Research News
(Sadleir L, et. al 2017). Dravet syndrome is often thought to be at the severe end of a spectrum of SCN1A disorders ranging from relatively mild conditions such as migraines to generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) to DS. Even within the “severe” category of DS, patients can present with a wide degree of […]
This article summarizes the various challenges patients with Dravet syndrome and their caregivers face. It is an analysis of an in-depth online survey posted in the DSF support group in 2016 covering comorbid health conditions, characteristics of the syndrome, and the top caregiver concerns. Because it is written in layman\’s terms, it does not need
Dravet syndrome: Characteristics, comorbidities, and caregiver concerns Read More »
(Schoonjans AS, et al. 2017). Fenfluramine is currently in a Phase 3 clinical trial for Dravet syndrome sponsored by Zogenix, Inc. While primarily used in the 1980s and 1990s for obesity, there were reports of it reducing seizures in the pediatric epilepsy population. It was withdrawn from the market in 1997 due to reports of
(Calhoun, et al. 2017) There are several different mouse models for Dravet syndrome, and researchers have shown that the same disease-causing mutation can present differently depending on which strain of mouse is used in breeding. This suggests there may be genetic modifiers that influence the severity of Dravet syndrome. The authors of this article had
Cacna1q is a genetic modifier of epilepsy in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome Read More »
(Myers K et al. 2017) Mortality in Dravet syndrome is recognized at 15-20% by adulthood. Approximately half of those deaths are due to SUDEP, while about 1/4 are due to status epilepticus (SE). This study looked closely at that second group, those who died from SE, examining the characteristics of 5 patients from Australia who
(Jensen, et al. 2017). A team of physicians from Washington, the United Kingdom, Colorado, and Zogenix, Inc. reviewed the published literature on the burden of Dravet syndrome (DS) on caregivers and families. Instead of examining diagnostic criteria, treatment/management, seizure control, etc., they looked specifically for how DS affects the caregiver and families both humanistically and economically.
(Wirrell, et al. 2017). A panel of experts on Dravet syndrome including 13 physicians and 5 family members of patients with Dravet syndrome in North America answered a series of in-depth surveys about the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of Dravet syndrome. Consensus was obtained in many areas including presentation during the first years of life;
(Aljaafari, et. al. 2017). In this brief communication, published in Epilepsia, the authors examined the motor differences between 14 adult patients with Dravet syndrome (DS) and 14 adult patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). They chose Lennox-Gastaut because previous findings showed that adult patients with DS exhibited early-onset parkinsonian features, and they wanted to determine whether
(Griffin, et. al 2017). Building on previous drug screening in a Dravet syndrome model of zebrafish that identified clemizole, a histamine (H1) receptor antagonist, as having anti-epileptic properties, this study sought to further examine the mechanisms of clemizole\’s action and expand the class of serotonin-acting compounds to include, among others, the FDA-approved drugs lorcaserin (Belviq) and
Clemizole and modulators of serotonin signalling suppress seizures in Dravet syndrome Read More »
This website is made possible through educational grants from our partners. Partners did not have a role in developing content. The information you obtain at this site is not intended to be medical advice, please read our medical disclaimer. Thank you to:
This website is neither intended nor designed to record or report safety information related to any product or device. If you have experienced an adverse event (side effect) or product quality complaint with any product or device, please contact your doctor and contact the manufacturer directly.
© Copyright 2025 | Dravet Syndrome Foundation | All Rights Reserved
