New drug could help treat neonatal seizures
5/15/19
A new drug that inhibits neonatal seizures in rodent models could open up new avenues for the treatment of epilepsy in human newborns.
epilepsy
epilepsy
Hershey Medical Center's lab earns epilepsy monitoring accreditation
2/13/19
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has become the first hospital in Pennsylvania to be accredited for its Epilepsy and Critical Care Electroencephalogram Monitoring Programs.
Heart-brain connection could be predictive biomarker for epilepsy
8/27/18
Heartbeat irregularities connected to brain activity abnormalities may lead to the ability to predict eventual epileptic seizures in subjects who suffered physical or infectious brain insults, according to Penn State researchers who studied mouse models of cerebral malaria, which often causes epilepsy in those who survive.
A neurosurgeon and an engineer walk into a lab ...
9/18/17
Penn State scientists are combining neuroscience, engineering, miniaturization, and magnetic fields to create a tiny device that could lead to better, safer treatments for epilepsy and other brain disorders by sensing and "talking to" brain cells without physically invading the brain.
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center celebrates 25 years
3/24/16
Like many mothers, Lorraine Schaeffer wanted to give her daughter every childhood opportunity possible, from play dates to participation in school and community activities. Her epilepsy, however, stood in the way — that is, until she found the Adult Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
The Medical Minute: Medical marijuana extract for epilepsy in children
6/4/14
Last month, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett gave his support for preliminary research into whether medical marijuana could alleviate symptoms of certain serious health problems, including severe seizure disorders in children. Dr. William Trescher, a pediatric neurologist at Penn State Hershey, said while some literature in experimental animal research indicates that substances from the cannabis plant can be beneficial to those who suffer from epilepsy, there is limited data about effectiveness in humans.
Receptor Detector
10/4/12
A new method for studying the role of a critical neurotransmitter in disorders such as epilepsy, anxiety, insomnia, depression, schizophrenia, and alcohol addiction could help create safer and more efficient drugs for treating those conditions. A group of scientists led by Gong Chen, associate professor of biology at Penn State, has created the new method by molecularly engineering a model synapse--a structure through which a nerve cell sends signals to another cell.
Untangling an African Medical Mystery
3/23/11
Dr. Steven Schiff, director of Penn State's Center for Neural Engineering, discusses his project to improve the quality of medical care in East Africa.
Epileptic seizures may be linked to an ancient gene family
8/1/10
New research points to a genetic route to understanding and treating epilepsy. A team led by Timothy Jegla, an assistant professor of biology at Penn State, has identified an ancient gene family that plays a role in regulating the excitability of nerves within the brain.
The Medical Minute: The team approach to epilepsy care
3/1/10
Epilepsy is a disease characterized by recurrent seizures, which occur when the electrical activity of the brain becomes abnormal, resulting in a variety of different symptoms (seizure types). Depending on the location of the epileptic region in the brain and its cause, there are different types of epilepsy. Individuals with epilepsy may not be able to do many of the things most Americans take for granted, such as driving, swimming and cooking. They may live in constant fear of the next seizure because they do not know when it will start or what they will be doing when it does. Epilepsy is highly treatable, and the goal is to completely control or significantly reduce the frequency of seizures and minimize medical side effects.
Probing Question: What causes deja vu?
2/2/10
If you've ever had that fleeting, mysterious sense that something new—a city or person you're seeing for the first time—is somehow familiar, that you've been there or known them before, then you can count yourself among those who have experienced déjà vu. It's typically a brief sensation, lasting no more than ten to thirty seconds, but ninety-six percent of the population claims to have experienced at least one occurrence.
New lab, grant help Center for Neural Engineering to stay at forefront
10/5/09
You are at a conference, out to dinner with colleagues in the hotel dining room. Mid-conversation, you freeze with the fork halfway to your mouth. Your hands are shaking and you canít hold your head up. The next thing you remember seeing is a paramedic standing over you asking, "What is your name? Do you know where you are?" Your head is full of thoughts but the few words you get out are garbled beyond recognition.
The next morning, you are still weak and foggy-brained, remembering only bits and pieces of what happened.