Infantile Spasms: The Facts, The Research, and The Hope for the Future

This week on Seizing Life®, in recognition of Infantile Spasms Awareness Week (December 1^st – 7^th), we speak with epilepsy researcher Dr. Chris Dulla about infantile spasms – what we know, what recent research has revealed, and how current research may lead to better detection and treatments.

Dr. Chris Dulla is a Professor and Vice Chair of Neuroscience at Tufts University, where he runs the Dulla Lab which conducts ongoing research in several areas of epilepsy including infantile spasms (or I.S.). Dr. Dulla first provides a primer on infantile spasms, outlining what we know about this rare and particularly severe epilepsy syndrome that typically begins within the first year of life. He explains what parents should look for, what to do, and where to go to get a diagnosis, emphasizing the importance of early detection and treatement to achieve better outcomes. Then Dr. Dulla shares his 20-plus years of experience in epilepsy research outlining the numerous ongoing research projects at his laboratory and elsewhere. He details the process and findings of the I.S. research in lay terms and explains how this research might one day translate into better diagnostic tools and effective treatments for infantile spasms.

CURE Epilepsy has been at the forefront of infantile spasms research since the launch of its Infantile Spasms Initiative in 2013. Infantile spasms continues to be an area of focus for CURE Epilepsy as a member of the Infantile Spasms Action Network, or ISAN. To learn more about infantile spasms, including what to look for and what to do if you think your child is displaying signs of I.S., please visit the ISAN website at: www.InfantileSpasms.org.

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