News

New research from the Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago has found that young children with epilepsy caused by genetic abnormality had a better response to the ketogenic diet compared to children with other types of epilepsy.

The ketogenic diet is a low carbohydrate, high fat diet that is used to treat epilepsy which has not responded to other treatments. More information on this can be found here.

Two reports recently published in the UK regarding the use of cannabis based products for a number of medical conditions have pointed to the need for further clinical evidence & research regarding their use to treat severe treatment-resistant epilepsy.

A worldwide study has identified genetic links between severe forms of epilepsy and less severe forms. “Ultra-Rare Genetic Variation in the Epilepsies: A Whole-Exome Sequencing Study of 17,606 Individuals” was published last week in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

The Human Medicines Committee of the European Medicines Agency have recently granted a positive opinion regarding the use of cannabidiol (CBD) based drug Epidyolex (spelled as Epidiolex in the US) in two forms of epilepsy.

As part of their July meeting, the committee recommended marketing approval for the drug in Lennox Gastaut & Dravet Syndromes in patients over two years old who are already prescribed Clobazam (Frisium).

It has been confirmed that the death of Disney actor Cameron Boyce in July was a result of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

The cause of death was confirmed by the Los Angeles County Coroner last week. The actor, aged 20, had amassed thousands of fans from his roles in Descendants and Jessie.

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is rare. About one in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP per year.

A new study published in the online issue of the journal Neurology last week has provided much needed information on the circumstances of SUDEP and has shed new light on risk factors for SUDEP.

The Minister for Health Simon Harris TD has signed legislation which will allow for the operation of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme.

The Programme will allow for access to cannabis-based products for medical use in line with the legislation.

Epilepsy affects nearly 50 million people of all ages around the world. A new report published by the World Health Organisation, “Epilepsy, a public health imperative” presents a comprehensive picture of the impact of the condition on people with epilepsy, their families and communities.                              

A new study from Norway published in the online version of the epilepsy journal Epilepsia has investigated the issue of non-adherence to treatment regimens in epilepsy from the patient’s perspective.

A new Swedish study published last week in the British Medical Journal has found that treatment with gabapentinoids - a group of drugs used for epilepsy and other conditions - is associated with a number of harms including an increased risk of suicidal behaviour, unintentional overdose, injuries, and road traffic incidents.