Epilepsia. Official Journal of the International League Against Epilepsy

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects 2.5 million people annually within the United States alone, with over 300 000 severe injuries resulting in emergency room visits and hospital admissions. Severe TBI can result in long‐term disability. Posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) is one of the most debilitating consequences of TBI, with an estimated incidence that ranges from 2% to 50% based on severity of injury. Conducting studies of PTE poses many challenges, because many subjects with TBI never develop epilepsy, and it can be ...

Abstract

The epileptic baboon provides a natural model of idiopathic generalized epilepsy and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). This retrospective, case‐controlled study aims to evaluate cardiac biomarkers of epilepsy, specifically QT‐interval prolongation and heart rate variability (HRV), in pedigreed, captive baboons undergoing scalp electroencephalography (EEG). We retrospectively identified 21 epileptic (nine females, mean age = 11.4 ± 5.4 years) and 19 asymptomatic control (12 females, mean age = 10.5 ± 6.3 years) baboons, who had undergone scalp EEG studies with an artifact‐free, 10‐beat electrocardiogram sample. All ...

Abstract

Objective

Studies have found that affected individuals who believe the cause of their disorder is genetic may react in various ways, including optimism for improved treatments and pessimism due to perceived permanence of the condition. This study assessed the psychosocial impact of genetic attribution among people with epilepsy.

Methods

Study participants were 165 persons with epilepsy from multiplex epilepsy families who completed a self‐administered survey. Psychosocial impact of epilepsy was assessed with the Impact of Epilepsy Scale, containing items about relationships, employment, overall ...

Abstract

Objective

Adults aged 50 years and older with epilepsy face an increased risk of fracture associated both with age and with the use of antiepileptic drugs. Lifestyle behaviors, such as physical activity and calcium and vitamin D intake, have been found to be beneficial to bone health. The aim of this study is to investigate these osteoprotective behaviors in people aged 50 years and older with and without epilepsy.

Methods

In 2010, the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), a cross‐sectional survey that collects health‐related data ...

Abstract

Objective

Identification of patients at risk of developing epilepsy before the first spontaneous seizure may promote the development of preventive treatment providing opportunity to stop or slow down the disease.

Methods

As development of novel radiotracers and on‐site setup of existing radiotracers is highly time‐consuming and expensive, we used dual‐centre in vitro autoradiography as an approach to characterize the potential of innovative radiotracers in the context of epilepsy development. Using brain slices from the same group of rats, we aimed to characterise the ...