 |
|
The key of epilepsy can be in LGI1/Epitempina gene
May 07, 2002Researchers of the Hospital of San Sebastian and the Biomedicine Institute of Valencia have discovered the genetic basis of hereditary epilepsy. The work leaded by the researchers Adolfo Lopez de Munain and Jordi Perez Tur has analysed the effect of the gene called LGI1/Epitempina.
Temporal lateral epilepsy is the type of epilepsy that affects the side of the brain. The main characteristic of this type of epilepsy is that patients hear some noises before they lose consciousness. Many researcher have located in the 10q24 chromosome the gene related to this disorder. Now, after an immuno-historic research of two families of three generations, they have proved that LGI1 protein has a significant effect in this type of hereditary epilepsy. Moreover, this gene affects the synapse, that is, the connection between neurons. This fact contrasts with other genes responsible of some other hereditary epilepsies which usually affect nerve impulses, because they are receptors of neurotransmitters or ionic canals.
In order to understand the meaning of this discovery, it is necessary to know that epilepsy is not a single disorder, but a set of disorders. This set of disorders causes seizures by common mechanisms. The way to fight against epilepsy is to understand those mechanisms and to use medicines to stop them. The gene called LGI1/Epitempina uses a mechanism which was unknown until now to cause epileptic seizures. Knowing this mechanism is a way to cure other types of epilepsy apart from temporal lateral epilepsy. It must be considered that 80% of epilepsy cases can be treated, but for the rest 20 % there is no adequate medicine. Therefore, any discovery that allows to understand the functioning of epilepsy gives the opportunity to develop new medicines and cures.
Epilepsy is the most common disorder of neurological origin; in fact, 1 % of the population suffers this disorder. A research carried out some years ago stated that 40% of epilepsy cases are hereditary. Nowadays it is believed that this percentage is higher, as in most of the cases epilepsy has genetic components and that makes it hereditary. However, it is not just the case of epilepsy, usually all diseases have a genetic basis. The fact to have this genetic basis does not mean that people with this hobbled gene will necessarily develop the disorder, but that they have more possibilities to develop it.
During the 7 years in which has been carried out the research, scientists of the Basque Country, Italy, Greece, Germany and United Kingdom have participated. The result of the research has been published in the well-known magazine Human Molecular Genetics, in the issue of May, but authors have stated that there is still a long way to go until knowing the mechanism of LGI1/Epitempina.
Elhuyar Fundazioa
Epilepsy is the most common disorder of neurological origin; in fact, 1 % of the population suffers this disorder. A research carried out some years ago stated that 40% of epilepsy cases are hereditary. Nowadays it is believed that this percentage is higher, as in most of the cases epilepsy has genetic components and that makes it hereditary. However, it is not just the case of epilepsy, usually all diseases have a genetic basis. The fact to have this genetic basis does not mean that people with this hobbled gene will necessarily develop the disorder, but that they have more possibilities to develop it.
During the 7 years in which has been carried out the research, scientists of the Basque Country, Italy, Greece, Germany and United Kingdom have participated. The result of the research has been published in the well-known magazine Human Molecular Genetics, in the issue of May, but authors have stated that there is still a long way to go until knowing the mechanism of LGI1/Epitempina.
Elhuyar Fundazioa
Epilepsy Current Events and Epilepsy News RSSGreater certainty in monitoring 3 therapeutic medications is facilitated by new CRMs
To help bring greater certainty to the measurement of medication levels in a patient's bloodstream for three drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is releasing new certified reference materials (CRMs).
Theory about long and short-term memory questioned by UCL scientists
The long-held theory that our brains use different mechanisms for forming long-term and short-term memories has been challenged by new research from UCL, published today in PNAS.
Developmental delay could stem from nicotinic receptor deletion
The loss of a gene through deletion of genetic material on chromosome 15 is associated with significant abnormalities in learning and behavior, said a consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in a report that appears online today in the journal Nature Genetics.
Protein critical for insulin secretion may be contributor to diabetes
A cellular protein from a family involved in several human diseases is crucial for the proper production and release of insulin, new research has found, suggesting that the protein might play a role in diabetes.
Packages of care for epilepsy in low- and middle-income countries
In the second in a six part series on treating mental health problems in resource-poor settings, Caroline Mbuba and Charles Newton (Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kilifi, Kenya) discuss "packages of care" for treating epilepsy.
Study pinpoints key mechanism in brain development, raising question about use of antiseizure drug
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a key molecular player in guiding the formation of synapses - the all-important connections between nerve cells - in the brain.
tudy: The new buzz on detecting tinnitus
It's a ringing, a buzzing, a hissing or a clicking - and the patient is the only one who can hear it. Complicating matters, physicians can rarely pinpoint the source of tinnitus, a chronic ringing of the head or ears that can be as quiet as a whisper or as loud as a jackhammer.
Researchers find a key mechanism in the development of nerve cells
Chaos brews in the brains of newborns: the nerve cells are still bound only loosely to each other.
How mitochondrial gene defects impair respiration, other major life functions
Researchers are delving into abnormal gene function in mitochondria, structures within cells that power our lives. Mitochondria are the place where energy is generated from the most basic molecules of food. Because this function is essential to life, defects in mitochondria may affect a wide range of organ systems in humans and animals.
Pancreatic fat levels may help predict diabetes, UT Southwestern researchers say
Researchers have long suspected that overweight people tend to have large fat deposits in their pancreases, but they've been unable to confirm or calculate how much fat resides there because of the organ's location. Until now.
More Epilepsy Current Events and Epilepsy News Articles
 |
Epilepsy: Patient and Family Guide by M.D. Orrin Devinsky (Author) Taking the lead from real patients' questions and insights, this new edition of a best-selling guide gives must-have information to those diagnosed with epilepsy — the most common neurological disorder in children, adults, and the elderly. Written by a leading expert, this guide answers common questions, assuages patient's fears, and encourages epileptics to take an active role in their medical care. |
 |
Treating Epilepsy Naturally : A Guide to Alternative and Adjunct Therapies by Patricia Murphy (Author) Hard-to-find information on epilepsy, presented by an author living successfully with the condition Drugs commonly used to treat epilepsy have some extremely harmful side effects. Treating Epilepsy Naturally is an empathetic, practical, empowering look at treatment options, lifestyle choices, and ways of living well. Written by an author who has been successfully living with it herself for most of her adult life, this comprehensive guide offers alternative treatments to replace and to complement traditional therapies and sound advice to find the right health practitioner for you. |
 |
Seizures and Epilepsy in Childhood: A Guide (Johns Hopkins Press Health Book) by John M. Freeman MD (Author), Eileen P. G. Vining MD (Author), Diana J. Pillas (Author) The award-winning Seizures and Epilepsy in Childhood is the standard resource for parents in need of comprehensive medical information about their child with epilepsy. Now in its third edition, this highly praised book has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the latest approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy in childhood, including the use of the ketogenic diet as a treatment for children who either do not respond to traditional drug therapy or who suffer intolerable side effects from medications. In addition to providing up-to-date information about new diagnostic techniques as well as new drugs, diet, and surgical treatments, the authors have included a chapter addressing routine health care for children with epilepsy and a new chapter on... |
 |
Living Well with Epilepsy and Other Seizure Disorders: An Expert Explains What You Really Need to Know by Carl W. Bazil (Author) Treatment options, lifestyle strategies,and emotional support for two million Americans. Epilepsy, once mistakenly associated with demonic possession, has for centuries been a poorly understood illness. Today, though it affects nearly one out of every one hundred Americans, little comprehensive information can be found on bookshelves regarding this common and complex neurological disease. Until now! Using his expertise in pharmacology and neuroscience, Dr. Carl Bazil demystifies epilepsy and other seizure disorders and offers medical, practical, and emotional support to patients and their families. He explains how and why seizures occur, and thoroughly discusses treatment options, the pros and cons of surgery, experimental and alternative treatments, strategies for daily living, and... |
 |
"Medical Alert Emergency ID Bracelet - ""Epilepsy"" By Apex Healthcare Products" by Apex Healthcare Products Provides a brief description summarizing a few key medical factsEmergency personnel are trained to look for a medical ID tag in an emergencyPlease check out our other products from Rock Ridge Sales! |
 |
Epilepsy: A Comprehensive Textbook (3-volume set) by Jerome Engel (Editor), Timothy A Pedley (Editor), Jean Aicardi (Editor), Marc A Dichter (Editor), Solomon Moshé (Editor) Written and edited by world-renowned authorities, this three-volume work is, to quote a reviewer, "the definitive textbook about seizures and epilepsy". This Second Edition is thoroughly updated and gives you a complete print and multimedia package: the three-volume set plus access to an integrated content Website. More than 300 chapters cover the spectrum of biology, physiology, and clinical information, from molecular biology to public health concerns in developing countries. Included are detailed discussions of seizure types and epilepsy syndromes; relationships between physiology and clinical events; psychiatric and medical comorbidity; conditions that could be mistaken for epilepsy; and an increasing range of pharmacologic, surgical, and alternative therapies, including vagus nerve... |
 |
Understanding Epilepsy Part of the award winning public television series Healthy Body/Healthy Mind. It's a condition that's been documented for centuries, but those living with epilepsy don't have to fall victim to disabling prejudice. If you have epilepsy, you already know that it's not a mental disorder. It can be caused by anything that affects the brain. In this program, learn how people with epilepsy live happy, productive, fulfilling lives. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. |
 |
Epilepsy: A New Approach by Adrienne Richard (Author), Joel Reiter (Author) This book is a unique collaboration between a gifted writer with epilepsy and a skilled physician who has brought new insight into the treatment of this condition. At the age of twenty-six, when Adrienne Richard was seven months pregnant, she was diagnosed with epilepsy. For years she took anticonvulsant drugs to control her seizures, but she wanted to wean herself from the powerful drugs if she could. During the first ten years without medication she had only one seizure. Her goal was to live seizure-free. Ms. Richard practiced yoga, biofeedback, and mind/body techniques in the eighties to help her reach that goal. While writing an article for a magazine based in California, she learned of Dr. Joel Reiter, who was exploring epilepsy self-care in his clinical practice and through his... |
 |
Seized: Temporal Lobe Epilepsy as a Medical, Historical, and Artistic Phenomenon by Eve LaPlante (Author) "Fascinating account of medical research...LaPlante shows how a brain scar may cause bizarre aggressive or sexual behavior-and works of profound creative imagination." —Howard Gardner "Readers intrigued by Oliver Sacks' Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat will welcome LaPlante's book...Thoughtful...Highly recommended." —Library Journal "LaPlante's descriptions of the human brain are wonderfully concrete, and her empathy for epilepsy's victims is clear." —Kirkus Review |
 |
Beyond my Control: One Man's Struggle with Epilepsy, Seizure Surgery & Beyond by Stuart McCallum (Author) Stuart Ross McCallum shares a true account of his battle with epilepsy-beginning with the peculiar sensations he experienced as a teenager that led to his diagnosis and concluding with his eventual recovery from a temporal lobe lobectomy.McCallum vividly describes his twenty-year journey of living with epilepsy and how this unpredictable disease has not only impacted his life but the lives of everyone around him. For years he operated a business and managed his staff while battling an ever-increasing number of seizures. As his condition worsened and his postseizure responses became more intense, he was often prone to violent outbursts that threatened his safety as well as the safety of those in his inner circle. McCallum shares how the perception of the disease and the socially... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |