epilepsy – Horizon Magazine Blog

Delaying epilepsy onset could reduce impact on development

May 29, 2018April 6, 2018 by Aisling Irwin

Keeping epilepsy from materialising at a young age could give young patients the chance for normal brain development.

The case of a young boy with a rare genetic disorder over a decade ago has led to a multi-million Euro research project that is raising hopes of new approaches to childhood epilepsy. It’s part of a wave of interest in how to delay the emergence of epilepsy in children with rare diseases which scientists … Read more

Simple blood test could reveal epilepsy risk

May 29, 2018February 12, 2018 by Gary Finnegan

It is difficult for doctors to diagnose epilepsy as they usually do not observe the symptoms in a patient, but a blood test could overcome this challenge.

A finger-prick blood test to diagnose epilepsy could be available within five years, according to scientists who are using tell-tale molecules called biomarkers to overcome current diagnostic problems and guide treatment. More than 50 million people are affected by epilepsy worldwide. However, diagnosing the disease remains challenging and treatments are often unsuccessful: only 70% of patients taking … Read more