How Do I Know If I Have Seizures? To diagnose an apparent first-time seizure, your doctor will: These are tests that may be done: Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a rare and severe kind of epilepsy that starts in childhood. Children with LGS have seizures often, and they have several different kinds of seizures. This condition is hard to treat, but researchers are looking for new therapies. Finding practical and emotional support is key to help you give your child the best quality of life while facing the challenges and stress this illness brings. The seizures usually start between ages 2 and 6. Children with LGS have learning... Read the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome article > > When a specific cause of the seizure is identified -- such as infection or low blood sugar -- treatment of that underlying condition often prevents seizures from recurring. If the underlying cause is not fully treatable or is unknown, treatment with anti-seizure (anticonvulsant) medications may be recommended. Anticonvulsant drugs can eliminate or reduce recurrent seizures. The choice of medication is based on the specific seizure type and pattern. Often, a single drug is used, but sometimes a combination may be necessary. Anticonvulsant drugs include: … Continue reading →

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on December 1, 2014 New research suggests people affected by a common inherited form of autism may be helped by a drug that is being tested as a treatment for cancer. The most common genetic cause of autism spectrum disorders is Fragile X Syndrome, a condition that affects around one in 4,000 boys and one in 6,000 girls. Currently, there is no cure. For Fragile X patients, a chemical pathway in the brain is altered causing excess protein in the brain. New research suggest a known naturally occurring chemical called cercosporamide can block the pathway and improve sociability in mice with the condition. The team at the University of Edinburgh and McGill University in Canada identified a key molecule, eIF4E, that drives excess protein production in the brains of Fragile X patients. This can cause behavioral symptoms that include learning difficulties. It can also lead to more serious intellectual disabilities, delays in speech and language development, and problems with social interactions. We found that eIF4E regulates the production of an enzyme called MMP-9, which breaks down and re-orders the connections between brain cells called synapses, said Dr. … Continue reading →

Clinical Trial at Mayo Clinic Saves Workaholic after Stroke If you are experiencing stroke symptoms, getting to a highly specialized treatment center that can quickly diagnose and deliver individualized treatment can have a dramatic impact on your outcome. Mayo Clinic's stroke experts, part of the nation's leading neurosciences program, provide comprehensive care for more than 20,000 people with stroke and other blood vessel and brain (cerebrovascular) conditions each year. On all campuses, Mayo Clinic exceeds the national average in the percentage of stroke patients who receive the appropriate, customized treatment, thereby optimizing outcomes. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. A stroke is a medical emergency. Prompt treatment is crucial and early action can minimize brain damage and potential complications. Mayo Clinic's world-renowned stroke teams include doctors trained in blood vessel and brain conditions (cerebrovascular neurologists), brain blood vessel imaging (endovascular surgical neuroradiologists), blood vessel brain surgery (vascular neurosurgeons), physical medicine and rehabilitation (physiatrists), emergency medicine, and other subspecialists who work together to provide exactly the care you need. Having all this expertise in a single … Continue reading →

SPECIALIST stroke units in the North-East still have scope to improve, according to a major state of the nation report by experts. Two reports published by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) show that despite steady progress in the care of stroke patients in the UK there are still major shortages of both nurses and doctors. This is worrying because research shows that death rates are low when stroke wards have higher number of nurses and death rates for acutely ill patients are lower when there are more doctors available at nights and at weekends. The assessment of stroke care is commissioned by NHS England and run by a specialist unit of the Royal College of Physicians. The headline results based on the care provided to 74,000 patients between April 2013 to March 2014 - found that stroke care was improving, mainly due to reorganisation which established fewer but more specialist stroke units. But because the standards of care set by the SSNAP are very high it meant that many hospitals have received low scores. A spokesman for the SSNAP said this does not mean that local stroke services are unsafe but it does mean that many hospitals need … Continue reading →

The average life expectancy in America is 78.8 years, or more than 690,000 hours, according to government statistics. But when it comes to stroke, three hours are all that matter. For Carolyn Hoover, those three critical hours occurred the day after Thanksgiving: Nov. 23, 2012. That evening, the Fairchance woman (then age 47) and her husband, Jon, had just finished dinner and were washing the dishes when Carolyn suddenly had to sit down. She couldnt speak. She couldnt see. She was unresponsive. She was just sitting at the table, wringing her hands, and when I looked at her, she just had this blank look on her face, Jon recalls. I didnt have a clue what was going on until the ambulance got there. The paramedics said she was having a stroke and that if she got treatment within three hours it could reduce some of the effects or reverse them. With stroke, time is brain. Every second a stroke persists hastens the death of brain cells and the loss of physical functioning that accompanies this process. So its critical to recognize stroke symptoms and seek immediate medical attention, as the Hoovers did. Sadly, though, many people ignore the signs of … Continue reading →