People who have Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy, usually experience their first seizure within the first year of life. (1) These early seizures, which are typically triggered by a fever or exposure to temperature changes, are usually convulsive or involve jerking movements on one side of the body. Between ages 1… Continue reading Dravet Syndrome Treatment: Medication, Diet, and Other Therapies
Category: dravet-syndrome
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Dravet Syndrome
A lifelong illness, Dravet syndrome develops because of a genetic mutation that affects the ability of brain cells to send and receive messages. About 1 in 15,700 infants are born with Dravet syndrome, and up to 80 percent of them have a mutation in their SCN1A gene. (1) For the most part, the disorder is… Continue reading Symptoms and Diagnosis of Dravet Syndrome
Complications of Dravet Syndrome
People with Dravet syndrome experience intractable seizures throughout their lives — seizures that usually begin before they are 1 year old. What’s more, these seizures aren’t all of the same variety. Initial seizures may be related to fevers and be of the tonic-clonic or grand mal type (those causing muscle stiffness, jerking, and unconsciousness), but… Continue reading Complications of Dravet Syndrome