Category Archive

Seizure Related Conditions/Syndromes

Gov’t needs to take a proactive response to stem drug shortages: Epilepsy Ontario

May 19, 2016

By Deron Hamel One of the greatest frustrations Epilepsy Ontario deals with during shortages of seizure-control medications is when impending drug shortages are identified but Health Canada and the provincial drug programs do nothing to try to prevent them, says Suzanne Nurse. Nurse, Epilepsy Ontario’s director of information and client services, says that 2016 has…

EpLink researcher says team is ‘quite close’ to finding Lafora disease cure

November 7, 2013

By Deron Hamel Dr. Berge Minassian says he believes scientists are “getting quite close” to finding a cure for Lafora disease, characterized as the most serious form of epilepsy, with inroads made possible by the Ontario Brain Institute’s (OBI’s) EpLink research program. Minassian is one of more than 25 researchers at nine university and hospital…

Bottom lines should not trump people: Anne Currie

April 12, 2012

Mother of woman with seizure disorder highlights struggle for VNS procedure, hopes conversations stem from story Deron Hamel Anne Currie and her daughter Megan are hoping the Ontario government will take action to help end the struggle they are going through to obtain a new vagus nerve stimulator (VNS), an implant essential to helping control…

Tonic Seizures

August 8, 2011

Tonic seizures are very uncommon, especially when they occur without clonic jerking. They usually are manifest with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or, less commonly, with multiple sclerosis. Tonic seizures most often develop in childhood, although they can occur at any age. Tonic seizures are characterized by facial and truncal muscle spasms, flexion or extension of the upper…