Actor Noah Huntley's twin sister Echo was born with severe epilepsy Shortly before she died in 2010, she seemed to turn corner in her treatment Dracula Untold star's twin suddenly had a two-hour seizure and died Noah believes he holds 'connection between heaven and earth' with Echo By Alice Smellie for The Mail on Sunday Published: 17:03 EST, 7 March 2015 | Updated: 08:28 EST, 8 March 2015 300 shares 5 View comments Three weeks before Echo Huntley died, aged just 36, she and her twin brother, Hollywood star Noah, went for a walk in the Sussex village where they grew up. It was a beautiful day, remembers the actor, who shot to fame in the 1990s playing long-haired hunk Luke McAllister in ITVs Emmerdale, and recently appeared in the box office hit Dracula Untold. We had a cream tea and then wandered up to the 11th Century church. As early summer sunlight dappled through the trees on to the ancient graves, Noah idly asked Echo where shed like to be buried. He recalls: She said in her slightly dismissive way, Oh, I dont know. Maybe there, and pointed to a damp and shady corner of the churchyard. Noah asked … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise West Hartford, Conn., March 6, 2015 The American Epilepsy Society (AES) has announced that abstract submissions for the 2015 Annual Meeting are now open. This year the AES 69th Annual Meeting will be held in Philadelphia, PA at the Pennsylvania Convention Center from December 4-8, 2015. The event is expected to draw more than 5,000 of the worlds leading epilepsy professionals to learn about the most recent clinical and basic research, technology and treatment developments and to exchange new ideas. Submitted abstracts from members and non-members play a significant role in the content of the meeting. AES presents a diverse selection of abstracts spanning clinical, translational and basic science. Abstracts selected for the Meeting honor the scientific and scholarly achievements of the presenters and help contribute to the understanding of epilepsy and application of clinical and scientific advances. AES also awards competitive grants to outstanding young investigators and nurses conducting research in basic or clinical neuroscience related to epilepsy who submit an abstract to the AES Annual Meeting. Awards range from $1,000 to $1,200. The awards given for the Annual Meeting include: Grass AES Young Investigator Award this award is given to … Continue reading →

VIDEO:New research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio suggests that an already-approved drug could reduce the debilitating impact of strokes. MIce that had treatment with... view more Credit: Drs. Mark S. Shapiro, Sonya Bierbower and James D. Lechleiter/The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio SAN ANTONIO (Feb. 11, 2015) -- Retigabine, a drug approved to treat epilepsy, protected the brain against the effects of ischemic stroke in a study conducted at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Findings are in The Journal of Neuroscience. Sonya Bierbower, Ph.D., and Mark S. Shapiro, Ph.D., of the School of Medicine at the UT Health Science Center, compared treated and untreated mice after a stroke. In a balance beam exercise, untreated mice exhibited a pronounced loss of coordination with slips and falls. Retigabine-treated mice had no difficulty with balance, ambulation or turning around on the beam. See the video. "You couldn't even tell they had a stroke," Dr. Shapiro, professor of physiology and senior author, said. "They ran across the balance beam like gymnasts." Effects in tissue Brain tissue of the treated mice showed significantly reduced damage, compared to untreated mice. Protective … Continue reading →

Growing up, Silindile Mkhwena says healers preyed on her familys scant knowledge of her epilepsy. More than a decade later, she says she is still paying for societys ignorance. Silindile Mkhwena has been living with epilepsy for more than a decade and says more awareness is needed to combat stigma (File photo) Now 23 years old, Mkhwena developed epilepsy at about the age of 13. She says her family wasted years and money visiting healers and sangomas who promised to cure her of the condition. Prior to six years ago when I started treatment, my family wasted time and money taking me to different sangomas, but still no one seemed to cure me as they all promised to do, she tells OurHealth. Because (healers) knew how desperate my family was, (they preyed on) my familys feelings and emotions to make money but not to help. While the number of people in South Africa living with epilepsy remains uncertain, a 2009 study found that about one in every 143 people surveyed reported having the neurological condition Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes recurring seizures. Although epilepsy can start at any age, it most often begins during childhood. While it is … Continue reading →