Seizure

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the acid-fast bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, affecting close to a quarter of the world’s population[1]. On the other hand, epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disease of the brain, affecting around 50 million people worldwide, and up to 10% of the population will have one epileptic seizure during their lifetime[2–4]. However, most people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries where TB is endemic[5].

The KCNQ2 gene encodes voltage-gated potassium channel subunits that underlie the M-current, a repolarizing current that limits repetitive firing during long-lasting depolarizing inputs [1]. Mutations in this gene can result in disorders ranging from benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) to early infantile developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (EIDEE) [2].

: Epilepsy surgery may be effective in some children with GATOR1 complex gene variants. Seizure outcomes may be compromised by extensive epileptogenic zones.

The FAT1 gene (OMIM *600796) encodes FAT atypical cadherin 1, a cell adhesion molecule that is important for cell migration, polarity, and cell-cell adhesion[1]. The FAT1 protein is broadly expressed and is predominant in the embryonic brain and other epithelial tissues[1,2]. Homozygous Fat1-knockout (KO) mice exhibit holoprosencephaly, anophthalmia, and perinatal lethality[3], suggesting an essential role of FAT1 in foetal growth. In humans, FAT1 variants have been reported in patients with disorders of the multisystem, including the central nervous system[4].

Epilepsy is one of the more common neurological disorders in the general population, affecting around 50 million people worldwide[1]. It affects 22.2% of people with intellectual disabilities (PwID)[2]. PwID and epilepsy often have seizures that are less well-controlled, of multiple types and are more likely to be resistant to single-drug treatments[3]. This population has increased levels of physical and psychological comorbidity[4–6]. Polypharmacy is common, including psychotropic and anti-seizure medications[4–6].

Symptomatic neurological diseases occur in about 40–70% of HIV/AIDS patients during the course of their illness [1–3], even in the era of combined anti-retroviral treatment (cART). Seizure is a common manifestation and plays an important role in the clinical presentation and quality of life of the HIV-infected patients [2,4]; therefore, it is of key concern owing to its lifelong impact and potential for causing brain damage [5]. Approximately 6.2–11% of HIV-infected patients had new-onset seizures [6–8].

We read with great interest the article “Admission neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts length of hospitalization and need for ICU admission in adults with Status Epilepticus” by Olivo et al [1]. The objective of the study was to investigate the correlation between admission neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and hospitalization time, need for ICU admission, and 30-day mortality in patients with Status Epilepticus (SE), as a new, uncomplicated, and dependable marker of inflammation. The study identified that the optimal NLR cutoff point for predicting ...

The MED12 gene encodes mediator complex subunit 12, which is a component of the mediator complex involved in the transcriptional regulation of nearly all RNA polymerase II-dependent genes. MED12 variants have previously been associated with developmental disorders with or without nonspecific intellectual disability. This study aims to explore the association between MED12 variants and epilepsy.

Epileptic Nystagmus (EN) is a rare ictal phenomenon that is frequently reported in children rather than adults. EN is characterized by quick, repetitive eye movements. The direction of the nystagmus is defined based on the fast component of eye movements. EN can be a helpful lateralizing sign, and prior reports indicated that its direction is contralateral to the epileptogenic zone. EN is generated through interaction between an ictal discharge frequency and cortical regions implicated in generating the sign.

Epilepsy with myoclonic absences (EMA) is a very rare childhood generalized epilepsy syndrome (<1% of all generalized epilepsies) associated with frequent myoclonic absence seizures that was described in 1969 by Tassinari et al.[1] Seizures are characterized by bilateral rhythmic jerks of the upper limbs, superimposed on tonic abduction of the arms.[2] Ictal EEG consists of 3-Hz generalized spike-and-wave complexes that are time-locked with the upper limb myoclonus, while the EMG generally shows myoclonic jerks followed by tonic contraction of both ...