Epilepsy Talk
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.
In later editions of his novel, Crichton softened his stance with a postscript, but many physicians and laymen still truly believe that those with epilepsy are dangerous and potentially violent people.
Rewiring the Brain with Cell Transplantation
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Cell transplantation is an emerging approach for treating drug resistant epilepsy.
Regenerative medicine such as this, is a relatively “simple” process in that stem cells are often cultured from the patient’s own tissue, then processed and transfused back into the body.
Laser Surgery — Breakthrough Epilepsy Treatment!
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Revolutionary laser surgery — a safer, less invasive alternative to brain surgery as we know it — has slowly been achieving success with brain tumor patients.
Instead of the more traditional craniotomy, in which a bone flap is removed from the skull, neurosurgeons are using MRI-guided laser technology to destroy lesions in hard-to-access regions of the brain.
Tags: breakthrough, Epilepsy, laser surgery, less invasive, life-changing option, MRI-guided, safer, success, thermal ablation
Brain Food for Your Health…
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Please understand, I am NOT saying that these supplements will cure, treat or prevent epilepsy — but I am saying that we folks with epilepsy have to do everything we can for our brain health.
And these supplements can help a lot with that.
In fact, the nutrients they contain are so important for your brain cells, you really should seriously consider them. That’s how strongly I feel. And the science backs me up.
Tags: Acetyl-L-Carnitine, B Complex Vitamins, B12, B6, brain health, Calcium, CoQ10, fish oil, Folic Acid, magnesium, supplements, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, vitamins, zinc
28 New Epilepsy Medicines In Development
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A newly-released report from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has revealed that 28 new medications are in development to treat epilepsy and seizures.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
These 28 new drugs are among nearly 420 new ground-breaking medicines in progress to treat neurological disorders.
Head Injury and Seizures
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Seizures may develop immediately after an injury to the brain or may develop in delayed fashion, showing up months or years after the initial trauma.
Generally speaking, the risk of post traumatic seizures is related to the severity of the injury — the greater the injury, the higher the risk of developing seizures. Even mild to moderate injuries can result in seizures.
Tags: accident, generalized seizures, grand-mal, head injury, medications, post traumatic seizures, risk, seizure activity, tonic-clonic
A Menu of Epilepsy Auras
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The fact is: There are probably as many or more types of auras as there are types of epilepsy…
Auras can last from several seconds to as long as an hour, and can sometimes end with feelings of extreme tiredness, weakness, heart palpitation, sweating and warmth throughout one’s body.
And some people can experience auras and have no seizure(s).
Each and every person’s aura patterns are different. They vary significantly between individuals.
Tags: auditory changes, auras, physical changes, psychological changes, seizures, visual changes, warning signs
Where’s The Funding? Epilepsy As An Orphan
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There are 200,000 new cases of epilepsy each year, and a total of more than 3 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).
Kindling — Using Seizures to End Seizures
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When you think of “kindling,” think of confusing. Controversy. Cure.
No, it’s not the little twigs for a bonfire!
But the name “kindling” was inspired by a log fire.
Tags: brain function, chemicals, controversy, CURE, end seizures, environment, kindling, stress
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