Epilepsia. Official Journal of the International League Against Epilepsy

Abstract

Seizures beget seizures is a long-standing theory that proposed that seizure activity can impact on the structural and functional properties of the brain circuits in ways that contribute to epilepsy progression and the future occurrence of seizures. Originally proposed by Gowers, this theory continues to be quoted in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. We critically review the existing data and observations on the consequences of recurrent seizures on brain networks and highlight a range of factors that speak for and against ...

Abstract

Objective

The cognitive profile of juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE) remains largely uncharacterized. This study aimed to: (i) elucidate the neuropsychological profile of JAE; (ii) identify familial cognitive traits, by investigating unaffected JAE siblings; (iii) establish the clinical meaningfulness of JAE-associated cognitive traits; (iv) determine whether cognitive traits across the idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) spectrum are shared or syndrome-specific, by comparing JAE to juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME); and (v) identify relationships between cognitive abilities and clinical characteristics.

Methods

We investigated 123 participants: 23 patients ...

Abstract

Objective

Historically, approximately half of those with newly diagnosed epilepsy have responded to and tolerated the first antiseizure medication (ASM), but there are few contemporary real-world data. Third-generation ASMs have improved tolerability and are increasingly used according to prescription data. We aimed to describe current ASM selection and retention in adult onset focal epilepsy in western Sweden.

Methods

A multicenter retrospective cohort study was performed at five public neurology care providers in western Sweden (nearly complete coverage in the area). We reviewed 2607 ...

Abstract

Objective

Despite widespread monotherapy use of lamotrigine or levetiracetam during pregnancy, prospectively collected, blinded child development data are still limited. The NaME (Neurodevelopment of Babies Born to Mothers With Epilepsy) Study prospectively recruited a new cohort of women with epilepsy and their offspring for longitudinal follow-up.

Methods

Pregnant women of <21 weeks gestation (n = 401) were recruited from 21 hospitals in the UK. Data collection occurred during pregnancy (recruitment, trimester 3) and at 12 and 24 months of age. The primary outcome was blinded assessment of ...

Abstract

Objective

Higher levels of biochemical blood markers of brain injury have been described immediately after tonic–clonic seizures and in drug-resistant epilepsy, but the levels of such markers in epilepsy in general have not been well characterized. We analyzed neurofilament light (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and tau in a regional hospital-based epilepsy cohort and investigated what proportion of patients have levels suggesting brain injury, and whether certain epilepsy features are associated with high levels.

Methods

Biomarker levels were measured in 204 patients ...

Abstract

Objective

This study was undertaken to develop a multimodal machine learning (ML) approach for predicting incident depression in adults with epilepsy.

Methods

We randomly selected 200 patients from the Calgary Comprehensive Epilepsy Program registry and linked their registry-based clinical data to their first-available clinical electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. We excluded patients with a clinical or Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E)-based diagnosis of major depression at baseline. The NDDI-E was used to detect incident depression over a median ...

Abstract

Abstract

We aimed to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of patterns of catamenial epilepsy in a heterogenous cohort of women with epilepsy on no hormonal therapies, enrolled in a prospective, observational study. The primary aim of the study was pregnancy rate in women with epilepsy with no prior reproductive problems. In this analysis, we included women who recorded ≥one menstrual cycle with ≥one seizure. We measured progesterone concentrations for 1-3 cycles. We defined catamenial patterns as ≥two-fold average daily seizure frequency ...

Abstract

Objectives

COVID-19 is associated with mortality in those with comorbidities. The aim of this study was to evaluate in-hospital outcomes in patients with COVID-19 with and without epilepsy.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of patients with COVID-19 admitted in a multicenter health system between March 15, 2020 and May 17, 2021. Patients with epilepsy were identified using a validated ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM case definition. Logistic regression models and Kaplan-Meier analyses were conducted for mortality and non-routine discharges (i.e., not discharged home). An ordinary least ...