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** The Latest Epilepsy Research
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CURE Epilepsy is dedicated to funding patient-focused research to find a cure for the 65 million people with epilepsy worldwide. This month, we share the following articles and abstracts which are furthering the study of epilepsy and bringing the world closer to a cure.
This issue of Epilepsy Research News includes summaries of articles on:
* Sleep Apnea Linked with Late-Life Epilepsy ([link removed])
* Stoke Therapeutics Announces Data That Support the Potential for STK-001 to be the First Disease-Modifying Medicine for the Treatment of Patients with Dravet Syndrome ([link removed])
* Epilepsy Research in Low-Resource Areas: The Complexities of Data and Consent ([link removed])
* Early Intervention After the First Seizure May Prevent Long-Term Epilepsy and Associated Cognitive Deficits ([link removed])
* Hypertension and Other Vascular Risk Factors in Patients with Functional Seizures ([link removed])
** Sleep Apnea Linked with Late-Life Epilepsy
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New research suggests sleep apnea is related to late-life epilepsy. Late-onset epilepsy is defined as seizures that tend to begin only after the age of 60. The condition might be related to underlying heart or brain illnesses, noted study co-author Dr. Rebecca Gottesman, chief of the Stroke Branch at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “Compared to other age groups, older adults have the highest incidence of new cases of epilepsy -- up to half of which have no clear cause." To learn more, Gottesman and colleagues perused data from more than 1,300 people enrolled in a study of sleep-disordered breathing and heart disease.
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** Stoke Therapeutics Announces Data That Support the Potential for STK-001 to be the First Disease-Modifying Medicine for the Treatment of Patients with Dravet Syndrome
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Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. released data from two open-label Phase 1/2a studies and two open-label extension studies of children and adolescents ages 2 to 18 with Dravet syndrome who were treated with STK-001. Dravet syndrome is a severe and progressive genetic epilepsy characterized by frequent, prolonged and refractory seizures, beginning within the first year of life. Dravet syndrome is difficult to treat and has a poor long-term prognosis. The effects of the disease often include intellectual disability, developmental delays, movement and balance issues, language and speech disturbances, growth defects, sleep abnormalities, disruptions of the autonomic nervous system, and mood disorders. There are currently no approved disease-modifying therapies for people living with Dravet syndrome.
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** Epilepsy Research in Low-Resource Areas: The Complexities of Data and Consent
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Although 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), most epilepsy research originates in high-income regions. Initiating and perpetuating epilepsy research in LMICs requires addressing economic, ethical, human resource, and infrastructure challenges. Without knowing how many people are affected by epilepsy, governments, academia, and other organizations cannot prioritize research and care. In some countries, there are so few studies that existing data are often analyzed and applied in non-representative ways. A 2023 article on ethical and validity issues in low-income countries described the diversity of epilepsy-related factors in Africa. “Africa is a diverse continent; a study done in one part may have totally different data compared with a study done in another part,” said Samson Gwer, senior author of the study. “But because of the paucity of studies, the data that does exist is taken to be representative of the whole of Africa.”
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** Early Intervention After the First Seizure May Prevent Long-Term Epilepsy and Associated Cognitive Deficits
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According to new basic research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, only a very small percentage of neurons show changes after an epileptic seizure in mice, but these alterations can be permanent and trigger future seizures that can affect the whole brain and lead to impaired cognition, like memory and learning. The researchers found that only about 20% of neurons in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in epilepsy, were activated by seizures. “The overactive neurons lose their ability to build the strong synapses necessary for learning, which may explain why some people with epilepsy have trouble with learning and memory,” said Jensen.
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** Hypertension and Other Vascular Risk Factors in Patients with Functional Seizures
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In a recent study, Jonah Fox, MD aimed to determine why patients with functional seizures may experience a higher degree of vascular disease and whether this relates to the higher mortality rate in these patients. A previous study conducted by Dr. Fox showed elevated rates of cerebrovascular disease in patients with functional seizures, and another study in the literature showed elevated rates of vascular disease in those with functional seizures. There is also research showing elevated cortisol levels in patients with functional seizures. “We retrospectively identified patients who were admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit and received a definitive diagnosis of functional seizures or epilepsy”, he said. “We then compared vascular risk factors between them.”
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** Check Out Our Latest:
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** Seizing Life Podcast ([link removed])
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** Epilepsy Explained Episode ([link removed])
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Today's research has the ability to help
the 65 million people worldwide who are impacted by epilepsy every day.
And each one of those individuals has a story.
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Our mission is to find a cure for epilepsy, by promoting and funding patient-focused research.
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