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Dravet patients have an abnormal inflammatory reaction to vaccines, supporting a potential link between inflammation and epileptic seizures in these patients, according to a small study. The study, “Altered vaccine-induced immunity in children with Dravet syndrome,” was published in the journal Epilepsia. Dravet syndrome is a…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Epidiolex to treat Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes, making history as the first therapy approved to treat Dravet, as well as the first marijuana-derived treatment to receive FDA approval for any indication. GW Pharmaceutical‘s plant-derived cannabinoid medicine was approved to…

Autistic disorders are more frequent in people with Dravet syndrome than those with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, but the appearance of this disorder in a patient is not linked to intellectual disability, a study reported. The study, “Few individuals with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome have autism spectrum disorder: a comparison with Dravet syndrome”…

Mutations in a specific gene could be behind adult Dravet syndrome with motor features of Parkinson’s disease, according to case report. The study, “The adult motor phenotype of Dravet syndrome is associated with mutation of the STXBP1 gene and responds well to cannabidiol treatment,” was published in the…

A high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet with moderate protein can reduce the frequency of seizures and significantly improve overall health of some children with drug-resistant epileptic syndromes, according to recent research. The study, “Ketogenic diet effects on 52 children with pharmacoresistant epileptic encephalopathy: A clinical prospective study,” was published…

Cannabis-based experimental therapies currently under research, in particular Epidiolex, show significant promise to treat therapy-resistant epilepsy, including Dravet syndrome, according to a recent review. The report “Investigational cannabinoids in seizure disorders, what have we learned thus…

ZX008’s mechanism of action may avoid the side effects caused by other antiepileptic treatments, preclinical research suggests. The potential treatment is also being studied in a series of pivotal clinical trials. A study based on this research, “Fenfluramine diminishes NMDA…

Treatment with topiramate (Topomax), lacosamide (Vimpat) and carbamazepine enabled a young woman with Dravet syndrome to potentially stop having seizures and eased her behavioral problems, according to a case report. The study, “Retracing…

As President Trump signed the recently passed Right to Try legislation into law in a White House ceremony, Jordan McLinn of Indianapolis tried twice to embrace him. The third time, 9-year-old Jordan finally got the hug he wanted — as well as a kiss on the forehead. The video of…

Early identification and diagnosis of seizures can have major implications for their treatment and accurate prognosis. But in most cases it can be a challenge to differentiate between epileptic seizures and abnormal non-epileptic movements early in life, a review study suggests. In the study, “Benign and…