Demetrios N. Velis: Refractory epilepsy treatment: the role of intracranial neuromodulation Full title: The role of'closed-loop' intracranial neuromodulation in the treatment of inoperable medically refractory localization-related epilepsy Round Ta... By: MindWorkGR … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise West Hartford, Conn., February 6, 2015 The latest issue of Epilepsy Currents is now available featuring expert commentary on abstracts in basic science and clinical topics. Here are some highlights from the latest issue of Epilepsy Currents Vol. 15, no. 1: Net Worth of Networks: Specificity in Anticonvulsant Action The mechanisms of action of many central nervous system (CNS) drugs have been studied extensively on the level of their target proteins but the effect of these compounds on the level of complex CNS networks that are composed of different types of excitatory and inhibitory neurons are not well understood. Optogenetics and Epilepsy: Past, Present and Future The holy grail of epilepsy research is to understand the mechanisms underlying seizures so that patients with epilepsy can receive effective treatment or be cured, ideally with no significant side effects. Recent advances in neuroscience give such hope. Optogenetics is a modern neuroscience research tool that allows precise spatiotemporal control of defined cells and circuits, and thus, dissection of critical players and targeting them for responsive treatments. Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Connecting Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Systemic Inflammation, and Nonconvulsive Nonconvulsive seizures (NCSz) are frequent following acute brain … Continue reading →

06.02.2015 - (idw) Julius-Maximilians-Universitt Wrzburg The inhibition of an inflammatory protein drastically reduces consequential damage following a stroke. This has now been demonstrated by scientists from the University of Wrzburg. Their discovery could significantly improve the treatment provided to stroke patients. Blood vessels that supply the brain with vital oxygen are suddenly blocked by blood clots; this causes nerve cells to die, and the sufferer develops symptoms that include paralysis and speech disorders: this is the typical scenario for a stroke. At this point, rapid action is needed: The sooner the blood clots are dissolved with medication, the less severe the consequential damage is for the sufferer as a rule. Yet, often patients reach a life-saving hospital too late. This delay is also one reason why the risk of dying from a stroke in Germany is around ten times higher than the danger of being injured in a traffic accident. Excess pressure inside the skull However, this lack of oxygen inside the brain is only one issue among many that can occur with a stroke. One dreaded side effect, for example, are inflammatory processes in the brain and water retention in the nervous tissue, which is known as cerebral edema … Continue reading →

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- It's possible for paramedics to deliver immediate drug treatment to stroke patients, a new study suggests. "This study shows that it is possible to get treatments to stroke patients even before they arrive at a hospital. Because a blocked blood vessel causes brain damage over minutes to hours, this pre-hospital approach to treatment is sure to be adopted and refined in future clinical research studies," said Dr. Walter Koroshetz, acting director of the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "Ultra-early brain salvage in stroke patients will someday surely reduce the tremendous burden of disability and death due to stroke," he added in an institute news release. The study included 1,700 patients suspected of having a stroke who were given the drug magnesium sulfate or a placebo by paramedics within two hours of stroke onset. The paramedics identified potential stroke patients by using a stroke screening tool developed by the researchers. The paramedics then talked with a neurologist by cellphone to determine if a patient should be included in the study. The study was actually meant to test the effectiveness of the drug. Previous research in animals suggested that magnesium sulfate might … Continue reading →

When a person suffers a stroke, the chances of them returning to a normal life could depend on how quickly they receive drugs that restore proper blood flow in the affected part of the brain. Now, a new study shows it is feasible for paramedics to deliver these drugs before the patient reaches the hospital. Among the many urgent things paramedics have to deal with when attending a seriously ill casualty are two pressing priorities: trying to work out what is wrong with the patient and getting them to hospital as quickly as possible. And like many other conditions, it is also very important to get the diagnosis of stroke right not only to decide whether it is indeed a stroke that has struck the casualty, but also what kind of stroke. There are two kinds of stroke one caused by bleeding in or around the brain (hemorrhagic stroke), and the other caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain (ischemic stroke). Stroke patients have to wait until they are at the hospital to get treatment Currently, ischemic stroke patients have to wait until they get to the hospital before they can receive clot-busting drugs. But now a new … Continue reading →