Epilepsia. Official Journal of the International League Against Epilepsy

Abstract

Highly purified cannabidiol (CBD) has demonstrated efficacy with an acceptable safety profile in patients with Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome in randomized, double‐blind, add‐on, controlled phase 3 trials. It is important to consider the possibility of drug‐drug interactions (DDIs). Here, we review six trials of CBD (Epidiolex/Epidyolex; 100 mg/mL oral solution) in healthy volunteers or patients with epilepsy, which investigated potential interactions between CBD and enzymes involved in drug metabolism of common antiseizure drugs (ASDs). CBD did not affect CYP3A4 activity. ...

Abstract

Inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of immune‐mediated epilepsy, but also in epilepsy of other etiology such as hippocampal sclerosis. This study aimed to characterize immune cell signatures in the peripheral blood (PB) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) of different etiologies. We retrospectively evaluated CSF routine parameters and immune cell profiles using flow cytometry in a cohort of 51 patients and 45 age‐matched controls with functional disorders. Groups were comprised of patients with nonlesional TLE ...

Abstract

Objective

There is evidence for central nervous system complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection, including encephalopathy. Encephalopathy caused by or arising from seizures, especially nonconvulsive seizures (NCS), often requires electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring for diagnosis. The prevalence of seizures and other EEG abnormalities among COVID‐19‐infected patients is unknown.

Methods

Medical records and EEG studies of patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID‐19 infections over a 2‐month period at a single US academic health system (four hospitals) were reviewed to describe the distribution of EEG findings ...

Abstract

Objective

To characterize a cohort of children with epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) and develop a diagnostic algorithm incorporating key differential diagnoses.

Methods

Children presenting with EPC to a tertiary pediatric neurology center between 2002 and 2019 were characterized.

Results

Fifty‐four children fulfilled EPC criteria. Median age at onset was 7 years (range 0.6‐15), with median follow‐up of 4.3 years (range 0.2‐16). The diagnosis was Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) in 30 of 54 (56%), a mitochondrial disorder in 12 of 54 (22.2%), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion‐positive focal ...

Abstract

Significant technological advances have improved our ability to localize epilepsy and investigate the electrophysiology in patients undergoing preparation for epilepsy surgery. Conversely, our process of decision‐making and outcome prediction has remained essentially restricted to subjective clinical judgment. This may have hindered our ability to improve outcomes. In this review, we highlight the cognitive biases that interfere with medical decision‐making and present data on the use of algorithms and statistical models in general health care, before pivoting to discuss applications in ...

Abstract

Objective

Dravet syndrome (Dravet) is a severe childhood epileptic encephalopathy. The disease begins with a febrile stage, characterized by febrile seizures with otherwise normal development. Progression to the worsening stage features recurrent intractable seizures and the presentation of additional nonepileptic comorbidities, including global developmental delay, hyperactivity, and motor deficits. Later in life, at the stabilization stage, seizure burden decreases, whereas Dravet‐associated comorbidities persist. To date, it remains debated whether the nonepileptic comorbidities result from severe epilepsy or represent an independent phenotypic ...

Abstract

Although vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a common procedure, seizure outcomes are heterogeneous, with few available means to preoperatively identify the ideal surgical candidate. Here, we perform a scoping review of the literature to identify biomarkers of VNS response in patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy. Several databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, BIOSIS Previews, and Web of Science) were searched for all relevant articles that reported at least one biomarker of VNS response following implantation for intractable epilepsy. Patient demographics, seizure data, ...

Abstract

Objective

Despite national guidelines supporting surgical referral in drug‐resistant epilepsy, it is hypothesized that surgery is underutilized. We investigated the volumes of lobectomy/amygdalohippocampectomy surgeries over time and examined differences in outcomes between (1) high‐volume (HV), middle‐volume (MV), and low‐volume (LV) hospitals and (2) Level 4 Centers versus non–Level 4 Centers.

Methods

The 2003‐2014 National Inpatient Sample (the largest all‐payer hospitalization database, representative of the US population) was utilized. Epilepsy was identified using a previously validated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification ...

Abstract

Objective

Blood biomarkers have not been widely investigated in poststroke epilepsy. In this study, we aimed to describe clinical factors and biomarkers present during acute stroke and analyze their association with the development of epilepsy at long term.

Methods

A panel of 14 blood biomarkers was evaluated in patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Biomarkers were normalized and standardized using Z‐scores. Stroke and epilepsy‐related variables were also assessed: stroke severity, determined by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, stroke type and ...

Abstract

Objective

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), a telementoring program, utilizes lectures, case‐based learning, and an “all teach–all learn” approach to increase primary care provider (PCP) knowledge/confidence in managing chronic health conditions. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Epilepsy and Comorbidities ECHO incorporated quality improvement (QI) methodology to create meaningful practice change, while increasing PCP knowledge/self‐efficacy in epilepsy management using the ECHO model.

Methods

Monthly ECHO sessions (May 2018 to December 2018) included lectures, case presentations/discussion, and QI review. Pediatric practices were ...