Seizure

Autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) is increasingly recognized as a heterogeneous group of conditions associated with anti-neural antibodies (Abs)[1]. These Abs can be classified into two groups according to their epitopes: Abs targeting intracellular neuronal antigens (INAbs); and Abs targeting neural surface antigens (NSAbs)[2]. The initial and common symptoms of AIE include seizures (of several different types), which occur at a high prevalence (50- 90%)[3, 4]. These seizures are reported to respond poorly to routine therapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs)[5].

Non-epileptic seizures (NES) are events that appear similar to epileptic seizures but present without associated epileptic brain activity [38]. In DSM-V and ICD-10 NES is considered to be a subtype of conversion disorder/ functional neurological symptom disorder [2, 51]. A lack of agreement with regard to the most appropriate term to use for NES, means there are a number of synonyms in use, which include pseudoseizures, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, non-epileptic attack disorder [34] and functional seizures; the latter has been ...

Epilepsy is a common disease, with prevalence ranging from 0.5% to 1.0% in the general population [1,2]. Uncontrolled epileptic seizures have a serious impact on the social activities of affected individuals, such as school achievements and employment [3,4]. Driving license restriction is one of the most frequently noted issues, as that can limit the daily activities of patients with active epilepsy, while acquisition or re-acquisition of a driver’s license has been constantly listed as one of the most highly evaluated ...

Despite over 24 approved anti-seizure medications, seizure freedom eludes 1 in 3 patients [1]. Meanwhile, new drug development costs have accelerated into billions of dollars. With these factors at play, it is time to re-assess basic assumptions about evaluating randomized clinical trial outcomes. It was recently shown that using “median percentage change” (MPC) [2] increased trial efficiency and lowered cost [3]. Is there a better metric, one that can reduce trial size while maintaining quality, reproducibility, and surveillance for adverse ...

Vigabatrin (VGB) is approved as monotherapy for pediatric patients with Infantile Spasms (IS). Duration of VGB use should be limited because of the risk of retinal and neurotoxicity, but the optimal length of treatment is unknown. Our study aimed to determine the risk of spasms relapse after 6 months of VGB as first-line therapy in IS patients deemed VGB good responders.The participants were 44 infants with IS who demonstrated both absence of clinical spasms and hypsarrhythmia four weeks after starting ...

To the Editors:

Acute encephalitis syndrome is a global problem. World Health Organization has defined AES as a ‘child of any age, at any time of year with the acute onset of fever and a change in mental status (including symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, coma, or inability to talk) and/or new onset of seizures (excluding simple febrile seizures)’.1 AES can be caused by bacterial, viral infections, fungal, parasitic, and spirochetal infections. The etiology varies depending on geography and season. Common causes of ...

Epileptic seizures are defined as transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to an abnormal excessive and hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain cortex [1, 2]. Epilepsy is considered as drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) when seizure freedom has not been achieved after two tolerated and appropriately chosen AEDs schedules, determined from seizures occurring within the past 12 months [3]. Approximately 30-40% of the people with epilepsy do not achieve seizure control [4,5] however only a few patients suspected of DRE are ...

Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurological emergency associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of SE has been reported to be between 9.9 and 41 per 100,000 person-years, with a bimodal peaking in children and the elderly.[1] Ascertaining the underlying aetiology of SE is an essential step of management, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain plays an important role. Abnormalities seen on MRI do not always reflect a pathology, however, as several studies have reported ...

To determine treatment responses to various antiseizure medicines (ASMs) in patients with drug resistant juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (DRJME)