Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

LOS ANGELES — Researchers used data-driven modeling techniques to identify variables that significantly impact pre-surgical consultations for patients with epilepsy, which could lead to more streamlined service by health care providers.

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, the condition affects almost half a million people aged younger than 14 years in the United States.

A biotherapeutics company has raised $120 million to advance its pipeline of cell therapies, including a lead investigational regenerative neural cell therapy candidate to treat drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

For the first time since 2010, the National Association of Epilepsy has issued revised care guidelines, with a focus on precision in patient evaluation, diagnostics and multidisciplinary intervention as needed.

Surgical procedures targeting vagus nerve stimulation for those with drug-resistant epilepsy are generally safe with low incidence and rate of complications, according to research from Brain and Spine.

ORLANDO — Although effective treatments have been established for those with epilepsy, there is a need for more and novel therapies, which face barriers of efficacy and access, according to a presenter.

ORLANDO — For U.S. pediatric patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, disparities in surgical care exist with respect to age, socioeconomic and insurance variables, leading to differences in long-term outcomes, according to research.