NHS doctor uses AI to identify vitamin deficiency behind mother's seizures

October 1, 2026 at 05:52 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

An NHS anaesthetist used Google's Gemini AI to identify a vitamin B6 deficiency as the likely cause of his mother's continuous seizures, and hospital staff administered the vitamin, stopping the seizures. The case, involving a rare side effect of Parkinson's medication, has prompted calls for clinical trials and changes in practice. Parkinson's UK welcomed the prospect of research trials, saying it could transform care for some patients.

Key Facts

Ed Patrick, an anaesthetist from Oxfordshire, used Google's Gemini AI to search recent medical journal articles and identified a vitamin B6 deficiency as a possible cause of his mother's seizures.
Ann Patrick, who has Parkinson's disease, was admitted to a Nottinghamshire hospital in May 2026 with non-stop seizures and kidney failure, and was told she was close to death.
After medical staff gave Ann an intravenous vitamin B6 supplement, her seizures stopped within minutes, and she has not had a seizure since.
Dr Bruno Gran, a consultant neurologist at Nottingham University Hospitals, said only 14 similar cases have ever been reported worldwide.
Parkinson's UK said the case could 'transform care' for some people with Parkinson's and welcomed the prospect of more research trials.

The Medical Emergency

In May 2026, Ed Patrick received a phone call from a hospital medical registrar telling him his mother, Ann, was dying after suffering continuous seizures and convulsions. Ann Patrick, who has Parkinson's disease, was unconscious, in kidney failure, and unresponsive to all anti-seizure medications. Patrick, an anaesthetist, used Google's Gemini AI to summarise recent medical journal articles related to his mother's condition and symptoms. He relayed his findings to the neurology consultant, suggesting the seizures were a rare side effect of vitamin B6 deficiency caused by long-term carbidopa-levodopa use.

AI-Assisted Diagnosis

Patrick told BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show that he informed the consultant of his discovery, linking the seizures to a vitamin B6 deficiency possibly caused by her Parkinson's medication. Medical staff agreed to administer an intravenous vitamin B6 supplement, and Ann's seizure activity stopped within minutes. Dr Bruno Gran, the consultant neurologist, said Patrick's reasoning was sound and that the speed and magnitude of the response was not anticipated. Gran said the team is now working to raise awareness of this potential issue, beginning with changes to practice within their own team.

Reaction and Caution

Parkinson's UK welcomed the prospect of more research trials in light of this case and said it could 'transform care' for some others with Parkinson's. Doctors say clinical trials are needed to understand more and warn against patients making changes to their own medication without medical advice. Only 14 similar cases have ever been reported worldwide, according to Dr Gran, despite Parkinson's affecting millions of people.