Search results for "EPILEPSY"
showing 10 items of 420 documents
Hypoosmolar conditions reduce extracellular volume fraction and enhance epileptiform activity in the CA3 region of the immature rat hippocampus
2006
The osmolarity of the extracellular space (ECS) compartment is an important factor determining the excitability of neuronal tissue. In the adult hippocampus an important role of osmolarity and ECS diffusion parameters on the susceptibility to epileptic events is well established, but the influence of hypo- and hyperosmolar conditions on the immature hippocampus remains elusive. To investigate the influence of osmolarity on epileptiform activity, extracellular field potentials were recorded in the CA3 region of hippocampal slices of immature (postnatal days 4-7) Wistar rats. The ECS diffusion parameters were determined by the real-time tetramethylammonium (TMA+) iontophoretic method with ion…
Modifications induced on the amygdaloid paroxysmal activity by entopeduncolar or nigral injection of kainic acid, in the cat.
1983
Entopeduncolar or nigral injection of kainic acid determines an early decrease of the evoked amygdaloid paroxysmal activity and a later increase of the after discharge duration. This biphasic effect is likely due to the structural analogy of the drug with monosodium glutamate, a neuroexcitant amino acid. The data suggest that the basal ganglia exert a tonic control on the amygdaloid activity.
Alcohol Use Disorder and Depression in Patients with Alcohol-Related Seizures
2018
Abstract Both alcohol use disorder and depression are important aspects of health in the general population and among patients with epilepsy. Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric comorbidity in epilepsy, thereby increasing morbidity as well as mortality rate. From our experience, we can see that one third of epilepsy inpatients experience seizures that are alcohol-related. There have been no studies conducted in Latvia about alcohol use disorder and depression in patients with alcohol-related seizures (ARS) and epilepsy. We recruited 108 patients with ARS, 44 of whom had comorbid epilepsy. 75% of patients in our study had depression according to the Hamilton depression scale. Higher…
Preferences of Patients for Discussing Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy
2017
Abstract People with epilepsy have increased mortality rates, which is partially attributed to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy syndrome (SUDEP). Poor seizure control appears to be the strongest SUDEP risk factor. Management of epilepsy and adherence to therapy is critical to seizure control. The belief by caregivers of negative influence caused by being informed about the syndrome is the main reason SUDEP is not disclosed. There are no clear recommendations when to disclose the risk of SUDEP and how much information should be provided. We addressed the preferences of Latvian epilepsy patients for discussing SUDEP as well as awareness of the syndrome. Our study involved 55 epilepsy patie…
Neuronavigation and epilepsy surgery
2010
Resective epilepsy surgery is an elective therapy indicated in focal epilepsy patients who are resistant to pharmacotherapy. Every effort should be undertaken to perform the procedures as safe and less traumatic as possible. Neuronavigation could represent a suitable tool to reduce surgical morbidity and increase surgical radicality. Here, we present a series of 41 patients who were operated on for medically intractable epilepsy using neuronavigation. Overall, complication rate was 17% with a favourable seizure outcome of 88% (Engel’s class I/II). Our data suggest that neuronavigation is a valuable surgical technique to accomplish a favourable outcome in epilepsy surgery.
Tinnitus and tinnitus disorder: Theoretical and operational definitions (an international multidisciplinary proposal)
2021
As for hypertension, chronic pain, epilepsy and other disorders with particular symptoms, a commonly accepted and unambiguous definition provides a common ground for researchers and clinicians to study and treat the problem. The WHO's ICD11 definition only mentions tinnitus as a nonspecific symptom of a hearing disorder, but not as a clinical entity in its own right, and the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-V doesn't mention tinnitus at all. Here we propose that the tinnitus without and with associated suffering should be differentiated by distinct terms: "Tinnitus" for the former and "Tinnitus Disorder" for the latter. The proposed definition then becomes "Tinnitus is the conscious a…
Nonketotic hyperglycinemia and epilepsy
2015
Nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH) is an autosomal recessive inborn error in the glycine degradation pathway resulting in severe neurological impairment with intractable seizures and brain damage in the majority of the affected patients. Depending on the age of onset and on the outcome of the disease, severe and attenuated forms of NKH may be discriminated. During neonatal period, patients may present with early myoclonic encephalopathy; in the course of the disease, the picture of seizures changes, and multiple forms of seizures may occur. In patients with severe NKH, seizures remain persistent and resistant to anticonvulsant treatment. Variant NKH, caused by mutations resulting in a deficie…
Model-specific effects of bumetanide on epileptiform activity in the in-vitro intact hippocampus of the newborn mouse.
2007
The immature brain has a higher susceptibility to develop seizures, which often respond poorly to classical pharmacological treatment. It has been recently suggested that bumetanide, which blocks Na(+)-dependent K(+)-Cl(-)-cotransporter isoform 1 (NKCC1) and thus attenuates depolarizing GABAergic responses, could soothe epileptiform activity in immature nervous systems. To evaluate whether bumetanide consistently attenuates epileptiform activity, we investigated the effect of 10 microM bumetanide in five different in-vitro epilepsy models using field potential recordings in the CA3 region of intact mouse hippocampal preparations at postnatal day 4-7. Bumetanide reduced amplitude and frequen…
Autism and Migraine: An Unexplored Association?
2020
Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by neurological, psychiatric and medical comorbidities—some conditions co-occur so frequently that comorbidity in autism is the rule rather than the exception. The most common autism co-occurring conditions are intellectual disability, language disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychotic disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, and eating disorders. They are well known and studied. Migraine is the most common brain disease in the world, but surprisingly only a few studies investigate the comorbidity between autism and migrain…
Adjunctive Brivaracetam in Focal Epilepsy: Real-World Evidence from the BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk STudy (BRIVAFIRST)
2021
Background: In randomized controlled trials, add-on brivaracetam (BRV) reduced seizure frequency in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Studies performed in a naturalistic setting are a useful complement to characterize the drug profile. Objective: This multicentre study assessed the effectiveness and tolerability of adjunctive BRV in a large population of patients with focal epilepsy in the context of real-world clinical practice. Methods: The BRIVAFIRST (BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk STudy) was a retrospective, multicentre study including adult patients prescribed adjunctive BRV. Patients with focal epilepsy and 12-month follow-up were considered. Main outcomes includ…