Seizure

Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) patients usually present normal neuroimaging findings and adequate seizure control if treated with an appropriate antiepileptic drug regimen. Abnormalities in conventional neuroimaging in IGE patients usually represent incidental findings, not related to epilepsy pathophysiology. A significant minority of IGE patients present breakthrough seizures despite appropriate treatment [1]. These patients usually receive higher antiepileptic drug loads.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a time-sensitive and life-threatening medical emergency. The occurrence of seizures and SE appears often random and difficult to predict, reducing the quality of life in patients with epilepsy and their families [1]. Here, we summarize the literature on ambulatory seizure detection (focusing on detection modalities and devices for ambulatory monitoring), seizure prediction (focusing on patterns of epileptic seizure and SE occurrence as well as EEG features), and tentatively SE prevention (using closed-loop warning and treatment systems ...

Epileptic seizures are a common symptom of neurological syndromes associated with neural surface antibodies (NSAbs) [1,2]. Recent studies agree that NSAbs are pathogenic, even though the exact role of these antibodies in ictogenesis and epileptogenesis remains to be elucidated [3].

Epilepsy is a common neurological disease that affects approximately 50 million people worldwide [1]. It is defined as a disorder of the brain and characterised by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures [2,3]. Multiple antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have been developed to try to control seizures in patients with epilepsy; however, 20–30% of patients are still refractory to currently available drug treatments, thus, the development of novel AEDs is required [4–6].

Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke [1]. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death for Americans [1]. Stroke is a commonly identified cause of epilepsy in patients older than 35, and the most common cause of seizures in the elderly [2,3]. From stroke registry data, 5-20% of all patients who have suffered stroke will develop seizures[4]. Frequency is variable due to different study methodologies[4]. In a multicenter, prospective study, seizures occurred in ...

Dravet syndrome (DS) (OMIM 607208), previously described as severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) is a severe genetic epilepsy with associated encephalopathy.[1] Early clinical presentation of DS is characterised by the onset of prolonged, febrile and afebrile generalized clonic or hemiclonic seizures in an otherwise normally developing infant. Seizures are usually resistant to typically prescribed anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) and evolve with the disease progression to include myoclonic, atypical absences and focal seizures.

Epilepsy is a common neurologic disorder which affects about 1% of the U.S. population [1]. Most new cases of epilepsy occur in the elderly, with an annual incidence rate of 240 per 100,000 in people aged 65 and older in the United States [1]. Among patients with new-onset epilepsy, almost 50% of the causes can be explained by an underlying etiology, such as vascular diseases, tumors or metabolic disorders [2]. Around 30-40% of new epilepsy cases among the elderly are ...

Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) is often defined as a prolonged seizure which fails to respond to two or more anti-seizure medications (ASMs), including at least one non-benzodiazepine ASM [1]. In children, RSE is a devastating condition associated with considerable mortality and long-term neurological morbidity [2,3]. For example, the case fatality for convulsive status epilepticus (SE) was 11% in the north London cohort, with cumulative incidence of epilepsy, intellectual disability, and motor impairment of 25%, 12%, and 5% respectively in survivors ...

Epilepsy is a serious chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures, which have significant impacts on both health and quality of life of affected individuals. For people with epilepsy, adherence to antiepileptic drug (AED) regimens is crucial for seizure control and can maximize the quality of life [1]. Nonadherence may result in breakthrough seizures with serious consequences that may also compromise an individual’s perceived quality of life [2].

In clinical practice, most dosing schemes for pharmacological treatment of epilepsy are based on efficacy (i.e. seizure reduction) and tolerability (i.e. side-effects). However, one can anticipate clinical effects (efficacy and tolerability) by measuring anti-epileptic drug (AED) serum drug concentrations (SDCs). This constellation is true for some older AEDs, such as phenytoin, since they imply regular monitoring of SDCs due to their non-linear pharmacokinetics and/or small therapeutic range [1].