A new edition of The Epilepsy Digest is hot off the press! The team at Human Health has searched far and wide to bring you the best news, stories and research to help you stay up to date with the epilepsy community.

Highlights of this edition include new MRI technology that could help identify hard-to-detect brain lesions, and the first human studies of cell transplantation to help treat temporal lobe epilepsy. Exciting stuff!

We’ve also featured a podcast from TED Radio Hour exploring neurotechnology as an alternative treatment for epilepsy.

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Latest Research and News

Recent publications

🏥 Socioeconomic status and healthcare utilization disparities among children with epilepsy in the US: Data from the 2016-2019 National Survey of Children’s Health compared children with and without epilepsy and differences in household income and emergency visits. The study found that children with epilepsy were more likely than their peers to live in lower-income households, visit emergency departments, and visit healthcare professionals. Barriers to receiving necessary care included service eligibility, appointment scheduling, and transport. Link to article.

⚡️ Qualitative analysis of the decision to pursue electrical brain stimulation by patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and their caregivers: This study aimed to better understand patients’ decisions to pursue invasive electrical brain stimulation (EBS) for drug-resistant epilepsy. Researchers interviewed twenty patients and their caregivers approximately one year after device implantation. Motivations for EBS included improved quality of life, intolerability of anti-seizure medications, and desperation. Complex caregiver-patient dynamics also influenced patients’ decisions, with both patients and caregivers reporting a desire to unburden the other. Link to article.

🤧 Incidence of epilepsy and seizures in the first six months after COVID-19 infection: This retrospective cohort study analysed over 850,000 electronic health records to examine the potential association between COVID-19, seizures, and epilepsy in the first six months after infection. Compared to influenza, COVID-19 was associated with an increased risk of seizures and epilepsy, with the incidence of seizures and epilepsy within six months of COVID-19 being 0.81% and 0.30%, respectively. Link to article.

New in News

🎞️ New MRI tech can help identify hard-to-detect lesions: A new ultra-high resolution MRI, the 7 Tesla scanner, provides neuroscientists with dramatically improved resolution to investigate brain structures. Gabriela Sable, who was part of a clinical trial on the 7 Tesla MRI, is now seizure-free after the new technology identified exactly where her brain lesion was located and subsequently removed. The 7 Tesla MRI, which has been approved by the FDA, is expected to help thousands of people suffering from hard-to-detect lesions that cause epilepsy. Link to article.

🧠 First human studies of cell transplantation for epilepsy: A groundbreaking clinical trial is exploring how brain cell transplantation may treat seizures. Duke Comprehensive Epilepsy Center is one of the first sites in the United States to treat a patient in this pioneering study, which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of NRTX-1001, an investigational cell product, to treat adults with temporal lobe epilepsy. Link to article.

🔬 Longboard Pharmaceuticals Announces Encouraging Data from PACIFIC Study on Bexicaserin (LP352): A recent study examined Bexicaserin (LP352) in individuals with Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs), a group of rare and severe epilepsies characterized by frequent seizures and cognitive impairment. In the Phase 1b/2a trial, the drug demonstrated a favorable safety profile and reduced seizure frequency, suggesting potential effectiveness for DEEs treatment. While these findings present a promising breakthrough, further research is required to confirm Bexicaserin's effectiveness and safety. Link to article.

Featured

Ted Radio Hour: How a tiny implant can stop seizures from happening

Part 4 of the TED Radio Hour episode "Brain Hacks" explores neurotechnology as an alternative treatment for the 3.4 million people in the U.S. living with epilepsy.

The episode interviews sous chef Kate Faulkner, diagnosed in her 20s, who struggled with frequent seizures despite medication.

In 2023, Faulkner’s neurologist recommended a vagus nerve stimulation device, surgically implanted near her collarbone, which emits electrical pulses to the brain via the vagus nerve, potentially preventing or stopping seizures.

Faulkner's life has been transformed since the surgery, stating "I now have control, to some extent, over a part of my brain that I didn't have before," and "It's the possibility of the freedom that this could potentially bring ... I'm optimistic that this will make life easier and open up possibilities.”

You can listen to the podcast episode here.

Community Corner

💪🏼 Living with and conquering epilepsy: Matthew Rizer shares his story of living with and overcoming the ups and downs of severe epilepsy. “Epilepsy is one of those disabilities that can be invisible,” Rizer said. “Every year it makes me feel happy and hopeful knowing there are more treatment options now than there have ever been.” Link to article.

🧸 Books, bears and pediatric epilepsy awareness: The newly released children’s book “Char Bear Keeps Dancing” is co-authored by a mom and a team of pediatric neurologists to raise awareness about infantile spasms. Proceeds from the book are being reinvested into future projects for the epilepsy community. Read more here.

🧶 Crotchet support: Reddit user Time_Boysenberry4446 shares her custom crochet art with the epilepsy community as a source of support. Read full post.

Resources and Tools

💜 Get seizure smart: Approximately 1 in 10 people have a seizure in their lifetime. The CDC has fact sheets with easy-to-follow steps to help someone during or after a seizure. Read the fact sheet.

📱 Health tracking: Human Health is a free mobile app that helps you track Epilepsy symptoms and treatments. Download the app here.

🤝 Support groups: You can find a list of Epilepsy support groups (in-person and virtual) on the Epilepsy Foundation website. Link to list.

📖 The Epilepsy Hub: A knowledge-base for current information about Epilepsy, including live feeds of the latest clinical trials and publications, news articles, community stories, and more. Visit the Epilepsy Hub.

Inspiration and Motivation