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The risk of major congenital malformations is influenced not only by type of antiepileptic drug, but also by dose and other variables, which should be taken into account in the management of epilepsy in women of childbearing potential. Use of four of the most commonly prescribed seizure-control drugs at the beginning of pregnancy is associated with a dose-dependent increased risk of major birth defects. The findings, from 33 countries worldwide published Online First in The Lancet Neurology, are the first to provide a multivariable analysis of the risks associated...

Progress in paediatric neurosciences is proceeding rapidly, and we are entering an era in which technologies will allow for a greater knowledge and understanding of normal and abnormal brain development. Because of our improved diagnostic abilities, it is now possible to identify even subtle brain abnormalities early on, thus allowing for early intervention. However, in certain areas of the world, many children do not benefit from this progress because of the shortage of child neurologists and adequately equipped medical centers. In recent years, this progress in diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities and the growing necessity for advanced...

The abstract submission deadline for Autism Spectrum Disorders: From Mechanisms to Therapies is July 29, 2011. We encourage you to submit your research for presentation and hope you will join us, our co-organizers, and leading researchers in Arlington, USA from November 9-11, 2011. The abstract submission deadline for Autism Spectrum Disorders: From Mechanisms to Therapies is July 29, 2011. We encourage you to submit your research for presentation and hope you will join us, our co-organizers, and leading researchers in Arlington, USA from November 9-11, 2011. An official 2011 SFN satellite meeting, Autism Spectrum...

It is my distinct honor, on behalf of the International Child Neurology Association, to invite you to register for the 12th International Child Neurology Congress to be held in Brisbane, Australia during May 2012. The Congress will be held jointly with the 11th Asian and Oceanian Congress of Child Neurology, and promises to attract a large international audience. As in the past congresses, the Scientific Program will be of the highest caliber, emphasizing not only the latest developments and advances in child neurology, but also a review of current standard of care in...

Use of newer-generation antiepileptic drugs, which are also prescribed for bipolar mood disorders and migraine headaches, during the first trimester of pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of major birth defects in the first year of life among infants in Denmark, according to a study in the May 18 issue of JAMA. Older-generation antiepileptic drugs are associated with an increased risk of birth defects.  "Epilepsy during pregnancy is a therapeutic challenge. Since the 1990s, the number of licensed antiepileptic drugs has substantially increased, but safety data on first-trimester use of newer-generation...

  Researchers including members from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen have developed a new method for making detailed X-ray images of brain cells. The method, called SAXS-CT, can map the myelin sheaths of nerve cells, which are important for conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. The results have been published in the scientific journal, NeuroImage.   The myelin sheaths of nerve cells are lamellar membranes surrounding the neuronal axons. The myelin layers are important to the central nervous system as they...

Researchers from the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) have identified a new gene that predisposes people to both autism and epilepsy. Led by the neurologist Dr. Patrick Cossette, the research team found a severe mutation of the synapsin gene (SYN1) in all members of a large French-Canadian family suffering from epilepsy, including individuals also suffering from autism. This study also includes an analysis of two cohorts of individuals from Quebec, which made it possible to identify other mutations in the SYN1 gene among 1% and 3.5% of those suffering respectively from autism and epilepsy,...

Researchers have now discovered a potential mechanism that may contribute to the link between epilepsy and fragile X syndrome.   The protein that is missing in fragile X syndrome, FMRP, controls the production of a protein that regulates electrical signals in brain cells, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found. The results were published April 13 in the Journal of Neuroscience.  Individuals with fragile X syndrome tend to have a hyperexcitable nervous system, which can be displayed in several ways: hyperactivity, anxiety, increased sensory...

Three review articles in the May 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online April 4) examine the scientific evidence behind medical, behavioral and developmental interventions for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The studies, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, examined research published between 2000 and May 2010 on ASD interventions for children ages 12 and younger. Researchers found strong evidence for a few treatments, but also a critical need for additional studies to pinpoint specific approaches that are most effective for individual children. In "A Systematic Review of Medical Treatments...

Researchers at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, Italy led by Mattia Maroso and colleagues have found that giving mice repeated doses of a specific enzyme inhibitor significantly reduced both chronic epileptic activity and acute seizures. Their findings, published online in the Springer journal Neurotherapeutics, open up the possibility of a new target system for anticonvulsant drug intervention, to control epileptic activity that does not respond to certain anticonvulsant treatments.   An enzyme known as ICE/Caspase-1 is involved in epileptic seizures; it induces inflammatory processes by producing IL-1beta,...