SURVEY TESTS EPILEPSY TREATMENTS
Doctors are conducting a survey to determine which treatment is best for epilepsy, medication or surgery. The nationwide study aims to help some of the 2.3 million Americans with epilepsy, researchers said. The goal is to evaluate and compare the two standard therapies' effectiveness in quickly eliminating seizures and side effects, researchers said. The study, sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, focuses on medial temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of epilepsy, doctors said. Research shows the disease may be progressive in nature, especially in children. As seizures continue, they can cause irreversible disturbances in nerve cell function, preventing normal brain development. "Data suggest seizures can cause memory loss and affect a child's ability to learn and pay attention in school," said principal investigator Dr. Jerome Engel Jr., professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles. "Persistence of seizures during adolescence and early adulthood commonly cause irreversible social and psychological consequences." That is why the study is so important, he said.
ANOTHER RISK FROM EATING RED MEAT?
Researchers say they have found a non-human, cellular molecule in the tissue of people who eat red meat and milk products. The study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed the same molecule generates an immune response that could potentially lead to inflammation. Some past studies have linked ingestion of red meat to cancer and heart disease, and possibly to some disorders involving inflammation. However, that research has primarily focused on the role of red-meat saturated fats and on products that arise from cooking. The UCSD study is the first to investigate human dietary absorption of a cell-surface molecular sugar called N-glycolylneuraminic acid, found in non-human mammals, the authors said. It occurs naturally in lamb, pork and beef, the so-called "red meats." Levels are very low or undetectable in fruits, vegetables, hen's eggs, poultry and fish.
ROLE OF NATURE IN MS
A large study of twins and multiple sclerosis indicates genetic factors contribute to development of the disease and help explain its prevalence among females. The research also suggests a possible role for gestational factors because non-identical, or fraternal, twins were more likely to get MS than non-twin siblings, doctors say. Multiple sclerosis, characterized by the progressive loss of neural function, is one of the more common neurological diseases among the young. The 20-year study of 400 pairs of twins showed the identical twin of an MS patient was more likely to develop the disease than was a non-identical twin, but the effect was seen only in females.
ANTIBIOTICS TIED TO ALLERGIES
Researchers have found children who receive antibiotics within the first six months of birth increase their risk of developing allergies. The researchers found the children suffered allergic reactions to pets, ragweed, grass, dust mites and asthma by age 7. The study, conducted at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, also showed the youngsters were less susceptible to these effects if they lived with at least two pets, namely dogs or cats, in the first year. Researchers also say breast-feeding and a mother's history of allergies add to the risks of allergy for a child taking antibiotics. The findings are thought to be the first to find a link between antibiotics and allergies and asthma in children, said lead study author Christine Johnson.
(Editors: For more information about EPILEPSY, call 734-764-2220. For MEAT, contact Sue Pondrom 619-543-6163 or [email protected]. For MS, George Ebers in England at +44-1865-228579 or [email protected]. For ASTHMA, David Olejarz at 313-876-2882 or [email protected])
