Oh sure, there may be budget cuts aplenty on the way, but the Medical Center isn’t about to let the economy stop its discoveries. This time, a team led by Columbia University Medical Center researchers has linked a gene called ELP4 to Rolandic epilepsy, the most common form of epilepsy.

Rolandic epilepsy’s best-known symptom is a seizure beginning just after waking up in the morning, though scientists are looking into other problems associated with the disorder, including learning and motor coordination difficulties. Researchers think ELP4, the first gene linked to Rolandic epilepsy, may affect connections between the brain’s neurons during development. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in what the organization of neurons has to do with all types of epilepsy. Identifying ELP4 may go a long way toward producing more effective epilepsy treatments and perhaps discovering the causes of ADHD, speech dyspraxia, and developmental coordination disorder.

At right is Deb Pal, Columbia University research scientist and senior author of the study. Bwog congratulates Pal and his team and reminds you to continue taking 15-minute breaks every few Halo battles.