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Epilepsy Foundation » Newsroom » Daily News Briefs (July 2006) 

News Briefs:

Researchers Discover New Chemical Pathway in Brain

July 27, 2006

A recently described chemical pathway in the brain, mediated by excitatory kainate receptors, may eventually lead researchers to better understand epilepsy, as well as other medical conditions of the central nervous system.

Kei Cho, Ph.D., of the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England, led the team of researchers who made this discovery and announced their findings in January 2006. According to Cho, kainate receptors are vital to learning and memory processes. They respond to chemical changes in the brain. This research suggests diseases in the central nervous system could result if these receptors are altered.

"Kainate receptors have been implicated in disease states such as epilepsy and neurodegeneration," Cho said. "This research is another step forward in the scientific understanding of the human brain, and as a result it could also lead to possible solutions to neurological diseases."

"The chemical and receptor pathways used in normal brain function, such as learning and memory, are the same pathways corrupted in disease states," said Scott C. Baraban, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of California-San Francisco. "As such, illuminating kainate receptor function brings us one step closer to understanding epilepsy."

Driving Privileges Threatened in Nevada

July 26, 2006
Commercial drivers with histories of seizures stand to lose their commercial driving privileges if plans to discontinue the state's medical waiver program on August 1 go into effect. This act fails to recognize that seizures in young people often go into remission.

The plan is opposed by gubernatorial candidate Jim Gibson who, according to the Reno Gazette Journal, wants the Nevada legislature to take measures to retain the medical waiver.

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles decided to drop the waiver program because it lacked an adequate review mechanism.

Gibson said the number of commercial drivers with seizure histories in the state is unknown, but could be between 30 and 40. He has proposed an application process that would require a statement from the applicant's doctor, a process that exists in other states.

Study Reports Unhealthy Newborns More Likely to Develop Epilepsy

July 20, 2006
New research suggests babies born in poor health are more likely to develop epilepsy in childhood or as young adults. The results of the study, conducted by scientists at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, were recently published in the medical journal Epidemiology.

The Danish researchers, led by Yuelian Sun, Ph.D., studied birth records of around 1.5 million Danish children born between 1978 and 2001. They focused primarily on the children's Apgar scores, a widely-used system for quickly assessing the health of newborns immediately after birth. The scientists found that the likelihood of children developing epilepsy increased the lower the Apgar scores were.

Apgar scores range from zero (the lowest) to 10 (the highest). The test is based upon five traits: skin color, heart rate, reflex irritability, muscle tone and respiration. Each trait is scored on a zero-to-two scale. Once all five traits have been examined, the points are added up.

In Sun's study it was found that newborns scoring between one and thre on the Apgar test were seven times more likely to develop epilepsy. This likelihood of epilepsy development was greatest during the first year of life, but the risk remained higher throughout childhood and up to age 25.

"The new findings suggest that prenatal or perinatal [before and around the time of child birth] factors play a large role in the cause of epilepsy than has previously been recognized," Sun said. "Potential causes of epilepsy related to pregnancy and birth could be infections, maternal lifestyle factors, maternal complications during pregnancy and factors related to the delivery process."

Prescription Adherence Leads to Healthier Outcomes

July 17, 2006
Following a prescribed medication regimen, even one in which sugar pills are substituted, does make a positive difference in treatment, Canadian researchers have found.

In a study of what is called the "placebo effect," the researchers analyzed 21 clinical trials of nearly 47,000 people, of whom almost half received sugar pills (placebos) in place of active drugs. Those who followed their prescribed regimen - whether with active pills or placebos - reported much more positive health results, including 44% fewer deaths.

An editorial that accompanies the study suggests that the message is that those who follow good drug adherence and believe that the medications and properly following prescriptions make them healthier - and that their physicians care about them and want them to be healthier - will have more positive outcomes. Taking the pills, according to the editorial, is part of the "mind-body connection leading to healthier outcomes."

Lamotrigine Monotherapy During Pregnancy May Have Risks

July 12, 2006
The North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry recently published data indicating an elevated prevalence of cleft palate deformity occurring in infants exposed to lamotrigine (brand name: Lamictal®) monotherapy during the first trimester of the mother's pregnancy. The data, which covered infants born during a nine-year period between 1997 and 2006, indicated a rate of 8.9 per 1,000 of non-syndromic cleft palate births, as compared to a prevalence of .37 per 1000 seen in the general population (Brigham and Women's Hospital Surveillance Program). Different studies in the United States, Australia and Europe have reported a cleft palate incidence of anywhere from .50 to 2.16 per 1000.

GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Lamictal®, is sending a letter to physicians regarding these findings and is in discussion with the FDA about the data. They will update prescribing information appropriately.

Women with epilepsy who wish to become pregnant should check the latest data from the anticonvulsant pregnancy registries and discuss treatment options with their doctors before becoming pregnant. Patients can enroll themselves in the NAAED Pregnancy Registry by calling 1-888-233-2334.

For more information, see our Lamictal Information Chart.

Epilepsy Drug for Menopause Symptom?

July 10, 2006
A commonly-prescribed antiepileptic medication, gabapentin (Neurontin), appears to control menopause-related hot flashes, according to a recent National Institutes of Health-funded study at the University of Rochester in New York.

The study, which was reported in the July edition of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, monitored 60 women for 12 weeks in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The women taking gabapentin reported similar rates of hot flash reduction (71-72 percent) as those using more traditional estrogen therapy. The placebo group reported only a 54 percent reduction.

Doctors have prescribed gabapentin for non-seizure control, off label uses since its FDA approval in 1994. The researchers believe the drug works in menopausal women by regulating calcium at the cellular level. This mechanism, movement of calcium in and out of cells, is believed to help regulate body temperature.