A flower that grows in the Himalayas could provide help for those with epilepsy.
A Robarts Research Institute scientist is looking at the anti-seizure properties of a compound in the roots of the plant Delphinium denudatum.
Neuroscience researcher Michael Poulter says the plant came to his attention through a graduate student working in Pakistan.
"When we gave this drug - before we did the stimulation - we couldn’t get any of the rates to progress to the end stages of epilepsy,” he says.
The plant is known in folklore medicine.
"I think you’d probably be surprised how much folk medicine is out there where there’s a bonafide effect,” he says.
Current medications don’t help about 30 per cent of people with epilepsy so Poulter’s goal is to better manage epilepsy for people.
It’s hoped clinical trials will start in less than two years.
