0000000000614070
AUTHOR
Viviane Bernedo
Dopaminergic modulation of low-Mg2+-induced epileptiform activity in the intact hippocampus of the newborn mouse in vitro
To investigate whether epileptiform activity in the immature brain is modulated by dopamine, we examined the effects of dopaminergic agonists and antagonists in an intact in vitro preparation of the isolated corticohippocampal formation of immature (postnatal days 3 and 4) C57/Bl6 mice using field potential recordings from CA3. Epileptiform discharges were induced by a reduction of the extracellular Mg(2+) concentration to 0.2 mM. These experiments revealed that low concentrations of dopamine ( 3 μM dopamine enhanced epileptiform activity. The D1-agonist SKF38393 (10 μM) had a strong proconvulsive effect, and the D2-like agonist quinpirole (10 μM) mediated a weak anticonvulsive effect. The …
A randomized, double-blind comparison of antiepileptic drug treatment in the elderly with new-onset focal epilepsy.
Objective: To compare the effectiveness of controlled-released carbamazepine (CR-CBZ) to levetiracetam (LEV) and to lamotrigine (LTG) in elderly patients with newlydiagnosedfocalepilepsy.Methods: Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial conducted between January2007andAugust2011,in47ambulatoryorhospitalsitesinGermany,Austria,orSwit-zerland. Eligible participants were aged ≥60, had new-onset epilepsy, had no acute ill-nessasthecauseoftheirseizures,andhadnocontraindicationtothedrugsinthetrial.Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to CR-CBZ, LTG, or LEV. Doses were up-titrated for6 weeks and could be maintained or adjusted depending on seizure relapse or tolera-bility over an additional period …
Alteration of dopamine D2/D3 receptor binding in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
Summary Purpose: To quantify extrastriatal and striatal D2/D3 receptor binding in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) using the high-affinity dopamine D2/D3 receptor positron emission tomography (PET) ligand 18F-Fallypride ([18F]FP). Methods: Twelve patients with JME and 21 age-matched control subjects were studied. Dynamic images (180 min) were acquired after injection of [18F]FP. Patients had been seizure-free of all seizure types for at least 10 days before scanning. Parametric images of binding potential (BP) were created using the simplified reference tissue model. The images were stereotactically normalized using a ligand-specific template. We performed a voxel-based ana…