Rolandic discharges: Clinico-neurophysiological correlation
Conclusions: This study revealed similarities between rolandic discharges of two different epilepsy groups. The only reliable parameter to differentiate the groups was the background activity.Significance: Our findings suggest that most EEG rolandic features are not pathognomonic of BCECTS, as they are related to the area of the discharges and not to the epileptic syndrome itself. (Source: Clinical Neurophysiology)...
POSTED 09/02/2010 at 04:44 AM --
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Vitamin D Insufficiency in Children With Epilepsy
(Source: AAP Grand Rounds)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 11:00 AM --
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Susceptibility to chronic pain following nerve injury is genetically affected by CACNG2 [RESEARCH]
Chronic neuropathic pain is affected by specifics of the precipitating neural pathology, psychosocial factors, and by genetic predisposition. Little is known about the identity of predisposing genes. Using an integrative approach, we discovered that CACNG2 significantly affects susceptibility to chronic pain following nerve injury. CACNG2 encodes for stargazin, a protein intimately involved in the trafficking of glutamatergic AMPA receptors. The protein might also be a Ca2+ channel subunit. CACNG2 has previously been implicated in epilepsy. Initially, using two fine-mapping strategies in a mouse model (recombinant progeny testing [RPT] and recombinant inbred segregation test [RIST]), we mapped a pain-related quantitative trait locus (QTL) (Pain1) into a 4.2-Mb interval on chromosome 15. Th......
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 09:02 AM --
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The Epilepsy Genetic Association Database - epiGAD - analysis of 165 genetic association studies - 1996-2008
We have created the Epilepsy Genetic Association Database (epiGAD), http://www.epigad.org, an online database of epilepsy genetic association studies. A systematic search using several search engines identified 165 studies. (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:53 AM --
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Polymorphism of the MDR1-ABCB1 C3435T drug-transporter and resistance to anticonvulsant drugs - a meta-analysis
Background: Approximately one-third of patients with epilepsy patients have recurrent seizures despite therapy. It has been suggested that therapeutic failure is associated with high expression of the multidrug efflux ABCB1 (MDR1) drug-transporter; specifically, that patients with the 3435CC genotype have higher efflux of anticonvulsants out of brain tissue, with correspondingly lower concentrations in the central nervous system. (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:51 AM --
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Surgical outcomes in lesional and non-lesional epilepsy - a systematic review and meta-analysis
Purposes: To provide evidence-based quantitative summary estimates of seizure outcomes in patients with non-lesional and lesional epilepsy treated with surgery, and to assess the consistency of results among published studies. (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:50 AM --
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Long-term seizure outcome of surgery versus no surgery for drug-resistant partial epilepsy - a review of controlled studies
A majority of patients with formerly drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy become seizure-free after surgery. However, apart from one 12-month randomized trial, it is unclear how many become seizure-free because of surgery. To determine the net benefit of surgery, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published evidence of how many patients in similar studies become seizure-free without surgery. (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:49 AM --
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Surgery for extratemporal nonlesional epilepsy in children - a meta-analysis
Conclusions: This study confirms previous reports: Surgical outcomes for ETLE epilepsy are significantly worse than those for temporal lobe epilepsy. The reasons for this difference may include the diffuse nature of the pathology involved in ETLE, difficulty in localizing the seizure focus in young children, and involvement of âeloquentâ nonresectable cortex in epileptogenesis. Because of the reporting variability among different epilepsy centers, more uniform protocols are necessary for fair evaluation and comparison of outcomes among the different centers. (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:47 AM --
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Management issues for women with epilepsy - focus on pregnancy - an evidence-based review - vitamin K folic acid blood levels and breastfeeding
Recommendations: Supplementing women with epilepsy with at least 0.4 mg of folic acid before they become pregnant may be considered (Level C). Monitoring of lamotrigine, carbamazepine, and phenytoin levels during pregnancy should be considered (Level B) and monitoring of levetiracetam and oxcarbazepine (as monohydroxy derivative) levels may be considered (Level C). A paucity of evidence limited the strength of many recommendations. (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:37 AM --
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Management issues for women with epilepsy - focus on pregnancy - an evidence-based review - obstetrical complications and change in seizure frequency
Women with epilepsy (WWE) should be counseled that seizure freedom for at least 9 months prior to pregnancy is probably associated with a high rate (84%â92%) of remaining seizure-free during pregnancy (Level B). However, WWE who smoke should be counseled that they possibly have a substantially increased risk of premature contractions and premature labor and delivery during pregnancy (Level C). (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:36 AM --
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Management issues for women with epilepsy--focus on pregnancy - an evidence-based review - teratogenesis and perinatal outcomes
Recommendations: If possible, avoidance of valproate (VPA) and antiepileptic drug (AED) polytherapy during the first trimester of pregnancy should be considered to decrease the risk of major congenital malformations (Level B). If possible, avoidance of VPA and AED polytherapy throughout pregnancy should be considered to prevent reduced cognitive outcomes (Level B). If possible, avoidance of phenytoin and phenobarbital during pregnancy may be considered to prevent reduced cognitive outcomes (Level C). Pregnancy risk stratification should reflect that the offspring of women with epilepsy taking AEDs are probably at increased risk for being small for gestational age (Level B) and possibly at increased risk of 1-minute Apgar scores of (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:35 AM --
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Long-term developmental outcome of children of women with epilepsy unexposed or exposed prenatally to antiepileptic drugs -A meta-analysis of cohort
Conclusions: Although our analysis revealed no evidence that untreated maternal epilepsy was associated with a lower IQ in the child, there may have been confounding factors, such as milder epilepsy, in this group. Exposure to valproic acid in pregnancy is associated with significantly reduced intelligence in children whose mothers were treated for epilepsy. Exposure to carbamazepine in pregnancy does not appear to be associated with reduced FSIQ and VIQ in children, although PIQ was lower in the sub-analysis. Clinicians should inform families of the potential cognitive adverse effects of valproic acid. More studies are needed to corroborate these findings. (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:31 AM --
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TollâLike Receptor 4 Polymorphism and Its Association with Symptomatic Neurocysticercosis
Conclusions.âTLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms are associated with the development of symptomatic NCC, probably by modulating the Th1/Th2 axis. (Source: The Journal of Infectious Diseases Latest Issue)...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 02:04 AM --
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Policy & Practice: Want more health reform news? Subscribe to our podcast â search âPolicy & Practiceâ in the iTunes store
The Food and Drug Administration has begun accepting historical controls for studies testing new antiepilepsy drugs in treatment-resistant patients. The agency decision followed a New York University study in the journal Epilepsia that found that patients who were controls in past epilepsy-drug studies can also be valid controls for future studies. Previously, the agency required an internal control group in studies. In those studies, patients received a test drug or a suboptimal, maintenance dose of an established drug. In the process, the patient would undergo a withdrawal phase followed by a monotherapy phase. But since new antiepilepsy drugs rarely demonstrate superiority to existing therapies, placebos or pseudoplacebos were the only acceptable internal controls but were unsuitable be......
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 06:00 PM --
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Duplication of MAOA, MAOB, and NDP in a patient with mental retardation and epilepsy
Authors: Laura L Klitten, Rikke S Møller, Kirstine Ravn, Helle Hjalgrim
& Niels Tommerup (Source: European Journal of Human Genetics)...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 06:00 PM --
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FDA delays review of Glaxo epilepsy drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has pushed back the review date for GlaxoSmithKlineâs new epilepsy treatment. (GSK) (VRX) (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 12:24 PM --
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MMR: The zombie controversy that lurches on
The MMR vaccine makes an unwelcome return to the headlinesI thought it was over. I thought it was finished. But then I flicked on the TV and saw that Ultimate Big Brother was on, some monstrous new zombie version of the interminable celebration of mediocrity, and now I'm too traumatised even to glance at a TV Guide until probably around December time, when I have my annual "oh dear God is this really what they're putting on the telly for Christmas" moment. But even that doesn't compare to the nausea-inducing sight of the letters "MMR" plastered across the front of the Mail on Sunday like an immigrant who made house prices go up. Once again the MMR vaccine has hit the headlines, and once again the journalism involved has been less than stellar.Having apologised to the shopkeeper for all the......
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 11:02 AM --
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MMR: The zombie controversy that still lurches on | Martin Robbins
The MMR vaccine makes an unwelcome return to the headlinesI thought it was over. I thought it was finished. But then I flicked on the TV and saw that Ultimate Big Brother was on, some monstrous new zombie version of the interminable celebration of mediocrity, and now I'm too traumatised even to glance at a TV Guide until probably around December time, when I have my annual "oh dear God is this really what they're putting on the telly for Christmas" moment. But even that doesn't compare to the nausea-inducing sight of the letters "MMR" plastered across the front of the Mail on Sunday like an immigrant who made house prices go up. Once again the MMR vaccine has hit the headlines, and once again the journalism involved has been less than stellar.Having apologised to the shopkeeper for all the......
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 11:02 AM --
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Transient loss of consciousness - blackouts - management in adults and young people
This guideline offers evidence-based advice on the assessment, diagnosis and specialist referral of adults and young people (aged 16 and older) who have experienced transient loss of consciousness ('blackouts' or TLoC for short). Some people collapse without TLoC and this guideline does not cover that situation. There are various causes of TLoC, including cardiovascular disorders (which are the most common), neurological conditions such as epilepsy, and psychogenic attacks. (Source: Neurological Conditions Specialist Library)...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 10:01 AM --
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MMR â the vaccine damage myth that will not die
Despite the disproving of a link between MMR vaccination and autism, MMR is under attack againIt is now well-established that the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of the view that MMR does not cause autism. The front page of the Mail on Sunday at the weekend has the headline "FAMILY WIN 18YR FIGHT OVER MMR DAMAGE TO SON" and a strap-line reading "£90,000 pay out is first since concerns over vaccine surfaced". This is the case of a boy called Robert, who is now 18 and has severe brain damage such that he is unable to talk, stand unaided or feed himself, following a severe convulsion and onset of epilepsy at the age of 13 months. It is impossible not to feel sympathy and admiration for Robert and his family for his condition, their circumstances and their long battle for compensation. I......
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 07:00 AM --
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