News Release

Tip sheet for the December 23, 2003 Neurology journal

Peer-Reviewed Publication

American Academy of Neurology

Atkins diet reduces seizures in some epilepsy patients
The Atkins diet may have a role as therapy for young patients with epilepsy by causing ketosis. Ketosis reduced seizures in three of six patients with epilepsy who were started on the diet for the treatment of intractable focal and multifocal epilepsy. For more information, contact Jessica Collins at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, 410-516-4570, jcolli31@jhmi.edu.

Epileptologists highly accurate in identifying seizures in epilepsy patients through clinical descriptions
Epileptologists are 96 percent accurate in identifying seizures in patients with suspected temporal lobe epilepsy obtained through patient reporting, according to a study of 88 patients conducted by neurologists in Canada and United Arab Emirates. The results were comparable when diagnosis was obtained using traditional and more costly tests. A related Patient Page highlights the importance of strong physician-patient communication and provides general background on epilepsy. The Patient Page will be available for downloading from www.neurology.org on December 23, or can be obtained in advance from AAN media relations staff.

People with Down syndrome may shed light into what causes dementia
Adults with Down syndrome are at increased risk for dementia and provide an opportunity for researchers to study patterns of brain activity that may precede dementia. Watch for a news release from the University of California–Irvine, or contact Tom Vasich, 949-824-6455, tmvasich@uci.edu.

More evidence that gabapentin effective in treating headache
Gabapentin was found significantly superior to placebo for the treatment of chronic daily headaches (those occurring 15 or more days per month), according to a study of The Australian Gabapentin Chronic Daily Headache Group.

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The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 18,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, autism and multiple sclerosis.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit its web site at www.aan.com.


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