Carnegie Mellon University researchers have identified a new anticonvulsant compound that has the potential to stop the seizure progression in epileptic patients. The findings are published in the current issue of the journal Epilepsia.

Bright light that flickers frequently or rapidly, like a strobe light, can trigger seizures in some people – a phenomenon documented in nearly 700 children who were hospitalized in Japan 10 years ago after watching a Pokemon cartoon.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that the same ingredient used in dandruff shampoos to fight the burning, itching and flaking on your head also can calm overexcited nerve cells inside your head, making it a potential treatment for seizures. Results of the study can be found online in Nature Chemical Biology.