epilepsy

Background and objectivesLacosamide (LCM) is a third-generation concomitant antiseizure medication (ASM) that is widely used in epilepsy treatment. Reported data on the predictors of efficacy of LCM in children with epilepsy are scarce. This study aimed to explore the predictors of LCM efficacy in pediatric patients with epilepsy.MethodsThis single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted …

Roughly one-third of patients with epilepsy remain drug resistant, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Although cannabidiol (CBD) has recently been approved for specific epileptic encephalopathies, its anticonvulsant mechanisms and the influence of biological sex on treatment response remain incompletely understood. In this preclinical study, we evaluated the efficacy, tolerab…

IntroductionDrug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) presents a critical clinical challenge, and accurate epileptogenic zone (EZ) localization is essential for successful surgical intervention. Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is widely applied in clinical practice, but conventional visual inspection and high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) suffer from low efficiency, poor reproducibility, and insufficient…

An overactive immune response in the brain may play a role in Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe genetic epilepsy that typically begins in infancy, according to Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.

Connor Dalby could not walk for the first 14 years of his life, so his newfound ability to scamper down hallways is miraculous on its own. The post This Oceanside teen once suffered hundreds of seizures a day. Now he can walk thanks to an experimental drug. appeared first on RCIGM .

Nature, Published online: 24 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02267-0 Switching off one copy of a gene also enabled one of the children to walk independently for the first time.

Researchers have uncovered a novel biological pathway that can lead to seizures when disrupted. The findings also provide a new approach to improve the diagnosis of epilepsy, for which a genetic cause cannot be found in about 50 % of individuals with the condition

SET Domain Containing 1A (SETD1A) is a histone H3K4 methyltransferase implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. Pathogenic variants in this gene are associated with schizophrenia, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. Here, whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed on a 4-year-old Chinese girl with early-onset epilepsy and her unaffected parents. A novel de novo heterozygous …

Mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) is a pivotal hub for cortical functions, characterized by significant heterogeneity in its anatomical connectivity, cytoarchitecture, and function, constituting a complex nucleus composed of multiple functionally specialized subregions. We elaborates on the heterogeneous anatomical connectivity of MD and its crucial role in supporting higher cognitive functions s…

Dravet syndrome (DS), caused by loss-of-function variants in SCN1A, is classically aggravated by chronic sodium-channel blocker treatment, reflecting impaired interneuron excitability as a core disease mechanism. Cenobamate (CNB) challenges this: adult DS cases with substantial seizure reduction have been reported, while pediatric experience is mixed and includes a small cohort with no responders…

BackgroundComplex febrile seizures (CFS) confer an elevated risk of epilepsy progression; however, the underlying genetic architecture remains insufficiently characterized in Chinese pediatric populations. This study aimed to delineate the mutational landscape and genotype–phenotype associations in a clinically stratified high-risk febrile seizure cohort.MethodsThis retrospective, single-center s…

Cenobamate (CNB) demonstrates high efficacy in drug-resistant focal epilepsy, yet optimal management requires personalized strategies. This exploratory case series describes five patients selected from a cohort of 125 individuals treated with CNB, examining the relationship between pharmacogenetic (PGx) profiles and clinical outcomes. Clinical data and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) were integ…

IntroductionCerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular lesions that can cause focal epilepsy due to local hemosiderin deposition, gliosis, and cortical irritation. Epileptic seizures attributable to CCMs contribute significantly to morbidity and often require long-term management with antiseizure medications (ASMs), but the psychiatric side effect profiles of ASMs remain underreported i…

In people with epilepsy, a new study has found a smartwatch application accurately detected tonic-clonic seizures, seizures with major convulsions, with a low rate of false alarms.

Nature Communications, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73053-9 In drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy, thalamo–cortical synchrony in the first 20 seconds after seizure onset is stronger in clinical than electrographic seizures, highlighting network engagement as a key driver of seizure symptoms.

Scientific Reports, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-43151-1 Stabilizing fractional dynamical networks suppresses epileptic seizures

A new Northwestern study suggests that interventions for epilepsy can start during pregnancy, as early as 15 weeks gestation, well before symptoms appear, according to a study published in Nature Communications. The post Treatment of Rare Childhood Epilepsy Could Begin Before Birth appeared first on News Center .

The SCN8A gene encodes the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.6, which is essential for neuronal excitability and action potential propagation. SCN8A variants are associated with a broad clinical spectrum, ranging from self-limiting syndromes to developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. Here, we identified a novel de novo heterozygous SCN8A variant (c.791 T > C/p.Val264Ala) in a 19-year-old fe…

Children with epilepsy have a higher risk of also having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A new study in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology examined factors associated with the co-occurrence of autism and epilepsy in a large population-based group.

Charlottesville, VA, and Chicago, IL — April 28, 2026 — The Focused Ultrasound Foundation and CURE Epilepsy have announced the co-funding of an innovative CURE Epilepsy Catalyst Award research grant that may pave the way for better control of debilitating seizures in children. The project aims to develop a noninvasive treatment for a severe form ...