Seizure

Electrical stimulation mapping is a longstanding practice that aids in identification and delineation of eloquent cortex. Initially used to expand our understanding of the typical human cortex, it now plays a significant role in mapping cortical function in individuals with atypical structural and functional tissue organization undergoing epilepsy surgery. This review discusses the unique challenges that arise in the functional testing of the immature cortex of a child and the parameters of stimulation that optimize accurate results in conventional open ...

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare immune-mediated condition that classically presents in children with focal epilepsy or epilepsia partialis continua, progressive hemiplegia associated with cognitive deterioration and chronic unilateral cortical inflammation and hemi-atrophy [1]. Adults may have atypical manifestations including a prolonged prodromal phase, poorly defined residual period and slower progression [2]. Adults have more frequent occipital lobe involvement, bilateral hemispheric involvement or presentation as temporal lobe epilepsy or movement disorders [3].

After Doose et al. [1] described epilepsy with myoclonic-atonic seizure (MAE), exploration of genetic causes has been ongoing [2]. Recent studies have identified pathogenic variants in SLC2A1 and SLC6A1 in 4% and 5% of MAE patients, respectively [3,4]. SLC2A1 has also been identified as responsible for up to 10% of early onset absence epilepsy (EOAE) patients [5–7]. Similarly, EOAE and childhood absence epilepsy have also been reported in patients with pathogenic variants in SLC6A1 [8]. Therefore, although the principal seizure ...

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a well-known and often limiting problem in the pharmacological treatment of epilepsies. Cutaneous drug reactions – ranging from mild maculopapular exanthema (MPE) to severe Stevens-Johnson syndrome/ toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) are frequently observed in association with several antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) [1]. DRESS (drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms) is a potentially life-threatening subtype that features hypereosinophilia, morbilliform skin eruptions, fever, facial edema, enlarged lymph nodes and other organ involvement and occurs with a latency ...

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent seizures affecting various aspects of social life [1,2]. It is generally agreed that patients with epilepsy (PWE) are less likely to get married and bear offspring [3–6]. Lower marriage rates and reduced fertility within marriage may be associated with sociological and clinical characteristics of epilepsy [5,7,8]. PWE have lower rates of marriage when disease onset in their first decade of life [3,5]. Carran et al. found that patients with temporal lobe epilepsy ...

Pediatric patients with epilepsy for whom epilepsy surgery is a treatment option very often profit from this intervention in terms of becoming seizure free. However, while seizure freedom can be achieved in many patients, the eventual neuropsychological costs of successful and even more important of non-successful surgery represent a relevant issue under discussion. Neuropsychological impairments are almost present when epilepsy starts already, they can increase with ongoing epilepsy, and surgery may add to this [1–4].

The last 20 years have seen great advances in our understanding of the genetic basis of epilepsy. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have enabled the discovery of hundreds of genes associated with idiopathic epilepsies, in particular early infantile epileptic encephalopathies [1–4].

Seizures and epilepsy are the most common manifestations of all the evolutionary stages of NCC (78.8%, 95% CI: 65.1%-89.7%) [1]. The seizure presentation can be an isolated seizure, seizures in cluster, and convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) [2,3]. CSE is an extremely rare presentation of all the evolutionary stages of NCC [2–5]. Extremely rarely CSE due to NCC may evolve into super refractory SE [6]. However because of its rarity, CSE due to NCC has not been well characterized, hence this ...

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are associated with rashes and other hypersensitivity reactions. The incidence varies depending on the type of rash, the AED used, and the previous history of rash with quoted incidences ranging from 1.7 -8.8%. Drugs with the greatest risk include phenytoin, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and lamotrigine, while several other AEDs have a risk < 1% [1,2]. AEDs are commonly used in adult and pediatric patients with epilepsy (PWE), pain, and behavioral health problems [3]. It is important to understand ...

Stroke is a common cause of epilepsy in the elderly population. The abnormal neuronal discharges of post-stroke seizures (PSS) can cause damage to neurons and worsen the outcome of stroke. Numerous studies have focused on the clinical epidemiology of PSS; and the reported incidence varies from 2% to 20%, depending on the study population, stroke subtype, and the seizure onset time after the stroke [1–4]. Patients with early-onset seizures (ES) have a high risk of disability and mortality [1,5], whereas ...