Currently, the “standard” when it comes to continuous EEG monitoring is 24 hours for critically ill patients. However, recent research from a retrospective study from the Cleveland Clinic published in Epilepsia Open suggests that this is not enough time ..read more

Genetic testing is used to discover abnormalities, mutations and genetic differences in DNA. The results are used to make an accurate diagnosis and prognosis, as well as develop focused treatment plans for those with pediatric epilepsy. The process of genetic testing is complex and typically requires more than one test. The results from testing can save both time and money for the patient’s family ..read more

Seizures in newborns can cause major problems for the baby including motor disabilities, cognitive problems, epilepsy, and death. Unfortunately, seizures that occur in infants are often difficult to treat. They are often resistant to certain types of treatments because the seizures in neonates are different from seizures in adults and even older children. However, doctors often treat them the same way they do with other patients ..read more

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, there are several forms of status epilepticus, which is defined as "a seizure that lasts too long or when seizures occur too close together and the person doesn't recover between seizures." There is the non-convulsive form of status epilepticus and then there is the convulsive form. Again, the Epilepsy Foundation says, that the latter "requires emergency treatment by trained medical personnel in a hospital setting and it can be life-threatening ..read more

Neurological monitoring often occurs in the intensive care unit, and it can be done through various tools and methods. One of the most common and useful of these tools is electroencephalography (EEG). This is also one of the simpler ways for medical professionals to look into a patient’s cerebral activity. It is simple to record what’s happening in the brain, and it is sensitive to brain structure and function. A review from 2018 published in Critical Care (Caricato et al.) looked into indications of when to use the monitoring, and how long it should last ..read more

Drug discovery and development can take decades and can cost millions of dollars. How much more beneficial would it be if new uses could be found for existing drugs? That would certainly eliminate a great deal of the cost involved, and a new drug discovery method used at the University of Calgary also cut down on the time required by a significant amount. The result? Finding out that an existing, widely used cancer drug also has powerful benefits for epileptic children ..read more

When seizures occur in newborns, it can greatly increase the risk of death, as well as neurodevelopmental disability. Because of this, the seizures often receive aggressive treatment. The causes for many of the seizures can vary substantially based on whether they are term infants or pre-term infants. They could be caused due to a range of issues, and sometimes, they are not noticed when they first occur. Uncertainty often surrounds the best ways to treat seizures in infants, and whether the tradeoffs of using certain methods vs. the effects of seizures are worth it. A randomized trial funded ..read more

Evaluate Your Personal Safety Needs People with epilepsy have a range of safety concerns and their needs vary widely from person to person. Those whose seizures are well controlled with medication may have fewer safety concerns than those whose seizures are poorly controlled. Patients whose seizures are not yet well controlled may be concerned about falls, particularly during routine activities in the kitchen and bathroom where caution must be used. Those patients desire ways to protect themselves from injury during a seizure and alert caregivers to their situation. There are a number of se ..read more

In 2021, Danielle deCampo, MD, Ph.D. of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and her research team published a study in the American Epilepsy Society called “Continuous EEG (cEEG) Protocol Improves Detection of Seizure Onset in Children on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO): A Quality Improvement Project”. The team knew that seizures were a “significant complication for pediatric patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation care”. These seizures have been associated with increased mortality in pediatric patients, as well as neurodevelopmental issues ..read more

When a patient is in an intensive care unit, the medical professionals pay close attention to many of the patient’s vitals. They are monitoring the heartbeat, O2 levels, and blood pressure. Many ICUs are finding that it is also beneficial to monitor a patient’s brain activity, as it can give them some valuable information. The information gleaned from EEG monitoring could help with proper, faster diagnosis and treatment. When a doctor can detect seizures early, it can allow them to treat seizures and other symptoms quickly. Continuous EEG monitoring can also help doctors to detect brain patte ..read more