ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2012) UC Irvine and Brown University researchers have created a new fruit fly model of inherited epilepsy that's providing insights into the mechanisms underlying temperature-dependent seizures while establishing a platform from which to develop therapies for these disorders. In the Oct. 10 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, Diane O'Dowd of UCI, Robert Reenan of Brown and colleagues report their method for placing a gene mutation that causes human fever-induced seizures into drosophila fruit flies. As a result, the mutant flies experience heat-induced seizures. This represents the first time a human genetic disease mutation has been "knocked in" to the equivalent location in the fruit fly genome. The drosophila knock-in model provides a rapid and low-cost basis for defining the neural mechanisms contributing to inherited seizure disorders. "We can also use this genetic model of human epilepsy in fruit flies to look for new treatments for the disease," said O'Dowd, professor and chair of developmental & cell biology at UCI. Fever-induced, or febrile, seizures are most commonly seen in children. Only about one in 100 children with febrile seizures develops epilepsy, and most outgrow them by age 5. In contrast, individuals who have the inherited disorder -- … Continue reading →

By Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A prescription medication originally developed to treat epilepsy may help obese adults shed weight when combined with routine nutritional counseling, researchers say. Patients who took 400 milligrams of the anti-seizure drug zonisamide daily for a year lost nearly 7.5 pounds more on average than those assigned to dietary and lifestyle changes alone, the new study found. But they also suffered more side effects than patients not taking the medication. "The question was to see if more weight loss could be achieved if we provided decent quality lifestyle intervention, mostly dietary counseling, along with this medication," said study lead author Dr. Kishore Gadde, director of the Obesity Clinical Trials Program at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. "And the answer was yes," Gadde said. The research, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, appears online Oct. 15 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. For obese men and women who can't control their weight through diet and lifestyle changes, nonsurgical options are limited, the study authors noted. Just a few prescription medications are approved in the United States for long-term treatment of obesity, including orlistat (brand name Xenical) … Continue reading →

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A drug approved to prevent seizures may also help obese people lose a few pounds when it's added to therapy and nutritional guidance, a new small trial suggests. But people who took zonisamide also reported more side effects, from nausea and vomiting to anxiety and depression. And two researchers not involved in the study questioned how much the drug would actually help people in the real world. Although zonisamide is only approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for seizures, doctors can prescribe it "off-label" for non-approved purposes. Prior small trials and anecdotal evidence suggested it might help heavy people shed extra pounds. "There is a little bit of weight loss with this drug when it is given for treatment of epilepsy," said lead researcher Dr. Kishore Gadde, from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. That could be because of its effects on serotonin and dopamine, he said. Those two neurotransmitters are known to effect motivation and reward pathways in the brain, including those related to food. Gadde said his team wanted to see if zonisamide could produce weight loss in people without epilepsy, and with the added help of a behavioral … Continue reading →

Retired company director Colin Farmer, 61, was shot as he walked to meet friends in Chorley, Lancashire The unnamed officer then handcuffed Mr Farmer - a two-time stroke victim - as he fell to the ground after being hit with the stun-gun The frightened grandfather, who is blind and partially paralysed down one side of his body, feared he was being attacked by a mugger Mr Farmer has called for the officer responsible to be 'sacked, charged and locked-up' following the incident Lancashire Constabulary has said it 'deeply regrets' the blunder, and has launched an urgent investigation By Nazia Parveen and James Tozer PUBLISHED: 05:04 EST, 17 October 2012 | UPDATED: 19:32 EST, 17 October 2012 Police were accused last night of behaving like thugs with weapons after firing a 50,000-volt Taser into the back of a blind man. An officer mistook stroke victim Colin Farmers white stick for a samurai sword and discharged the stun gun leaving the retired architect writhing in agony on the ground. No disciplinary action is being taken against the officer. The extraordinary blunder is the latest illustration of the soaring number of controversial incidents with the weapons, which can be fatal. 'Terrified': Blind pensioner … Continue reading →

Each year in the United States, 785,000 people suffer a stroke. It is the fourth leading cause of death and its consequences are among the top causes of disability in the U.S. The good news is that there are preventative measures you can take to reduce your risk of stroke, and most of them are simple lifestyle modifications. 1. Control your diabetes. People with diabetes are at an increased risk for stroke; in fact, the risk of cardiovascular disease as a whole is 2.5 times higher in people with diabetes than those without. According to the American Diabetes Association, 2 out of 3 people with diabetes die from stroke or heart disease. Keeping your diabetes in check, either via medication, diet or weight loss, is the first step in reducing your risk of stroke. 2. Quit smoking. Smokers have twice the risk for stroke compared to non-smokers because of the effects on the heart, blood and arteries. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, resulting in the heart having to work harder and facilitating the formation of blood clots. Smoking also facilitates the buildup in the walls of the arteries, which may block blood flow to the brain, … Continue reading →

TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - Over 50,000 strokes strike Canadians every year, making stroke the third leading cause of death in this country. Every minute counts after a stroke because treatment delays can cause significant negative neurological effects on a patient. The newly designated Neurology and Stroke Unit at North York General Hospital (NYGH) means people in our community, suspected of having a stroke, will have access to the best quality stroke care that follows the best available evidence. As part of the Neurology and Stroke Unit's official designation, 10 beds have been dedicated as stroke beds, a roving Stroke Assessment and Treatment Team (SATT) is available, across the hospital, to assess patients suspected of having a stroke, and four additional Holter monitors have been purchased. "With a designated Stroke Unit and SATT, we can assess stroke patients faster so their treatment can begin sooner, giving stroke patients a better chance of a meaningful recovery after they are discharged from the Hospital," said Dr. Kuldeep Sidhu, Chief of Emergency Medicine at NYGH. Patients at NYGH now have access, seven days a week, to an interdisciplinary SATT, comprised of nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech language pathologists, experienced in the … Continue reading →

KUSA - When it comes to treating strokes, doctors frequently say that "time is brain." This is because the sooner a stroke is treated the less damage is done to the brain. Currently, medications are used at a hospital to try and break up any clots causing an ischemic stroke, where the blood supply to part of the brain has been cut off. This medication needs to be given within a small time window and has some potentially serious side effects. Even so, this medication has saved many lives and improved the recovery of many stroke victims. But newer technology is allowing more advanced stroke treatments. One of these technologies is a device known as the MAX System of Reperfusion Catheters manufactured by Penumbra, Inc. Swedish Medical Center, located in Englewood, Colo., is the first advanced care center in the state to use what they call a "simple, fast technology" on stroke patients. This device consists of a small catheter that is used in a leg artery. The catheter is moved up to the affected part of the brain and the blood clot causing the stroke is located. Using the Max system the doctor then uses the catheter to gently … Continue reading →