New research sheds light on what causes sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
New research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine has shed light on the No. 1 cause of epilepsy deaths, suggesting a long-sought answer for why some patients die unexpectedly following an epileptic seizure.
The researchers found that a certain type of seizure is associated with sudden death in a mouse model of epilepsy and that death occurred only when the seizure induced failure of the respiratory system.
The new understanding will help scientists in their efforts to develop ways to prevent sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Based on their research, the UVA team has already identified potential approaches to stimulate breathing in the mice and prevent death after a seizure. The team believe that this new approach could one day help save lives.
LSVT BIG Program available for Central & Northern New Hampshire
April 28, 2021PLYMOUTH Physical therapists at Pemi-Baker Community Health (PBCH) are movement experts who improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement. For almost a year, PBCH s LSVT BIG specialist, Kaity Schwartzer, PT, DPT has been helping those experiencing the symptoms of Parkinson s disease achieve amazing results, giving them renewed hope. For National Parkinson s Awareness month, Pemi-Baker Community Health hopes to raise awareness of what can be done now if you are experiencing symptoms.
While you ve likely heard of Parkinson s disease (PD), many people don t know exactly what the condition is or how it manifests itself. The condition can occur when there is a loss of brain cells that produce a chemical called dopamine. The four common symptoms are: tremors, limb and trunk stiffness, the slowing down of movement and weak balance or coordination. About 500,000 peo
Researchers receive $3.75 million to study the impact of fluid flow on CAR-T cell therapy for brain cancer
Glioblastoma multiforme is among the most lethal of cancers and the most stubborn in the face of treatment. Fewer than 20 percent of patients survive more than two years after diagnosis, according to the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States.
But a team of researchers at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and City of Hope, a comprehensive care center, believes the complex way fluid flows through glioblastoma tumors holds the key to the therapy s success. They believe they can use that flow to improve chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) and help more patients survive.
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Researchers have discovered an explanation for why cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) clusters of dilated blood vessels in the brain can suddenly grow to cause seizures or stroke. Specifically, they found that a specific, acquired mutation in a cancer-causing gene (PIK3CA) could exacerbate existing CCMs in the brain. Furthermore, repurposing an already existing anticancer drug showed promise in mouse models of CCMs in improving brain-vascular health and preventing bleeding into the brain tissue.
Previous studies linked the initial formation of CCMs to various environmental factors, including differences in the gut microbiome, and inactivating mutations in three specific genes collectively known as the CCM complex. While these changes are enough to cause small malformations to form in the brain, they didn t explain why some suddenly expand in size, resulting in seizures or stroke.
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IMAGE: Jennifer Munson and her lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC will build tissue-engineered model tumors to test how fluid flow can be manipulated to improve CAR-T cell. view more
Credit: Clayton Metz/Virginia Tech
Glioblastoma multiforme is among the most lethal of cancers and the most stubborn in the face of treatment. Fewer than 20 percent of patients survive more than two years after diagnosis, according to the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States.
But a team of researchers at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and City of Hope, a comprehensive care center, believes the complex way fluid flows through glioblastoma tumors holds the key to the therapy s success. They believe they can use that flow to improve chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) and help more patients survive.