Today’s blog post was created in collaboration with Tanya Brown, PhD the Science Director for TESS Research Foundation and was cross-posted to the Science Simplified Blog. Have you ever wondered how to read a scientific paper? Reading a scientific paper, also called a research article, is different from reading a newspaper article. It can be […]
How to Read a Scientific Paper; Part 1: Anatomy of a Research Article Read More »
The American Epilepsy Society (AES) held its annual meeting on December 3-7, 2021. This was my first time attending the conference in person, as last year the event was only held virtually. I was really impacted by the vast amount of research focused on Dravet syndrome. For a rare disease, it is not mentioned rarely
2021 AES Meeting Recap Read More »
Last night at their annual Research Roundtable Meeting, the Dravet Syndrome Foundation (DSF) announced funding for five new research grants. DSF is pleased to be funding grants that focus on important topics for individuals with Dravet syndrome, including investigation of metabolic dysfunction, exploration of novel therapeutic targets for disease-modifying therapies, and exploration of changes to
DSF Announces Funding for Five New Research Grants Read More »
Transition of care, or the process of moving from pediatric to adult health care providers, is one of the most challenging issues facing adults with Dravet syndrome and their families. Transition of care can be challenging in general when a patient has a complex medical history and requires a large team of health care providers
Dravet Syndrome Transition Guide Read More »
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the first annual Stem Cell and Gene Therapy for Neurodevelopmental Disorders Conference hosted by the University of California (UC) Davis MIND Institute. The conference brought together many leaders in academic research focused on finding restorative cures for genetic diseases like Dravet syndrome. Although the conference was only
Highlights from the Stem Cell and Gene Therapy for Neurodevelopment Disorders Conference Read More »
Patients with Dravet syndrome often require a surgery or other invasive procedure at some point in their life. While there are no specific surgical procedures that are specifically required due to the diagnosis of Dravet syndrome, there are some procedures that occur more commonly, including: feeding tube placement (i.e., g-tube, j-tube), VNS (vagus nerve stimulator)
Surgery & Procedures in Dravet Syndrome Read More »
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, vaccination has become a major tool in combating the spread and mitigating the symptomatic infections caused by the novel coronavirus. Vaccination can be a topic of particular concern for individuals with Dravet syndrome (DS) and their families given that vaccines are a common seizure trigger in this disorder. Early childhood
Dravet Syndrome and COVID-19 Vaccination Read More »
DSF has received many questions about epilepsy surgery for patients with Dravet syndrome recently. If this is something you are considering for your child, it is crucial to know your options and to learn more about what we currently know regarding surgery for patients with Dravet syndrome. It is important to remember that every patient’s
Is epilepsy surgery for seizure control an option for individuals with Dravet syndrome? Read More »
While three new medications have come to market for Dravet syndrome in the past several years, only a portion of patients achieve adequate seizure control. Even for those who experience longer periods of seizure-freedom, the other comorbidities of Dravet syndrome greatly impact quality of life for individuals as well as their families. Therapeutically targeting the
Gene Therapy for Dravet Syndrome Read More »
Banerji et al (2021) recently published a manuscript in Brain Communications describing their investigation of metabolic pathways in a zebrafish model of Dravet syndrome. Previous studies had described metabolic deficits in Dravet syndrome generally related to decreased energetic output. The ketogenic diet remains one of the more successful therapies for seizure reduction in Dravet syndrome,
