For the brain to learn, retain memories, process sensory information, and coordinate body movements, its groups of nerve cells must generate coordinated electrical signals. Disorder in synchronous firing can impair these processes and, in extreme cases, lead to seizures and epilepsy. Synchrony between neighboring neurons depends on the protein connexin 36, an essential element of […]
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EEG helps scientists predict epileptic seizures minutes in advance
Elizabeth Delacruz can’t crawl or toddle around like most youngsters nearing their second birthday. A rare metabolic disorder that decimated her mobility has also led to cortical blindness—her brain is unable to process images received from an otherwise healthy set of brown eyes. And multiple times a day Elizabeth suffers seizures that continually reduce her […]
Daily and weekly cycles of epileptic seizures more common than previously thought
The timing of seizures may be linked to natural rhythms in around 80% of people with epilepsy, according to the largest study of individual patients’ seizure cycles including more than 1,000 people, published in The Lancet Neurology journal. Most people’s seizures occurred in a circadian (ie, 24-hour) rhythm, but some people experienced weekly and 3-weekly […]
Brain Implant Puts the Brakes on Epileptic Seizures in Mice
THURSDAY, Aug. 30, 2018 — Experiments in mice have shown that an implanted electronic device in the brain can detect — and deliver drugs to stop — impending epileptic seizures. Potentially, a similar device might help people with epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and brain tumors who have failed standard treatment. So far, the technology is in […]