Epilepsia. Official Journal of the International League Against Epilepsy

Abstract

Literature on the association between arachnoid cysts and seizures/epilepsy is inconsistent, and most series have been flawed due to recruitment bias. In this study, we aimed to assess the prevalence of supratentorial arachnoid cysts (SACs) in Atahualpa residents aged ≥20 years, and to estimate whether these lesions were associated with seizures/epilepsy. A total of 1157 individuals were included. Computed tomography revealed SACs in 25 individuals (2.2%). Most had middle cranial fossa SACs (n = 19). Recurrent nonprovoked seizures were diagnosed in 28 individuals ...

Abstract

Objective

The prediction of verbal memory decline after temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) surgery remains difficult at an individual level. We evaluated the prognostic value of postictal memory testing in predicting the postoperative verbal memory function.

Methods

Sixty‐three consecutive patients were included in the analysis who underwent TLE surgery at our center with preoperative interictal/postictal and postoperative memory testing. Verbal memory was evaluated using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). We used reliable change indices with 90% confidence interval (90% RCIs) to evaluate ...

Abstract

Objective

Pharmacokinetics (PK) of antiseizure drugs differ considerably between rats and humans. Rodents require larger and more frequent doses to maintain therapeutic drug levels. This study uses the antiseizure drug (ASD) carbamazepine (CBZ) to validate the application of a previously described automated drug delivery system for delivering chronic oral medication to rats.

Methods

Treatment‐naive, male Sprague‐Dawley rats were treated with oral CBZ, 75 mg/kg every 6 hours for 10 days, via the automated feeder. Blood samples were collected on day 0 (acute), day 2 (steady‐state), and ...

Abstract

To improve the diagnostic accuracy of electroencephalography (EEG) criteria for nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), external validation of the recently proposed Salzburg criteria is paramount. We performed an external, retrospective, diagnostic accuracy study of the Salzburg criteria, using EEG recordings from patients with and without a clinical suspicion of having NCSE. Of the 191 EEG recordings, 12 (12%) was classified as an NCSE according to the reference standard. In the validation cohort, sensitivity was 67% and specificity was 89%. The positive ...

Abstract

Objective

The cyclin‐dependent kinase like 5 (CDKL5) gene is a known cause of early onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, also known as CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD). We sought to (1) provide a description of seizure types in patients with CDD, (2) provide an assessment of the frequency of seizure‐free periods and cortical visual impairment (CVI), (3) correlate these features with genotype and gender, and (4) correlate these features with developmental milestones.

Methods

This is a cohort study of patients with CDD. Phenotypic features ...

Abstract

Objective

To identify whether abnormal electroencephalography (EEG) connectivity is present before the onset of epileptic spasms (ES) in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).

Methods

Scalp EEG recordings were collected prospectively in infants diagnosed with TSC in the first year of life. This study compared the earliest recorded EEG from infants prior to ES onset (n = 16) and from infants who did not develop ES (n = 28). Five minutes of stage II or quiet sleep was clipped and filtered into canonical EEG frequency bands. Mutual ...

Abstract

Objective

To identify neuroimaging and clinical biomarkers associated with a language‐impaired phenotype in refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

Methods

Eighty‐five patients with TLE were characterized as language‐impaired (TLE‐LI) or non–language‐impaired (TLE‐NLI) based on comprehensive neuropsychological testing. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging, and functional MRI (fMRI) were obtained in patients and 47 healthy controls (HC). fMRI activations and cortical thickness were calculated within language regions of interest, and fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated within deep white matter tracts associated with language. ...

Abstract

Objectives

Both clinical genomics and e‐Health technology are changing the way medicine is being practiced. Although the basic clinical methodology of good medical care will remain unchanged, the combined power of genomics and electronic health records has the capability of enhancing, and in some cases transforming, the practice of medicine. This is particularly true in the care of patients with complex long‐term medical conditions such as chronic refractory epilepsy, especially in those with related complex comorbidities including intellectual disability and psychiatric ...

Abstract

Accumulating data on patients with autoimmune encephalitis have shed light on specificities concerning clinical presentation and outcomes, which are dependent on the antigen targeted by the autoantibodies found in the patients’ cerebrospinal fluid or sera. Such specificities include seizure‐related clinical manifestations as well as the responsiveness to antiepileptic drugs. Although increased enthusiasm accompanies the discovery of novel antibodies and their associated clinical syndromes, several issues remain unsettled. First, it appears that therapy needs to be personalized in the view of ...