Epilepsy Talk
New Data Back Use of Medical Cannabis for Epilepsy, Pain, Anxiety
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Two new studies offer positive news about medical cannabis — suggesting that marijuana products improve physical and cognitive symptoms, boost quality of life, and rarely produce signs of problematic use.
Is it ADHD…Epilepsy…or Both?
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ADHD is the current term for the neurological condition formerly known as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), Hyperactivity, Hyperkinesis, Organic Brain Syndrome, Minimal Brain Dysfunction, and Minimal Brain Damage.
About 5% of children in the general population have ADHD. However, about 30-40% of children with epilepsy may have ADHD or attention problems. Also, ADHD is seen more often in boys than in girls (some medical professionals claim this ratio to be as high 4 to 1).
Tags: absence seizures, academic achievement, ADHD, attention problems, behavioral difficulties, cognitive, hyperactive disorder, inattentiveness, intellectual, language, learning difficulties, memory, motor, neuropsychologist, Ritalin, spatial, staring spells
Treating Seizures — 7 Amazing New Breakthroughs
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What if you could predict an oncoming seizure in time for you stop it? Or even prevent it?
That day may be coming sooner than you think, thanks to these seven new technologies.
You’ll learn what they are, how they work and how far along they are.
There’s a lot of new and exciting research going on — all over the world — about predicting and preventing seizures.
Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) Shown to Reduce “Untreatable” Seizures |
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The idea that we can implant a Star Trek-type device that will detect seizures and interrupt them without causing injury is entirely new. And exciting. And scary.
Especially for those people with epilepsy that have seizures that begin at one focal point in the brain, but aren’t appropriate for epilepsy surgery.
Brain stimulation has now been shown to offer significant relief to patients with intractable seizures, for whom drugs and other treatments have not worked.
TNS vs. VNS – NO SURGERY!
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The first Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) was implanted in 1988, as a therapeutic option for medically intractable epilepsy, when elective epilepsy surgery was not appropriate.
As the number of implanted vagus nerve stimulators grows, so does the need to remove or revise the devices.
Which is a little tricky, because of the spiral stimulating electrodes, wrapped around the nerve. Especially if the VNS treatment has proven ineffective.
And of course, what goes in, must come out. Anyway you look at it, there’s more surgery involved.
The up side to having a VNS is better seizure control.
The down side is discomfort, headaches, temporary hoarseness and shortness of breath.
Auras without Seizures
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Do any of these sensations sound familiar to you?
Suddenly you’re sweating, flushed, become pale or have goosebumps.
Your stomach feels queasy, like you’re going to puke.
There’s a foreboding or fear that something awful is about to happen.
Tags: aura, no seizure, odd sensation, foreboding, visual, spatial, perceptions, distortion, simple partial seizure, deja vu
CBT — When you feel that you’ve hit rock bottom…
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Sara had a brain surgery gone wrong. She spent all of her savings and all of her resources on rehab. One year later, she went home, only to be able to toilet herself and say “dog”. She was lost.
Both physically and mentally. You might say she was “a basket case”.
Sandy was in a near fatal car accident. She survived, but just barely. After her physical healing, she said she couldn’t put two sentences together.
Then she heard about CBT.
Tags: anxiety disorders, behavioral therapy, behaviors, CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, cognitive therapy, control, coping strategies, depression, feelings, Panic Attacks, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorders, problem-solving, psychiatric medications, severe mental illness., thoughts
Brain Surgery Alternatives
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“It’s not brain surgery.” And it doesn’t have to be.
There are a host of epilepsy procedures that are minimally invasive.
For example…
Tags: biofeedback, Brain Surgery Alternatives, Cell Transplantation, counseling, Deep Brain Stimulation, gamma knife surgery, Gene Therapy, Homeopathy, Hormone Imbalances, laser surgery, minimally invasive, Naturopathy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, trigeminal nerve stimulation, Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Epilepsy and Brain Surgery — The Basics
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Since there so many different types of brain surgeries — and questions — I decided to learn about them and share my findings with you.
Surgery is most commonly done when tests show that your seizures originate in a small, well-defined area of your brain that doesn’t interfere with vital functions like speech, language or hearing.
In these types of surgeries, your doctor removes the area of the brain that’s causing the seizures.
If your seizures originate in a part of your brain that can’t be removed, your doctor may recommend a different sort of surgery in which surgeons make a series of cuts in your brain.
These cuts are designed to prevent seizures from spreading to other parts of the brain.
Although many people continue to need some medication to help prevent seizures after successful surgery, you may be able to take fewer drugs and reduce your dosages.
The type of surgery used depends on the type of seizures and the area of the brain where the seizures start. The surgical options include:
Seizures…Memory…Depression. YES, They Are Linked!
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At least one third of people with epilepsy also have depression.
Epilepsy can have different effects on memory functions and depression for various reasons.
Because the portion of the brain where memory and emotions are stored — the limbic system — can be disturbed by epileptic seizures.
In fact, memory problems are one of the most reported problems that coincide with epilepsy.
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