All articles tagged with #epilepsy
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine found that frequent cannabis users with treatment-resistant epilepsy experienced more severe seizures and a faster progression to specialized care compared to non-users. The study, published in Epilepsia, suggests that high THC potency may worsen seizure outcomes, though it is observational and cannot prove causation.
A new study published in Nature demonstrates that hyperactive mTORC1 signaling in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) causes neural progenitors to prematurely differentiate into reactive astrocytes. These abnormal glial cells, characterized by reduced glutamate transport and increased inflammation, are identified as a primary driver of brain lesions and seizures, rather than a secondary consequence of chronic epilepsy.
Researchers tracked the exact shape of each breath in epilepsy patients using implanted brain electrodes and found brain activity tracks breath dynamics at the millisecond level, not just inhalation vs exhalation, linking respiration to memory and attention and suggesting potential breath-based predictive signals for epilepsy and deeper cognition research (published in the Journal of Neuroscience).
A Washington Post Well+Being photo essay follows 11-year-old Luca Cantua and his family as they navigate daily life with epilepsy—from morning routines to EEG tests and medication—highlighting how stigma and loneliness persist even for seizure-free individuals, with input from the Epilepsy Foundation about stigma and funding and Luca's dream of becoming a neurologist to help others.
Carla Jeffery, best known as Bree in Disney’s Zombies (and voice of Bree in Zombies: The Re-Animated Series), died at 33; her manager confirmed the news. A Houston native who started acting at 12, she spoke openly about epilepsy and aimed to inspire others, but the cause of death has not been disclosed.
Harper Nickerson, a 14-year-old diagnosed with sunflower syndrome—an extremely rare photosensitive epilepsy—is described as having hundreds of hand-waving seizures driven by bright light. She began wearing blue-tinted contacts that block specific light wavelengths, which researchers say can reduce daily hand-waving episodes by about 73%. Since starting the lenses at age 9, she has not waved her hands in roughly two years and can spend more time outdoors, though the lenses cost about $1,400 per year and aren’t covered by insurance. Many patients continue anti-seizure medications, and doctors don’t yet know whether sunflower syndrome is outgrown with age.
Danielle Stephens recalls her son’s journey—from birth complications to cerebral palsy and drug-resistant epilepsy—and the realization that families navigating medical complexity often receive no road map. Even with California’s significant disability-services investment, families face unmet care coordination, long calendars of appointments, and gaps after Early Start and school transitions. A chance encounter with another exhausted mother introduced networks like IHSS, Regional Center, Medicaid waivers, and Self-Determination; access to these can change outcomes, but require proactive enrollment and a named care coordinator. The piece argues hospitals and clinicians must provide coordinated care before discharge to prevent families from being left to navigate the system alone.
Researchers report that allele-specific antisense oligonucleotides targeting faulty SCN2A mRNA in two boys with severe epileptic encephalopathy dramatically reduced seizures and improved development, by selectively silencing the mutant gene while sparing the healthy copy. The 9‑year‑old needed 12 ASO doses over 24 months and could discontinue phenytoin; the 14‑year‑old received 8 doses over 16 months, with seizures dropping from about two per day to zero and notable gains in language and motor skills. This precision approach offers a middle ground between DNA editing and conventional meds and could be applicable earlier in development, though broader use and long-term effects remain to be seen.
Whitney Wilkinson, diagnosed with epilepsy at 12, now uses a responsive neurostimulator brain implant that senses seizures and delivers a millisecond pulse to stop them, greatly improving daily life; Intermountain Healthcare has implanted 100 devices in the last decade. The implant is approved for focal epilepsy, requires initial surgery (about a week in hospital) and battery replacement after roughly 10 years, and reduces seizures by about 75% for many patients, with some regaining driving ability and normal activities.
Danny Glover, 79, announced on the Today show that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, saying he can 'live with it' but that life will change as it progresses; he credited his family for support and his daughter Mandisa stressed the importance of him controlling his own narrative. The actor, who received an honorary Oscar in 2022, also reflected on his career and past epilepsy battles, noting he hasn’t had a seizure since age 35 and emphasizing his focus on teaching younger generations about responsibility.
A 13-year-old with drug-resistant epilepsy faced a denial for deep brain stimulation because it wasn’t FDA-approved for children; after NBC News coverage, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield approved DBS and later updated its policy to cover pediatric DBS for epilepsy, offering new hope for reducing seizure frequency and improving quality of life.
New work shows extracellular potassium acts as a ligand, triggering a switch in the Alka ion channel in fruit flies and a similar K+-sensitive response in a human RNA-edited glycine receptor linked to epilepsy, revealing potassium signaling as a brain communication pathway and potential therapeutic targets.
A Welsh woman with years of seizures and balance issues finally gets a correct diagnosis after turning to ChatGPT, which suggested hereditary spastic paraplegia. Genetic testing confirmed the AI’s diagnosis, changing her treatment path and leaving her in a wheelchair as she pursues a psychology master’s degree.
Six-week-old Lexi Frederick suffered a stroke that led to cerebral palsy and epilepsy; now 16, she uses pageants and public speaking to raise awareness about pediatric strokes, showing that strokes can affect children and urging society to support and include affected kids.
A New York City actress misinterpreted recurring seizures as panic attacks for years until doctors diagnosed focal impaired awareness seizures. After SEEG pinpointed the seizure origin, she received a NeuroPace brain implant in 2018–2019; by July 2019 her seizures were gone, allowing her to return to work, and she has remained seizure-free since, though she continues daily meds and will need periodic battery replacements for the device.