Epilepsy & Seizures

Few experiences match the drama of a convulsive seizure. A person having a severe seizure may cry out, fall to the floor unconscious, twitch or move uncontrollably, drool, or even lose bladder control. Within minutes, the attack is over, and the person regains consciousness but is exhausted and dazed. This is the image most people have when they hear the word epilepsy. However, this type of seizure -- a generalized tonic-clonic seizure -- is only one kind of epilepsy. There are many other kinds, each with a different set of symptoms.

What are the most poisonous creatures you can think of? Cobras? Scorpions? Japanese puffer fish? Now mix all these together and add 100 or so other nerve toxins. It sounds like a black magic witch's brew straight out of a fairy tale. Shockingly, it's a potion actually found in nature — in the venom of marine cone snails.

These snails live in the coral reefs surrounding Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They use their venoms to hunt worms, other snails, or fish — some larger than themselves.

MESA, Ariz. - Researchers have identified a genetic cause for epilepsy, which could lead to the development of medicines to treat epilepsy and autism, the Translational Genomics Research Institute announced Thursday.