0000000000353897
AUTHOR
Yvonne G. Weber
PRRT2 mutations are the major cause of benign familial infantile seizures.
Mutations in PRRT2 have been described in paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) and infantile convulsions with choreoathetosis (PKD with infantile seizures), and recently also in some families with benign familial infantile seizures (BFIS) alone. We analyzed PRRT2 in 49 families and three sporadic cases with BFIS only of Italian, German, Turkish, and Japanese origin and identified the previously described mutation c.649dupC in an unstable series of nine cytosines to occur in 39 of our families and one sporadic case (77% of index cases). Furthermore, three novel mutations were found in three other families, whereas 17% of our index cases did not show PRRT2 mutations, including a large fami…
Immunohistochemical analysis of KCNQ3 potassium channels in mouse brain.
KCNQ-type potassium channels generate the so-called M-current regulating excitability in many neurons. Mutations in KCNQ2/KCNQ3 channels can cause benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC). We describe the immunohistochemical staining of adult and developing mouse brain using an antibody directed against the N-terminus of KCNQ3 channels (KCNQ3N). A widespread KCNQ3N immunoreactivity predominantly of neuropil but also of somata was detected in different regions of the adult mouse brain, in particular in the hippocampus, cortex, thalamus and cerebellum. This staining pattern appeared gradually and became more intense during development. In the pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus, the im…
Immunohistochemical analysis of KCNQ2 potassium channels in adult and developing mouse brain
The syndrome of benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) is characterized by seizures starting within the first days of life and disappearing within weeks to months. BFNC is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the potassium channels KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 which can well explain the resulting neuronal hyperexcitability. However, it is not understood why seizures predominantly occur in the neonatal period. A potential explanation might be a change in the expression pattern of these channels during development. We therefore performed an immunohistochemical analysis of mouse brain slices at different stages of postnatal development using an antibody recognizing the C-terminus of the KCNQ2 chann…
Satisfaction with and reliability of in-hospital video-EEG monitoring systems in epilepsy diagnosis – A German multicenter experience
OBJECTIVE: To analyze satisfaction with and reliability of video-electroencephalography-monitoring systems (VEMS) in epilepsy diagnostics.; METHODS: A survey was conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 among German epilepsy centers using well-established customer satisfaction (CS) and quality assurance metrics.; RESULTS: Among 16 participating centers, CS with VEMS was low, with only 13% of customers actively recommending their system. Only 50% of users were satisfied with the overall performance of their VEMS, and a low 18% were satisfied with the manufacturer's customer service. User interface, software stability, lack of regular updates, and missing customer-oriented improvement…