3 Drugs for Severe Epileptic Seizures Are Equally Effective: Study

THURSDAY, Dec. 5, 2019 -- Three drugs used to treat severe seizures in epilepsy patients are equally effective, a new study finds.

The three medications -- levetiracetam (Keppra and Roweepra), fosphenytoin (Cerebyx) and valproate -- are commonly used to treat patients with "refractory status epilepticus." In these patients, severe seizures continue after treatment with benzodiazepine medications.

FDA Approves New Type of Drug to Treat Migraines

MONDAY, Dec. 23, 2019 -- Migraine sufferers who cannot get relief from existing medications have a new treatment option, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday.

The pill, called ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) is for the immediate treatment "of migraine with or without aura [a sensory phenomenon or visual disturbance] in adults," the agency said in a news release.

Sleep Disturbances May Trigger Migraine

THURSDAY, Dec. 26, 2019 -- Sleep disturbances appear to be a trigger for migraine headaches, according to a new study.

"We found that low sleep efficiency, which is the amount of time you're awake in bed when you're trying to sleep, was associated with migraines not on the day immediately following, but on the day after that," said study co-author Dr. Suzanne Bertisch, a sleep specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

CBD Medicine May Help Ease Another Form of Seizure

SATURDAY, Dec. 7, 2019 -- Prescription-grade CBD may help control hard-to-treat seizures caused by a rare genetic disorder, a preliminary study suggests.

The study involved 224 patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) -- a genetic condition that affects about one in 6,000 people, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It causes noncancerous tumors to arise throughout the body, and -- in 90% of patients -- seizures that are often resistant to standard drugs.

Virtual Doc Visits Suffice for Many With Neurological Disorders

FRIDAY, Dec. 6, 2019 -- If you have a neurological disorder, a video chat with your doctor might be as good as an office visit for checking on your condition.

That's the conclusion of researchers who analyzed 101 studies on telemedicine use for concussion, traumatic brain injury, dementia, epilepsy, headache, multiple sclerosis, movement disorders, neuromuscular conditions and general neurology.

Sometimes, Aspirin May Be Enough to Ease Migraines

TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 -- A cheap, century-old drug in most Americans' medicine cabinets -- aspirin -- may come to the rescue for people suffering from migraines, a new study finds.

While there are effective prescription medications, many migraine patients in the United States don't have access to them due to limited access to doctors or good insurance, or high insurance co-pays, said researchers at Florida Atlantic University, in Boca Raton.