—focus on a new study may very well initiate a shift to new therapeutic approaches for one-third of the 65 million people worldwide affected by epilepsy and who are treatment-resistant. They provide an overview of the disorder and the evolution of drug development, and discuss the pros and cons of a high-fat diet that is capable of alleviating symptoms in young children. Dingledine is professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology at Emory University School of Medicine, serves on the scientific advisory board of the Epilepsy Project, and chairs the investment committee of the Society for Neuroscience. Hassel, a neurologist and a biochemist, is professor and senior consultant at the University of Oslo, Department of Neurohabilitation.
Epilepsy

A New Approach for Epilepsy

A new study has found that inhibiting an enzyme that is critical in metabolic communication has an anti-seizure effect in epileptic mice.
Epilepsy

Epilepsy’s Big Fat Answer

John M. Freeman, M.D., one of the nation’s leading advocates of the ketogenic diet, writes about the evolution of the diet and its struggle for acceptance for people suffering from epilepsy.

Epilepsy

Seizing an Opportunity

Broader Definitions of Epilepsy May Lead to Better Treatments

There is not just one type of epilepsy. While some forms of the disease are characterized by convulsive seizures, others involve seizures that are barely noticeable. Normal variations in hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, can influence brain activity and therefore influence seizures. By considering the powerful interactions between the brain and the endocrine system, this influence of hormones on seizures can be understood and new treatment options can be considered.
Epilepsy

Neither Gods nor Demons But Misfiring Brains

Few people (including neurologists) understand that seizures are hugely diverse in their causes and treatment. If improperly diagnosed, patients may fail to get effective new treatments based on brain research.

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