4 trends in epilepsy research and care

Despite the fact that epilepsy is the third most common brain disorder — affecting an estimated one percent of children — there’s still much we don’t know about this condition. In fact, in about 75 percent of cases, epilepsy has no known cause. Research is crucial to help physicians learn more about the roots of epilepsy in children and develop potential treatments for it. “One third of our patients have treatment-refractory epilepsy. Unless we try to discover what causes an individual’s epilepsy, we can not take a personalized or precision approach to treatment. Parents should know that we’re not just accepting the status quo in epilepsy,” says Dr. Annapurna Poduri, a neurologist in the Epilepsy Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. “We’re continuing to investigate many different aspects of this disease, with the goal of improving patient care.” Here, Dr. Poduri shares four trends in epilepsy research and care, which families can learn more about at the upcoming Day of Science at Boston Children’s, presented by the CURE foundation. Comorbidity considerations A diagnosis of epilepsy can be challenging enough, but many children with this condition also have other disorders, which can have an impact on treatment and quality of life. Known as comorbidities, these diseases occur along with epilepsy. Some of the more common comorbidities in epilepsy include intellectual disabilities, motor impairments, migraines and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Dr. Annapurna Poduri epilepsy epilepsy center seizures Source Type: news