Nature Publishing Group (the owner and publisher of worlds popular "Nature") has just published a special issue, featuring the story of Epilepsy covering aspects why this disease is still not well understood and what do the worlds govt's and funding agencies must do, meaning why there is not much funding is allocated to Epilepsy research considering more than 50Million people world wide are affected by more than a dozen types of Epilepsy?. Yes, that is certainly a valid question and reasonable expectation from various govts and funding agencies. That is just the beginning of this special issue, named under the category "Outlook". To run this special issue and program, Nature has been awarded a special "Independent Education Grant by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.There is also another recent Special issue on Neuroscience published somewhere in late 2013, about which I will write later. This Editorial is to provide some idea to researchers, clinicians and people who are working in the field of Epilepsy that this might be the best issue to update yourself about the field and the recent developments in Epilepsy. Ofcourse, those patients and relatives who can understand the science behind Epilepsy, who are wondering what is really going on and what are the possible treatments available, might be a good place to check.
From Nature's Cover Image Content:
Mike May, the contributing Editor has given a brief summary of the entire issue, a good place to start reading this issue: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v511/n7508_supp/full/511S1a.html
Note: This special is issue is only open to public or non subscribers upto October, so better read before it will be taken of the shelf or go get a copy of it.
Interesting research reports presented by the field's top scientists/researchers, clinicians and more. I will go through the entire issue pretty much cover to cover, but before I spend time, I thought to share this for those who may not have heard about this special issue. The first Chapter or section begins with the background information about the basics of Epilepsy the origin of Excitation or Excitement, and there are sections on genetic basis, drug treatment modalities as well as technologies that can detect the types and details of the epilepsy. Other sections regarding the Epidemiology and types of this disease, management and social issues including the misunderstanding and tabo's of epilepsy, sociology of it, and the issue ends with what is food got to do with Epilepsy or what food intake might be the best for people with seizure or epileptic episodes. Overall, seems like a great issue with a comprehensive knowledge about the disease, complexities and its future. I hope I can write a real Editorial with scientific temperament when I am done reading the whole issue.......
Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that affects 50 million people worldwide. For many patients, medication helps reduce seizure frequency; for drug-resistant epilepsy, treatments include diet therapy and neurosurgery. Although discussed and feared for millennia, progress towards understanding epilepsy has been slow — even with help from modern genetic and neurological analysis. Stigmatization of people with epilepsy continues in certain parts of the world and though lack of funding limits epilepsy research, new ways to treat and manage seizures are on the horizon.
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Cover Art: Nik Spencer
