Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases in the United States, affecting over 470,000 children and 3 million adults nationwide. Experts estimate that up to 3% of the American population will experience epilepsy at some point in their lives. Appropriate, effective treatment first requires proper diagnosis, a process that includes advanced imaging tests, blood tests, and physical exams. Here, we’ll explore the diagnostic process for epilepsy, why accurate diagnosing is important, and the recent headway we’ve made in diagnosing and treating epilepsy as a research community. What I ..read more

Participating in clinical trials is one of the best ways that the average person can contribute to the advancement of medical knowledge in their community and the pioneering of new treatments for various conditions, including neurological ones. However, not everyone is eligible to enroll in every clinical trial. For each clinical, depending on the research question, the clinicians are looking for patients with specific characteristics and health conditions to find the answer they seek. Similarly, some patients that otherwise might be good candidates for a particular trial might be excluded bec ..read more

Let’s survey a handful of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) that patients and their loved ones have regarding clinical trials, how they work, the benefits to participants, and why they matter. What are clinical trials? Clinical trials are designed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of new proposed diagnostic procedures or treatments for a health condition. These treatments under study can include drugs, supplements, medical procedures like surgeries, or lifestyle interventions like changes to diet and exercise. The goal is to demonstrate a new treatment’s safety and efficacy ..read more

One of the most important parts of a well-designed clinical trial is the control group. Here, we take an in-depth look into what control groups are, what function they serve in clinical trials, and how control groups aid in the investigation of emerging treatments. What is a control group in a clinical trial? Before a new drug, procedure, or other therapy is introduced to the general population, researchers must first test the treatment in a clinical setting to determine if it works as intended to treat the condition in question. They also determine whether it’s safe. An emergent treatment tha ..read more

Patient safety is the top priority of responsible researchers. Volunteer clinical trial participants put their health and lives on the line to further important research work, so ensuring that their bravery and sacrifice are rewarded with optimal safety protocols is paramount. Researchers use a variety of tools and methods to protect patient safety in clinical trials. Let’s explore how clinicians use them to mitigate risk while they work. Who sets the rules in clinical trials? Several groups, government and non-government, collaborate to set the rules regarding patient safety in clinical trial ..read more

Western medicine is guided by a set of strict ethical guidelines that dictate, when, where, and how medical practitioners can interact with patients. These guidelines are designed to protect patients from abuse and to ensure maximal patient safety in clinical settings. Maintaining these ethics is most important, perhaps, in the context of clinical trials, which, by their nature, involve experimental treatments. One of the pillars of medical ethics is informed consent – the requirement that patients understand all the potential risks and benefits of any treatment and accordingly give their cons ..read more

Whether researchers are studying pediatric nervous systems in child neurology or looking at potential cancer treatments, eliminating the possibility of bias is essential to get definitive answers to difficult medical questions. One of the key ways that researchers eliminate bias is through a process called trial randomization. Here, we’ll explore how clinical randomization works to prevent bias, why it’s important, and how randomization improves clinical investigations into exciting new treatments. What Is Bias in Clinical Trials? Often, when we hear the word “bias” in everyday contexts, our m ..read more

Not all clinical trials are designed the same way or have the same objectives. Here, we’ll dissect the various types of clinical trials, their respective importance to research and development of new treatment tools, and their divergent methods.   What Are Clinical Trials and Why Are They Important? Before we get into the different types of clinical trials, let’s briefly establish their basic purpose so that you can better understand the subtleties of the distinctions in varieties. Clinical trials are an essential part of the research and development process to bring innovative new t ..read more