Epilepsy Talk
Seizures won’t wait — even during COVID-19
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COVID-19 seems to be knocking on everybody’s door. Along with the peril and the terror.
And the possibility of seeing your doctor during these dangerous times seems risky, at best.
So, you can’t see the doctor and they can’t see you.
Except in a hospital setting, critical care or a clinic.
That could means more exposure. More jeopardy. Is it really worth the exposure?
Tags: COVID-19, Epilepsy, follow-up care, improved access, neurological assessment, pandemic, saved time and money, seizures, technology, telemedicine
Gaslighting — What to Do When It Happens To You
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Is your doctor making you feel crazy? Like it’s all in your head? Could you be a hypochondriac?
You must be imagining your symptoms. Of maybe you’re just in a panic.
“Go home and take two Advil. Or maybe two Xanax. You’ll feel fine when this blows over. I assure you.”
Maybe you should have gone to Google first.
Hope for Drug Resistant Epilepsy
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Drug-resistant epilepsy with uncontrolled severe seizures — despite state-of-the-art medical treatment — continues to be a major problem for up to 30% of patients with epilepsy.
Although drug resistance may fluctuate in the course of treatment, for most patients, drug resistance seems to be continuous.
Unfortunately, traditional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) don’t seem to prevent or reverse drug resistance in most patients.
However, some new add-on AED therapies have shown as much as 50% in seizure reduction.
This research concerns the structural brain lesions that have been associated with drug resistance in epilepsy.
Tags: brain, chemical, connections, drug, electrical, faulty, lesions, resistance, structural, wiring
An Earbud to Predict Seizures?
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Imagine a tiny, unobtrusive brain monitor — like an earbud or a hearing aid — that could read brainwaves through the ear.
Amazing as it sounds, this tiny device could help predict seizures and track daily seizures in people with uncontrolled epilepsy, according to a small pilot study.
Engineers at Imperial College in London have developed exactly that.
An EEG device that can be worn inside the ear, like a hearing aid.
Tags: brainwaves, earbud, EEG readings, PC, recurring seizures, smartphone, tablet
Violence and Epilepsy
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No question about it. Epilepsy’s been the victim of bad press since ancient Greece. There, it was sometimes called the “Herculean Disease” because Hercules was thought to have murdered his family in a fit of uncontrollable rage.
Two thousand years later, Michael Crichton wrote in The Terminal Man, “Epileptics are predisposed to violent, aggressive behavior during their attacks.”
Which didn’t exactly help.
Where’s The Funding? Epilepsy As An Orphan
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Here are the facts, unhappy though they may be…
Epilepsy is the 4th most common neurological problem – only migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease occurs more frequently.
Its prevalence is greater than autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
As many people die from epilepsy as from breast cancer.
There are 150,000 new cases of epilepsy diagnosed each year, and a total of more than 2 million Americans are affected by it.
Yet, public and private funding for epilepsy research lags far behind other neurological afflictions, at $35 a patient (compared, for instance, with $129 for Alzheimer’s and $280 for multiple sclerosis).
Will that antidepressant work for you?
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The answer may be in your brain waves.
“Scientists have taken a small step toward personalizing treatment for depression.
Who’s Profiting From Your Outrageous Medical Bills?
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This is from the NEW York Times, February 14, 2020.
It speaks of the secret methods of billing. Who pays and who does not. (A precious few.)
Stimulus Cash Payments May Take Up To 20 Weeks To Reach Some Americans
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People who do not have direct deposit information on file with the Internal Revenue Service may have to wait up to 20 weeks to receive cash payments included in the $2 trillion coronavirus relief legislation, according to a memo drafted by House Democrats.
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