The National Institutes of Health estimates the existence of 7,000 rare diseases, with some affecting only a handful of people.
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Deciphering the biological pathways behind rare genetic diseases often involves assembling a team of specialists to work closely with the family members of those affected.
In addition to memory loss, seizures can result in a complete loss of consciousness.
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Many people with epilepsy are unable to remember what happened immediately before they have a seizure. This may be because seizures and memory use the same pathways of the brain.
Jeanne Paz, University of California, San Francisco
The molecule C1q has both protective and detrimental effects after traumatic brain injury. Blocking it after injury in mice restored normal brain rhythms during sleep and prevented epileptic spikes.
A plant fruit in Nigeria shows potential for a new drug for epilepsy treatment.
Kateryn Kon/Science Photo Library
An extract of a plant’s fruit in Nigeria could protect against seizure and prevent brain degeneration. It could therefore be studied further for the development of a new antiepileptic drug.
Hundreds of CBD products – including gummies – are now on the market.
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A study suggests that CBD could help treat people with opioid addiction. But before you go buy a bottle for any use, it’s important to know that it has been FDA-approved to treat only one disease.
During epileptic seizures, neurons in the brain fire without rhyme or reason. New research identifies a possible way to wrest back control by stopping these signals before they can get started.
A drug made from a molecule produced from cannabis gained approval from the FDA on June 25. But the molecule, CBD, is decidedly different from some other ingredients in cannabis: It doesn’t result in a high.
Neuroscience labs around the world may need to reevaluate some of their assumptions about whether what works in animals will really produce meaningful treatments for people.
A pair of identical twins. The one on the right has OCD, while the one on the left does not.
Brain Imaging Research Division, Wayne State University School of Medicine
It can be very hard for people to accept that they – or their family member – are not to blame for their mental illness. Seeing the evidence in a scan can make a difference.
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the brain characterised by recurrent seizures.
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Epilepsy affects around 70 million people globally, 80% live in developing countries. A shortage of specialists, equipment and drugs complicates effective treatment and management.
Director of Paediatrics, Austin Health; NHMRC Practitioner Fellow; Senior Principal Research Fellow, The Florey Institute; Professor of Paediatric Neurology Research, The University of Melbourne