An electroencephalography (EEG) is a procedure that detects abnormalities in a person’s brain waves. Typically performed by an EEG technician, an EEG study is sometimes used to confirm or rule out various conditions, including: head injury and seizure disorders, including epilepsy, and other conditions.
As scientists and doctors around the world continue to look for treatments and preventative measures for many of the most challenging conditions, an EEG study is more common than you might first imagine. Clinical research organizations, in fact, spend vast amounts of time, energy, and money studying a number of common conditions. From alzheimers research studies to epilepsy studies, there is much to be learned from studying the human brain.
With the use of clinical trials and specific procedures like EEG studies, both doctors and scientists can get the necessary information that they need to study not only epilepsy and other kinds of brain disorders, they also help with other conditions. For instance, diabetes clinical trials are available in many hospitals and research facilities around the U.S. With the use of monitored group of participants, researchers, doctors, scientists, and pharmaceutical companies, clinical trials in a number of fields seek to find answers to some of life’s greatest health challenges. Consider some of these facts and figures about the clinical trial industry:
- There are an estimated 100,000 over-the-counter drug products marketed and sold in U.S. stores, according to a 2016 report from the International Trade Association.
- Only 56 of the compounds under pharma researchers’ microscopes in 2015 were launched as new medicines, according to the European Pharmaceutical Review.
- Many deadly diseases have been cured thanks to the pharmaceutical industry. For instance, Hepatitis C once required life-long treatment and often a liver transplant. Today, however, 90% to 95% of patients can now be cured after receiving an eight to 12 week drug treatment.
- The research-based pharmaceutical industry spent $149.8 billion on research and developments as of the year 2017, according to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations.
- The global pharmaceutical industry will grow to reach a total value of $1.43 trillion by 2020, according to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations.
- Depending on the time between patent approval and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, patented drugs are eligible for five years of market exclusivity. The U.S. patent term for new drugs is 20 years.
