Archive for epilepsy
Seeds of hope for Annie: one family’s story of epilepsy care
Ten-year-old Annie Dinan experienced her first noticeable seizure just before her fourth birthday while riding in the car with her family. “I had never seen a seizure in my entire life,” her mom, Lindsay, says of witnessing Annie lose then quickly regain consciousness. “But somehow, I knew exactly what it was.” Refusing to settle Following ... Read More about Seeds of hope for Annie: one family’s story of epilepsy care
Tagged: eeg, epilepsy, second opinion, seizures
Sudden, unexplained child deaths often have a genetic cause
When a baby or toddler dies without warning, parents often blame themselves. A study at Boston Children’s may provide some insight into sudden, unexplained child deaths and perhaps a measure of closure. It suggests that at least 10 percent of children who die suddenly have an undiagnosed genetic condition that caused or contributed to their ... Read More about Sudden, unexplained child deaths often have a genetic cause
Diving deep on epilepsy genetics
When child neurologist Annapurna Poduri, MD, MPH finished her clinical epilepsy fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2004, she was struck to find that the genetic understanding of epilepsy had changed little in the decade since she started medical school. Many questions were unanswered — and some weren’t yet being asked. Existing treatments were still ... Read More about Diving deep on epilepsy genetics
Tagged: epilepsy, genetics and genomics, neurology, neuroscience, rare disease, zebrafish
A promising new antiseizure drug tailored to newborns
Neonatal seizures can lead to serious consequences, including significant cognitive and motor disabilities, lifelong epilepsy, and death. They are often highly resistant to treatment, in part because seizures in newborns are fundamentally different from seizures in older children and adults. Yet they are treated in much the same way as older patients, with little change over the decades. Better treatment is ... Read More about A promising new antiseizure drug tailored to newborns
Tagged: clinical trials, drug development, epilepsy, neurology, newborn medicine, research, seizures
I tried the keto diet to help my epilepsy and it changed my life
My name is Dennis. I’m 15 years old and live in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Two years ago, I started the keto diet to help my epilepsy and it changed my life. Here’s my story… I was 7 when I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I was too young to know what that really meant or ... Read More about I tried the keto diet to help my epilepsy and it changed my life
I had a seizure. Here’s what I learned.
I was 11 when I had my seizure. I’m 15 now. I’ve learned a lot since that night, and I owe a lot of what I know to Dr. Alex Rotenberg and the team at Boston Children’s Hospital. They helped me understand what caused my seizure and how to prevent another one. But I’ve also ... Read More about I had a seizure. Here’s what I learned.
Motor neurons made from patients’ cells reveal possible ALS drugs and targets
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe, fatal neurodegenerative disorder causing loss of motor neurons and voluntary muscle action. While mouse studies have identified potential treatments, these drugs have typically done very poorly in human trials. “One of the most difficult challenges in drug discovery is identifying a target that has a key role in ... Read More about Motor neurons made from patients’ cells reveal possible ALS drugs and targets
Tagged: drug development, epilepsy, neurology, neuroscience, stem cells
Pinpointing Karlijn’s seizures: Neurosurgery helps teen get back to her life
Karlijn Kuiper was visiting her home country of the Netherlands a few years ago when the trouble began. At first, her family noticed she would zone out. “She had these strange spells where she would just stare,” remembers her mother, Marieke. At first, it didn’t occur to Karlijn’s family that they could be seizures. Like ... Read More about Pinpointing Karlijn’s seizures: Neurosurgery helps teen get back to her life
Tagged: brain tumor, epilepsy, international, neurosurgery, seizures
Predicting pediatric seizures with a wristband: Study shows what’s possible
The ability to track seizures has a number of potential benefits: It could allow physicians to better determine optimal dosing and timing of medication, as well as enable timely interventions to help prevent impending seizures. Traditionally, electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocorticography have been used to evaluate and forecast seizures. However, more compact, portable approaches — such ... Read More about Predicting pediatric seizures with a wristband: Study shows what’s possible
Made-to-order therapies get a boost with new FDA guidelines
Ed. note: Mila passed away in February, 2021, at age 10. The Mila’s Miracle Foundation continues to work to pave a pathway for personalized treatments. Science-based treatments for rare genetic diseases have burgeoned in the past decade. That includes diseases so rare they affect just a handful of patients — or in some cases, just ... Read More about Made-to-order therapies get a boost with new FDA guidelines