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Epilepsy

Using Hormone Therapy First Drives Earlier Remission From Infantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome
 Using Hormone Therapy First Drives Earlier Remission From Infantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome 1024 575 Natalie Wilson
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Recent research conducted at Nationwide Children’s Hospital demonstrated standardizing hormone therapy as the first treatment for infantile spasms improved rates of early remission. Infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) is an uncommon epilepsy syndrome characterized by seizures called infantile spasms that begin between 1 and 24 months of age (with a peak age of onset at…

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Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients With Non-ambulatory Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy
 Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients With Non-ambulatory Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy 600 400 Mary Bates, PhD
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Study indicates that quality of life in young people with non-ambulatory cerebral palsy decreases with the use of more antiseizure medications. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital assessed the relationship between epilepsy-specific characteristics and proxy-reported health-related quality of life in children and young people with non-ambulatory cerebral palsy. The findings indicate that…

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Functional Neurological Disorders: What Pediatric Neurologists Should Know
 Functional Neurological Disorders: What Pediatric Neurologists Should Know 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD
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The diagnosis is common, yet this group of disorders has been subjected to confusion and stigma throughout history. Functional neurological disorders are a collection of disorders in which patients experience neurological symptoms, such as numbness, weakness, seizure-like events, or abnormal gait or movements, but without a visible underlying pathology. Underlying mechanisms for these disorders are…

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A More Efficient Method for Diagnosing Electrical Status Epilepticus in Sleep?
 A More Efficient Method for Diagnosing Electrical Status Epilepticus in Sleep? 375 280 Mary Bates, PhD
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Calculating the spike-wave index of the EEG of just the first 100 seconds of sleep is enough for diagnosis. Electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES) is an electrographic pattern in which epileptiform activity is dramatically activated by sleep. The ESES pattern is a key electrographic feature in several pediatric seizure disorders that vary in severity.…

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Featured Researcher — Tracy Bedrosian, PhD
 Featured Researcher — Tracy Bedrosian, PhD 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Tracy Bedrosian, PhD, is a principal investigator in the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine and a specialist in brain mosaicism and neurodevelopment working to uncover the impact that localized mutations in brain cells have on epilepsy symptoms, autism and other neurodevelopmental diseases. She collaborates with neurologists and other experts in the Steve…

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Epilepsy Centers in United States Expand in Size and Specialized Testing Services with Accreditation
 Epilepsy Centers in United States Expand in Size and Specialized Testing Services with Accreditation 150 150 Rebecca Cybulski
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Recent data is used to analyze characteristics of accredited epilepsy centers across the United States, including testing, treatment and outcomes for drug resistant epilepsy patients. New research from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital has found that as a result of the increased number of accredited epilepsy centers in the United States, drug-resistant epilepsy…

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Epilepsy Surgery Underutilized in Young Patients With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
 Epilepsy Surgery Underutilized in Young Patients With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Color close up image of young baby girl looking at hanging toys

Research suggests that early surgical intervention can boost developmental outcomes and even cure young children with intractable epilepsy, but low referral rates and other barriers result in limited access for some. Early surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) can improve quality of life by reducing or even eliminating seizures. DRE affects about one in every three…

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Long-Term Follow-up Study Shows Cannabidiol is Safe and Effective for Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
 Long-Term Follow-up Study Shows Cannabidiol is Safe and Effective for Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome 695 473 Mary Bates, PhD
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Black and white environmental portrait of Dr. Anup Patel standing in the hospital in his lab coat with his hand in his pocket

Long-term treatment with highly purified plant-based CBD shows continued seizure reduction and no new side effects. The results of a long-term open-label extension trial of plant-derived, highly purified cannabidiol (CBD) show the treatment is effective and safe long term for patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The treatment had a similar safety profile as in the original…

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Understanding the Social Neural Network
 Understanding the Social Neural Network 1024 575 Natalie Wilson
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Young boy turned sideways in front of a dark background, with dark lighting and an illustration of his brain appearing in front of the side of his head

Neuroimaging of participants with and without epilepsy allows researchers to explore the neural networks associated with social skills. Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease characterized by neural network dysfunction and seizures. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 470,000 children in the United States had active epilepsy in 2015. These children are more likely…

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Intractable Epilepsy Linked to Brain-Specific Genetic Mutation
 Intractable Epilepsy Linked to Brain-Specific Genetic Mutation 1024 794 Lauren Dembeck
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DNA replication errors during development are revealed by genomic study. As part of an ongoing, collaborative study between neurologists and genomics experts at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, researchers have identified somatic mosaicism in the resected brain tissues of a child with treatment-resistant, intractable epilepsy. One of the two genetically distinct cell populations identified carries a pathogenic…

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Do Seizure Action Plans Make a Difference for Patients and Families?
 Do Seizure Action Plans Make a Difference for Patients and Families? 150 150 Kevin Mayhood
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Families given a written plan were more comfortable with seizure care and missed fewer appointments. Caregivers for children with epilepsy were more likely to bring their children to regularly scheduled clinic visits if they had previously been given a printed seizure action plan tailored to help them understand their child’s condition, manage it at home…

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Wishes Help Keep Pediatric Patients Out of the Hospital
 Wishes Help Keep Pediatric Patients Out of the Hospital 150 150 Gina Bericchia
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Cimone Stills, 15, has a medical condition that has caused her to have multiple seizures a day for most of her life. Specifically, she has treatment-resistant generalized epilepsy because of a genetic variation. Like many patients with such a serious illness, it affects her daily life and as a result, she was diagnosed with clinical…

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The Changing Medical and Legal Landscape for Cannabidiol
 The Changing Medical and Legal Landscape for Cannabidiol 150 150 Jeb Phillips
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Cannabis-Derived Treatment Can Significantly Reduce Seizures in Hard-To-Treat Childhood Epilepsy
 Cannabis-Derived Treatment Can Significantly Reduce Seizures in Hard-To-Treat Childhood Epilepsy 150 150 Jeb Phillips
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A new study shows that cannabidiol is effective in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome can have hundreds of brief seizures every day. This complex form of epilepsy often does not respond to conventional epilepsy medication, leaving children at serious risk of injury from their seizures, or confined to wheelchairs and beds. An international…

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Cannabidiol May Reduce Drug-Resistant Seizures by Half
 Cannabidiol May Reduce Drug-Resistant Seizures by Half 150 150 Brianne Moore
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Two studies demonstrate clinically significant response to oral liquid cannabidiol over placebo. Two recent studies – one published in The New England Journal of Medicine and one presented at the 2017 American Academy of Neurology annual meeting – indicate that a new plant-based, cannabis-derived treatment may be able to decrease the incidence of seizures in two complex…

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In Sight: Two Stage Surgery for Epilepsy
 In Sight: Two Stage Surgery for Epilepsy 150 150 Abbie Miller
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Surgery proves to be a viable option for patients with medically refractory epilepsy. Childhood onset epilepsy affects 1 percent of children worldwide. About 25 to 30 percent of these patients will have medically refractory epilepsy, continuing to have seizures despite using two or more antiseizure medications. Options for this group of patients include intercranial epilepsy surgery, Vagus…

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Genetic Testing for Pediatric Epilepsy Can Be Complicated but Beneficial
 Genetic Testing for Pediatric Epilepsy Can Be Complicated but Beneficial 150 150 Gina Bericchia
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Application of genetic testing in pediatric epilepsy requires understanding of the advantages and limitations of testing modalities The use of genetic testing in pediatric epilepsy is complicated and the list of known epilepsy genes changes almost daily. The steps from a doctor initially evaluating a patient when they first demonstrate the symptoms of epilepsy to genetic diagnosis…

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