Published on March 11, 2015 Epilepsy is a physical condition characterized by sudden, brief changes in how the brain works. It is a symptom of a neurological disorder a disorder that affects the brain and shows itself in the form of seizures. Epilepsy is a disorder, not a disease; it is not contagious. The nature and intensity of the seizures vary from person to person. Approximately 0.6 per cent of the Canadian population has epilepsy. This includesthose who take anticonvulsant drugs orwhohad a seizure within the past five years. Due to the stigma surrounding epilepsy and the prejudice with which society has historically treated people with epilepsy, many with the disorder are reluctant to admit it or to seek treatment. Thus the prevalence of epilepsy is likely much higher. Each day in Canada, an average of 42 people learn that they have epilepsy. In approximately 50 per cent of cases of childhood epilepsy, seizures disappear completely. In 50 to 60 per cent of cases, the cause of epilepsy is unknown. In the remainder, some of the common causes are brain tumour, stroke, head trauma and aftermath of infection such as meningitis and viral encephalitis. Events that may trigger seizures include … Continue reading →

A blood test may be able to accurately identify children with autism as young as 12 months, new research suggests. In a study of more than 200 toddlers, researchers were able to distinguish between those with and without the developmental disorder in at least three-quarters of cases by testing blood samples. Currently, autism is diagnosed through clinical observation and most kids on the spectrum are not identified until after age 4, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Finding a biomarker or other method to pinpoint autism at earlier ages is critical, researchers say, in order to help children get treatment while theyreyoung when it can be most effective. For the study, researchers took blood samples from boys ages 1 to 4, some of whom had autism and some did not. They assessed RNA expression levels in leukocytes, or white blood cells, to differentiate children with autism from typically-developing kids and those with other types of developmental delays. The test was conducted with two separate sets of boys. The first group included 147 children and was accurate in 83 percent of cases, while the second group had 73 participants and had a 75 percent accuracy rate, according … Continue reading →