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A drug typically prescribed for arthritis halts brain-damaging seizures in mice that have a condition like epilepsy, according to researchers. The drug, called tofacitinib, also restores short-term and working memory lost to epilepsy in the mice and reduces inflammation in the brain caused by the disease. If the drug proves viable for human patients, it would be the first to provide lasting relief from seizures even after they stopped taking it. One-third of epilepsy patients do not respond to any known drugs. Hoffman found a protein called STAT3, key to a cell signaling pathway called JAK, at the center of...

Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica Aber, who was found dead at the age of 43 by Virginia authorities on Saturday, was at the helm of high-profile investigations into intelligence leaks, allegations of war crimes against Russian-linked individuals and people suspected of providing sensitive U.S. technology to Moscow before she stepped down at the start of the year. Why It Matters Aber, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, resigned in January after President Donald Trump was inaugurated. She had risen to lead one of the most important federal prosecutor's offices and roughly 300 prosecutors, civil...

A former US Attorney who served under President Joe Biden was found dead Saturday morning at her home in Alexandria, Virginia. Jessica D. Aber, 43, stepped down on January 20 after being appointed to one of the most high-profile federal prosecutorial posts in the country by Joe Biden. She assumed the role as the top prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2021. Alexandria police confirmed that officers responded to a call early on Saturday morning but are withholding further information pending notification of Aber's family. No cause of death has yet been released. Aber, a longtime federal prosecutor,...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (7News) — Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber was found dead by Alexandria Police Saturday morning, and local leaders are reminiscing on her efforts as a public servant. Investigators are working to find out what led to her death after she was found unresponsive in the 900 block of Beverly Drive in Alexandria around 9 a.m. Saturday, police said. A medical examiner will determine the cause of her death. U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert shared his condolences for his former colleague: "We are heartbroken beyond words to learn of the passing of our...

A Biden-era US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was found dead in her Alexandria, Virginia, home on Saturday morning. The cause and manner of death is unknown. Jessica Aber, 43, was found unresponsive on Saturday morning. Her death is under investigation. “This morning, at approximately 9:18 a.m., Alexandria Police responded to the 900 block of Beverley Drive for the report of an unresponsive woman. Officers located a deceased woman. Following notification of family members, the Alexandria Police Department can confirm the identity of the woman as Ms. Jessica Aber, age 43, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District...

Judge finds that Muslima arrested in New Mexico jihad compound has “mental disease,” unfit to stand trial DEC 1, 2019 9:00 AM BY ROBERT SPENCER Here we see the all-purpose “mental illness” deflection being used to aid a jihadi in evading responsibility for her crimes. It has happened many times before. What do you bet they all walk before this is over? Given the current political climate regarding jihad terrorism, this is quite possible, even likely. “Terrorism suspect hospitalized,” by John Miller, Taos News, October 24, 2019: A U.S. District Court judge in Albuquerque has ordered one of the five...

A new study has revealed how curcumin, a bioactive compound found in Curcuma aromatica (Yujin), can help mitigate neuroinflammation and brain damage caused by epileptic seizures. The study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms through which curcumin regulates the brain's inflammatory response, opening up new avenues for the treatment of epilepsy. Epilepsy, a severe neurological disorder, is characterized by recurrent seizures that not only cause neuronal damage but also activate glial cells, triggering a local immune response. This immune response releases pro-inflammatory factors that contribute to a vicious cycle that worsens the condition. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long...

A type of Trema micrantha. (Daniel Pineda Vera/iNaturalist/CC BY 4.0) Scientists have discovered cannabidiol, a compound in cannabis known as CBD, in a common Brazilian plant, opening potential new avenues to produce the increasingly popular substance. The team found CBD in the fruits and flowers of a plant known as Trema micrantha blume, a shrub which grows across much of the South American country and is often considered a weed, molecular biologist Rodrigo Moura Neto of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro told AFP in 2023. CBD, increasingly used by some to treat conditions including epilepsy, chronic pain and...

'Tomorrow's Children' (1934) which was called 'The Unborn' in the UK This was a very controversial film in its day. It was made during the height of the eugenics movement and considered subversive at the time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSqUnqoHRFs Part I of 6

There is an imbalance in the gut flora of patients with epilepsy compared with healthy controls, according to a study. BingCong Hong analyzed differences in gut flora between patients with epilepsy with and without cognitive impairment (62 and 38 patients, respectively) and normal controls (100 controls). The researcher found more significant differences in the structure and composition of the gut flora between patients in the epilepsy group and the control group but no significant differences in a diversity analysis (P > 0.05). Actinobacteriota, Faecalibacterium, and Collinsella were significantly lower in the group with cognitive impairment than the group without (P...

A simple scoring system from researchers at Rutgers Health and other institutions may help doctors predict which patients will likely become seizure-free after minimally invasive epilepsy surgery. A study introduces a predictive model that could expand access to surgical treatment for the neurological disorder that causes recurring seizures. Epilepsy affects, with roughly one-third not responding adequately to medications. For these patients, surgery to remove or disable the part of the brain causing seizures can be an effective treatment, but predicting which patients will emerge seizure-free has been difficult. The researchers developed their model based on data from 101 patients who...

A class of drugs already on the market to lower blood pressure appears to reduce adults' risk of developing epilepsy, researchers have discovered. The finding comes out of an analysis of the medical records of more than 2 million Americans taking blood pressure medications. The study suggests that the drugs, called angiotensin receptor blockers, could prevent epilepsy in people at highest risk of the disease, including older adults who have had strokes. "This is incredibly exciting because we don't currently have any medicines that prevent epilepsy," said Kimford Meador, MD. In older adults, the most common risk factor for developing...

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (Gray News) – A 14-year-old from Virginia was crowned America’s Top Young Scientist for inventing a soap that treats skin cancer. According to a news release, Heman Bekele, a ninth grader at W.T. Woodson High School in Annandale, won the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge last week. Heman developed Melanoma Treating Soap, a compound-based bar of soap designed to treat skin cancer. Over the next five years, he hopes to refine his innovation and create a nonprofit organization that will distribute this low-cost solution to communities in need. The final product came out to a shockingly cheap...

Biologists have definitively linked the brain's immune system to epilepsy. The researchers lay out a chain of events that can cause seizures—the most common manifestation of epilepsy—to worsen. The sequence begins when oxidative stress in the body causes the brain's immune system to react. That activation by the brain's resident immune cells (called glia) triggers more severe seizures. It’s the first time the brain immune system–epilepsy link has been experimentally proved. "We have provided genetic proof that both oxidative stress and activation of the brain immune system make epilepsy worse," says John Manak, professor. "This is hugely significant because our...

Scientists are reporting a breakthrough discovery: A $3-per-pill epilepsy drug may be used to “switch off” autism symptoms in mice, according to a new peer-reviewed study published Tuesday in Molecular Psychiatry journal. Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental condition that impacts how an estimated 5.4 million (2.2% of) adults — and one in 44 children — in the United States perceives and socializes with others. It is often accompanied by abnormalities such as epilepsy or hyperactivity, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. A team of experts at Germany’s Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research found that...

Playing videogames could trigger a potentially fatal cardiac episode in children with existing heart conditions, according to an international study published this week. The study, "Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death during electronic gaming," examined 22 incidents in which children between the ages of seven and 16 experienced an irregular heartbeat, either proven or suspected, and lost consciousness while playing videogames. Six of the children suffered cardiac arrest, and four died. "This is a relatively small study, but we still found a number of cases where children who were actively engaged in video games had a very severe cardiac event,"...

Following a modified Atkins diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates plus taking medication may reduce seizures in people with tough-to-treat epilepsy, according to a study. "For people with drug-resistant epilepsy, or those who have been unable to find effective treatment to reduce seizures, it's encouraging to see that there are lifestyle changes that can be combined with standard drug therapy to reduce the number of seizures," said Manjari Tripathi, MD, DM. "Our study found that this combination may reduce seizures by more than half." The modified Atkins diet is a combination of the Atkins diet and a ketogenic...

Of all the lies that Edward Snowden has told since his massive theft of secrets from the National Security Agency and his journey to Russia via Hong Kong in 2013, none is more provocative than the claim that he never intended to engage in espionage, and was only a “whistleblower” seeking to expose the overreach of NSA’s information gathering. With the clock ticking on Mr. Snowden’s chance of a pardon, now is a good time to review what we have learned about his real mission.

High-dose folic acid is protective against congenital malformations if the mother is at particular risk of having a child with congenital malformations. Treatment with antiseizure medication in pregnancy is associated with risk of congenital malformations in the children, and women with epilepsy are therefore often recommended a supplementary high dose of folic acid (4–5 mg daily) before and during pregnancy. However, some studies have raised concern that folic acid can increase the risk of cancer not only in the mother, but in the child when exposed during pregnancy. "We found an increased risk of childhood cancer if the child was...

A drug used to prevent epileptic seizures and migraine has been found to double the chances of a child developing autism if their mother takes it while pregnant. An urgent review has been launched into topiramate, known by the brand name Topamax, which has been prescribed for decades. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has begun a safety review to assess the ‘benefits and risks’ of the drug, which is likely to raise the odds of other intellectual impairments, as well as congenital birth defects. It follows warnings about another epilepsy drug, sodium valproate, marketed as Epilim, which...