Early Development of Epileptic Infants with Pre- or Perinatal Brain Injuries: Role of the Epileptic Disorder
Neuropediatrics 2009; 40: 218-223DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1248248AbstractTo try to understand the causative role of epilepsy in the developmental deterioration of brain injured infants, twenty-eight infants affected with early acquired, pre- and perinatal brain injuries were enrolled and divided into three groups, a) those with West syndrome, b) those with other non-West epilepsies, and c) those without epilepsy. Developmental monitoring consisted of a full clinical assessment, including examination of visual function, Griffiths developmental scales, standard EEG, long-term monitoring when necessary, and MRI, from the seizure onset or the first observation to the end of follow-up. Patients with epilepsy showed at study onset abnormal clinical features (neurological and developmental) distinct f......
POSTED 03/11/2010 at 09:13 AM --
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Thrombocytopenia as an Adverse Effect of Levetiracetam Therapy in a Child
We describe this feature in a child. A six and half-year-old boy developed symptomatic epilepsy secondary to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. He was treated with levetiracetam. He made a good recovery from his primary illness, but five weeks after he started taking levetiracetam, he presented with thrombocytopenia requiring platelet transfusion. Extensive investigations for known causes of thrombocytopenia were negative. Withdrawal of levetiracetam led to the resolution of thrombocytopenia. Levetiracetam-induced thrombocytopenia is a rare, but significant adverse effect.[...]© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New YorkGet connected:Table of contents | Abstract | Full text (Source: Neuropediatrics)...
POSTED 03/11/2010 at 09:13 AM --
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Recovering from severe brain injury
(Source: BMJ Online First)...
POSTED 03/11/2010 at 07:25 AM --
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FDA: Medtronic device didn't meet study objectives
A brain-stimulation device that Medtronic Inc. is trying to get approved to treat epilepsy in the United States ran into a road block today when the Food and Drug Administration said a clinic study for the project didn’t meet its objectives. (MDT) (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)...
POSTED 03/10/2010 at 01:46 PM --
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Conditional downregulation of brain- derived neurotrophic factor and tyrosine kinase receptor B blocks epileptogenesis in the human temporal lobe epilepsy hippocampus
Conclusion : These results suggest that the up-regulation of BDNF/trkB pathway might be at least in part responsible for the epileptogenesis. (Source: Neurology India)...
POSTED 03/09/2010 at 09:01 AM --
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Demographic and historical backgrounds of the elderly with nonepileptic seizures: A comparative study
Conclusion : In demographic and historical aspects old and young patients do not display major differences; however, the diagnosis is significantly delayed in the elderly. Early diagnosis with video EEG is recommended to avoid potential long-term risks associated with inappropriate treatments. (Source: Neurology India)...
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Hypoglycemic effect of aqueous extract of
Conclusion: The aqueous extract of Trichosanthes dioica has antihyperglycemic action. (Source: International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries)...
POSTED 03/09/2010 at 08:27 AM --
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Non-neuronal cells, inflammation and epilepsy (Commentary on Aronica et al.)
(Source: European Journal of Neuroscience)...
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Efficacy and Safety of Levetiracetam in Patients With Glioma: A Clinical Prospective Study [Original Contribution]
Conclusion The results of this study provide good evidence that levetiracetam is efficacious and safe in patients with epilepsy due to glioma. (Source: Archives of Neurology)...
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43. Interictal EEG in pharmacoresistant and in well-controlled partial epilepsies
Purpose: To determine the frequency, type and location of interictal EEG abnormalities in patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy (PRE). Method: From 80 randomly chosen patients with partial epilepsy, age 18–60 years, follow-up period at least 4 years, we formed two groups of 40 patients, one with PRE and one with controlled seizures (CE). (Source: Clinical Neurophysiology)...
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46. Efficacy and tolerability of topiramate as add-on therapy in patients with refractory epilepsy
Purpose: Topiramate (TPM) is a new antiepileptic drug (AED) with proven efficacy and safety. We investigated long-term efficacy and tolerability of TPM as add-on therapy in patients with refractory epilepsy. (Source: Clinical Neurophysiology)...
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47. Anxiety and epilepsy
Purpose: Quantitative analysis of anxiety level in patient groups with generalized and focal, temporal or extratemporal epilepsy. Material and method: Ninety patients (30 with generalized epilepsy, 30 with temporal and 30 with extratemporal epilepsy), and age-matched healthy control subjects were investigated. Anxiety level in all subjects was assessed with Beck Anxiety Inventory. Sheehan Disability Scale was used to determine the functional disability level. Patients with comorbid major depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, progressive neurological disease, alcoholism, and epilepsy associated with mental retardation were excluded. (Source: Clinical Neurophysiology)...
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16. Transcranial neuromodulation techniques for treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders
Transcranial neuromodulation techniques (TNT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), are promising treatment methods in neurology and psychiatry. Although, in contrast to DBS in movement disorders or ECT in depression, the efficacy of TNT to treat neurological or psychiatric disorders has not been undoubtedly demonstrated yet, the potential advantages are considerable. TNT techniques avoid surgical risks and provide theoretical advantages of potential specific neural circuit modulation. So far, the most encouraging results have been reported in neuropathic pain and depression. In addition, promising are the results obtained in treatment of epilepsy, parkinsonism, dyskinesia, dystonia, hallucination, and tinnitus. There are i......
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22. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in presurgical evaluation of temporal lobe epilepsy
Aim: To show results of neuroimaging ictal and interictal SPECT in our patients. Method: We performed brain SPECT in four patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy. For ictal studies patients had continuous video EEG monitoring. Radiotracer (stabilized 99mTcHMPAO, 740 MBq) injected in the first 30s after seizure onset. For interictal study radiotracer injected when patients have been without seizure. Study was performed 90min after radiotracer injected. (Source: Clinical Neurophysiology)...
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23. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and DaTSCAN in diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes
The role of nuclear medicine is functional brain imaging based on two strategies. A first approach is related to brain functional activity and energy metabolism and the second is related to the function of the chemically heterogeneous neurons. SPECT is nuclear medicine technique, presently widely used for imaging of neurovascular disorders, brain tumours, dementia, epilepsy, encephalitis, parkinsonism and various psychiatric diseases. Radiopharmaceuticals developed for SPECT can be categorized into a number of broad categories. Technetium-99m-labeled hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime (Tc-99m-HMPAO), and technetium-99m-labeled ethyl cysteinate dimer (Tc-99m-ECD) are widely used to visualize and to measure cerebral blood flow. 3-[(123)I]iodo-alpha-methyl-l-tyrosine ((I-123-IMT), Thallium-201 chl......
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26. Effect of hyperventilation in patients with mechanical brain injury
Purpose: To investigate the hyperventilation (HV) effect on quantitative background EEG activity in subjects with mechanical brain injury. Methods: The study was performed on a sample of 69 patients with mechanical brain injury (31 female and 38 male, mean age 45,04 years), 36 of them with posttraumatic epileptic seizures (PTS). Control group consisted of 34 age-matched healthy subjects. Electrodes were positioned according to 10–20 system. Data were processed using program package PERSYST Insight II (Persyst Development Corporation, 1060 Sandreto Drive, Suite E-2, Prescott, AZ 86305). Multiple comparisons of HV effect between control and patient groups, as well as subgroups with and without PTS, were performed with spectral EEG analysis in Laplacian montage. (Source: Clinical Neurophys......
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29. Occipital EEG alpha power after sleep deprivation greater among the idiopathic generalized epilepsies
Purpose: To find some EEG indicators that could differ idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGE) from partial ones and controls. Methods: The alpha attenuation test (AAT) was applied to the sample of 117 patients with at least one episode of loss of consciousness and 34 controls. All patients underwent EEG recording after one night sleep deprivation. AAT was performed before sleep onset. According to the later established diagnosis, three patients groups were established: 27 with IGE, 34 with partial epilepsy and 56 with unknown cause of loss of consciousness. A total of 36 logarithmic transformed variables underwent the parametric statistical analysis: six relative and six absolute alpha powers from each of the two channels (O2-A1 and O1-A2) after eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) condit......
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1. Quantification of epileptic activity for therapeutic monitoring
The aim of treatment of epilepsies is to control seizures without causing adverse effects by reaching the best possible quality of life. For this aim diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring became an increasingly clinically important tool because seizures are transient events difficult to observe. An assessment of the amount of knowledge gain by the different examination methods such as routine EEG, sleep EEG, ictal routine EEG, long-term video EEG. Evaluation of antiepileptic drugs can be performed with the aid of therapeutic intensive seizure analysis including neuropsychological testing. Computer supported seizure detection in emergency cases status epilepticus and for the quantification of frequency and severity of epileptic seizures in difficult to treat epilepsies. Here adequate method......
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8. Autonomic status epilepticus
Although autonomic dysfunction associated with both interictal and ictal epileptogenic activity may have serious consequences, autonomic seizures and autonomic status epilepticus (Aut SE) is a relatively neglected topic. According to a recent definition of an international consortium, autonomic seizures are characterized by prominent alterations of autonomic function. Aut SE is a condition lasting at least 30min and characterized by epileptic activity causing altered autonomic function of any type at seizure onset or in which manifestations consistent with altered autonomic function are prominent (quantitatively dominant or clinically important) even if not present at seizure onset. Aut SE most frequently occurs in otherwise normal child aged 4 and 5 years with Panayiotopoulos syndrome, an......
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10. Pathway to chronicity: Cortical excitability changes associated with refractory epilepsy
Objective: We used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to study the in vivo effect of recurrent seizures on cortical excitability during the evolution of chronic epilepsy. (Source: Clinical Neurophysiology)...
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