WorldWideScience

Sample records for partial epileptic-like experiences

  1. Budget impact analysis of adjunctive therapy with lacosamide for partial-onset epileptic seizures in Belgium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simoens, Steven

    2011-01-01

    This study aims to compute the budget impact of lacosamide, a new adjunctive therapy for partial-onset seizures in epilepsy patients from 16 years of age who are uncontrolled and having previously used at least three anti-epileptic drugs from a Belgian healthcare payer perspective. The budget impact analysis compared the 'world with lacosamide' to the 'world without lacosamide' and calculated how a change in the mix of anti-epileptic drugs used to treat uncontrolled epilepsy would impact drug spending from 2008 to 2013. Data on the number of patients and on the market shares of anti-epileptic drugs were taken from Belgian sources and from the literature. Unit costs of anti-epileptic drugs originated from Belgian sources. The budget impact was calculated from two scenarios about the market uptake of lacosamide. The Belgian target population is expected to increase from 5333 patients in 2008 to 5522 patients in 2013. Assuming that the market share of lacosamide increases linearly over time and is taken evenly from all other anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), the budget impact of adopting adjunctive therapy with lacosamide increases from €5249 (0.1% of reference drug budget) in 2008 to €242,700 (4.7% of reference drug budget) in 2013. Assuming that 10% of patients use standard AED therapy plus lacosamide, the budget impact of adopting adjunctive therapy with lacosamide is around €800,000-900,000 per year (or 16.7% of the reference drug budget). Adjunctive therapy with lacosamide would raise drug spending for this patient population by as much as 16.7% per year. However, this budget impact analysis did not consider the fact that lacosamide reduces costs of seizure management and withdrawal. The literature suggests that, if savings in other healthcare costs are taken into account, adjunctive therapy with lacosamide may be cost saving.

  2. Consciousness in non-epileptic attack disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reuber, Markus; Kurthen, M

    2011-01-01

    Non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD) is one of the most important differential diagnoses of epilepsy. Impairment of consciousness is the key feature of non-epileptic attacks (NEAs). The first half of this review summarises the clinical research literature featuring observations relating to consciousness in NEAD. The second half places this evidence in the wider context of the recent discourse on consciousness in neuroscience and the philosophy of mind. We argue that studies of consciousness should not only distinguish between the 'level' and `content' of consciousness but also between 'phenomenal consciousness' (consciousness of states it somehow "feels to be like") and 'access consciousness' (having certain 'higher' cognitive processes at one's disposal). The existing evidence shows that there is a great intra- and interindividual variability of NEA experience. However, in most NEAs phenomenal experience - and, as a precondition for that experience, vigilance or wakefulness - is reduced to a lesser degree than in those epileptic seizures involving impairment of consciousness. In fact, complete loss of "consciousness" is the exception rather than the rule in NEAs. Patients, as well as external observers, may have a tendency to overestimate impairments of consciousness during the seizures.

  3. Epileptic negative drop attacks in atypical benign partial epilepsy: a neurophysiological study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirano, Yoshiko; Oguni, Hirokazu; Osawa, Makiko

    2009-03-01

    We conducted a computer-assisted polygraphic analysis of drop attacks in a child with atypical benign partial epilepsy (ABPE) to investigate neurophysiological characteristics. The patient was a six-year two-month-old girl, who had started to have focal motor seizures, later combined with daily epileptic negative myoclonus (ENM) and drop attacks, causing multiple injuries. We studied episodes of ENM and drop attacks using video-polygraphic and computer-assisted back-averaging analysis. A total of 12 ENM episodes, seven involving the left arm (ENMlt) and five involving both arms (ENMbil), and five drop attacks were captured for analysis. All episodes were time-locked to spike-and-wave complexes (SWC) arising from both centro-temporo-parietal (CTP) areas. The latency between the onset of SWC and ENMlt, ENMbil, and drop attacks reached 68 ms, 42 ms, and 8 ms, respectively. The height of the spike as well as the slow-wave component of SWC for drop attacks were significantly larger than that for both ENMlt and ENMbil (p negative myoclonus involving not only upper proximal but also axial muscles, causing the body to fall. Thus, drop attacks in ABPE are considered to be epileptic negative drop attacks arising from bilateral CTP foci and differ from drop attacks of a generalized origin seen in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and myoclonic-astatic epilepsy.

  4. Is there anything distinctive about epileptic deja vu?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warren-Gash, Charlotte; Zeman, Adam

    2014-02-01

    Déjà vu can occur as an aura of temporal lobe epilepsy and in some psychiatric conditions but is also common in the general population. It is unclear whether any clinical features distinguish pathological and physiological forms of déjà vu. 50 epileptic patients with ictal déjà vu, 50 non-epileptic patients attending general neurology clinics and 50 medical students at Edinburgh University were recruited. Data were collected on demographic factors, the experience of déjà vu using a questionnaire based on Sno's Inventory for Déjà Vu Experiences Assessment, symptoms of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale as well as seizure characteristics, anti-epileptic medications, handedness, EEG and neuroimaging findings for epileptic patients. 73.5% of neurology patients, 88% of students and (by definition) all epilepsy patients had experienced déjà vu. The experience of déjà vu itself was similar in the three groups. Epileptic déjà vu occurred more frequently and lasted somewhat longer than physiological déjà vu. Epilepsy patients were more likely to report prior fatigue and concentrated activity, associated derealisation, olfactory and gustatory hallucinations, physical symptoms such as headaches, abdominal sensations and fear. After controlling for study group, anxiety and depression scores were not associated with déjà vu frequency. Déjà vu is common and qualitatively similar whether it occurs as an epileptic aura or normal phenomenon. However ictal déjà vu occurs more frequently and is accompanied by several distinctive features. It is distinguished primarily by 'the company it keeps'.

  5. Differentiating epileptic from non-epileptic high frequency intracerebral EEG signals with measures of wavelet entropy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mooij, Anne H; Frauscher, Birgit; Amiri, Mina; Otte, Willem M; Gotman, Jean

    2016-12-01

    To assess whether there is a difference in the background activity in the ripple band (80-200Hz) between epileptic and non-epileptic channels, and to assess whether this difference is sufficient for their reliable separation. We calculated mean and standard deviation of wavelet entropy in 303 non-epileptic and 334 epileptic channels from 50 patients with intracerebral depth electrodes and used these measures as predictors in a multivariable logistic regression model. We assessed sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) based on a probability threshold corresponding to 90% specificity. The probability of a channel being epileptic increased with higher mean (p=0.004) and particularly with higher standard deviation (pentropy is likely to be epileptic; with a threshold corresponding to 90% specificity our model can reliably select a subset of epileptic channels. Most studies have concentrated on brief ripple events. We showed that background activity in the ripple band also has some ability to discriminate epileptic channels. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. The Persistence of Erroneous Familiarity in an Epileptic Male: Challenging Perceptual Theories of Deja Vu Activation

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connor, Akira R.; Moulin, Christopher J. A.

    2008-01-01

    We report the case of a 39-year-old, temporal lobe epileptic male, MH. Prior to complex partial seizure, experienced up to three times a day, MH often experiences an aura experienced as a persistent sensation of deja vu. Data-driven theories of deja vu formation suggest that partial familiarity for the perceived stimulus is responsible for the…

  7. Daytime encopresis associated with gland mal epileptic seizures: case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oyatsi, D P

    2005-08-01

    Sphincteric incontinence of stool and urine are not unusual features of generalised epileptic seizures. Isolated secondary encopresis as a manifestation of an epileptic seizure is unusual. This report is of, a four year old boy, with daytime secondary non-retentive encopresis. The onset of encopresis was preceded by several episodes of nocturnal generalised tonic clonic epileptic seizures. An electroencephalogram showed features consistent with complex partial seizures. He was commenced on anti-epileptic treatment with phenytoin sodium, and by the third day of treatment, the patient had achieved stool control.

  8. Effect of epileptic seizures on the cerebrospinal fluid--A systematic retrospective analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tumani, Hayrettin; Jobs, Catherine; Brettschneider, Johannes; Hoppner, Anselm C; Kerling, Frank; Fauser, Susanne

    2015-08-01

    Analyses of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are obligatory when epileptic seizures manifest for the first time in order to exclude life-threatening causes or treatable diseases such as acute infections or autoimmune encephalitis. However, there are only few systematic investigations on the effect of seizures themselves on CSF parameters and the significance of these parameters in differential diagnosis. CSF samples of 309 patients with epileptic and 10 with psychogenic seizures were retrospectively analyzed. CSF samples were collected between 1999 and 2008. Cell counts, the albumin quotient, lactate and Tau-protein levels were determined. Findings were correlated with seizure types, seizure etiology (symptomatic, cryptogenic, occasional seizure), and seizure duration. Pathological findings were only observed in patients with epileptic but not with psychogenic seizures. The lactate concentration was elevated in 14%, the albumin quotient in 34%, and the Tau protein level in 36% of CSF samples. Cell counts were only slightly elevated in 6% of patients. Different seizure types influenced all parameters except for the cell count: In status epilepticus highest, in simple partial seizures lowest values were seen. Symptomatic partial and generalized epileptic seizures had significantly higher Tau-protein levels than cryptogenic partial seizures. In patients with repetitive and occasional epileptic seizures, higher Tau-protein levels were seen than in those with psychogenic seizures. Duration of epileptic seizures was positively correlated with the albumin quotient, lactate and Tau-protein levels. High variability of investigated CSF parameters within each subgroup rendered a clear separation between epileptic and psychogenic seizures impossible. Elevated cell counts are infrequently observed in patients with epileptic seizures and should therefore not uncritically be interpreted as a postictal phenomenon. However, blood-CSF barrier disruption, increased glucose metabolism

  9. Electric Stimulation of Ear Reduces the Effect of Toll-Like Receptor 4 Signaling Pathway on Kainic Acid-Induced Epileptic Seizures in Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    En-Tzu Liao

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Epilepsy is a common clinical syndrome with recurrent neuronal discharges in the temporal lobe, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus. Clinical antiepileptic medicines are often ineffective or of little benefit in 30% of epileptic patients and usually cause severe side effects. Emerging evidence indicates the crucial role of inflammatory mediators in epilepsy. The current study investigates the role of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4 and its underlying mechanisms in kainic acid- (KA- induced epileptic seizures in rats. Experimental KA injection successfully initiated an epileptic seizure accompanied by increased expression of TLR4 in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and somatosensory cortex. In addition, calcium-sensitive phosphorylated Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (pCaMKIIα increased after the initiation of the epileptic seizure. Furthermore, downstream-phosphorylated signal-regulated kinase (ERK, c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK, and p38 kinase simultaneously increased in these brain areas. Moreover, the transcriptional factor phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB (pNF-κB increased, suggesting that nucleus transcription was affected. Furthermore, the aforementioned molecules decreased by an electric stimulation (ES of either 2 Hz or 15 Hz of the ear in the three brain areas. Accordingly, we suggest that ES of the ear can successfully control epileptic seizures by regulating the TLR4 signaling pathway and has a therapeutic benefit in reducing epileptic seizures.

  10. Measurement of Local Partial Pressure of Oxygen in the Brain Tissue under Normoxia and Epilepsy with Phosphorescence Lifetime Microscopy

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    Zhang, Cong; Bélanger, Samuel; Pouliot, Philippe; Lesage, Frédéric

    2015-01-01

    In this work a method for measuring brain oxygen partial pressure with confocal phosphorescence lifetime microscopy system is reported. When used in conjunction with a dendritic phosphorescent probe, Oxyphor G4, this system enabled minimally invasive measurements of oxygen partial pressure (pO2) in cerebral tissue with high spatial and temporal resolution during 4-AP induced epileptic seizures. Investigating epileptic events, we characterized the spatio-temporal distribution of the "initial dip" in pO2 near the probe injection site and along nearby arterioles. Our results reveal a correlation between the percent change in the pO2 signal during the "initial dip" and the duration of seizure-like activity, which can help localize the epileptic focus and predict the length of seizure. PMID:26305777

  11. Measurement of Local Partial Pressure of Oxygen in the Brain Tissue under Normoxia and Epilepsy with Phosphorescence Lifetime Microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Cong; Bélanger, Samuel; Pouliot, Philippe; Lesage, Frédéric

    2015-01-01

    In this work a method for measuring brain oxygen partial pressure with confocal phosphorescence lifetime microscopy system is reported. When used in conjunction with a dendritic phosphorescent probe, Oxyphor G4, this system enabled minimally invasive measurements of oxygen partial pressure (pO2) in cerebral tissue with high spatial and temporal resolution during 4-AP induced epileptic seizures. Investigating epileptic events, we characterized the spatio-temporal distribution of the "initial dip" in pO2 near the probe injection site and along nearby arterioles. Our results reveal a correlation between the percent change in the pO2 signal during the "initial dip" and the duration of seizure-like activity, which can help localize the epileptic focus and predict the length of seizure.

  12. Cortical GABAergic excitation contributes to epileptic activities around human glioma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pallud, Johan; Varlet, Pascale; Cresto, Noemie; Baulac, Michel; Duyckaerts, Charles; Kourdougli, Nazim; Chazal, Geneviève; Devaux, Bertrand; Rivera, Claudio; Miles, Richard; Capelle, Laurent; Huberfeld, Gilles

    2015-01-01

    Rationale Diffuse brain gliomas induce seizures in a majority of patients. As in most epileptic disorders, excitatory glutamatergic mechanisms are involved in the generation of epileptic activities in the neocortex surrounding gliomas. However, chloride homeostasis is known to be perturbed in glial tumor cells. Thus the contribution of GABAergic mechanisms which depend on intracellular chloride and which are defective or pro-epileptic in other structural epilepsies merits closer study. Objective We studied in neocortical slices from the peritumoral security margin resected around human brain gliomas, the occurrence, networks, cells and signaling basis of epileptic activities. Results Postoperative glioma tissue from 69% of patients spontaneously generated interictal-like discharges. These events were synchronized, with a high frequency oscillation signature, in superficial layers of neocortex around glioma areas with tumor infiltration. Interictal-like events depended on both glutamatergic transmission and on depolarizing GABAergic signaling. About 65% of pyramidal cells were depolarized by GABA released by interneurons. This effect was related to perturbations in Chloride homeostasis, due to changes in expression of chloride co-transporters: KCC2 was reduced and expression of NKCC1 increased. Ictal-like activities were initiated by convulsant stimuli exclusively in these epileptogenic areas. Conclusions Epileptic activities are sustained by excitatory effects of GABA in the peritumoral human neocortex, as in temporal lobe epilepsies. Glutamate and GABA signaling are involved in oncogenesis and chloride homeostasis is perturbed. These same factors, induce an imbalance between synaptic excitatory and inhibition underly epileptic discharges in tumor patients. PMID:25009229

  13. Temporal lobe epileptic signs and correlative behaviors displayed by normal populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Persinger, M A; Makarec, K

    1987-04-01

    With regard to epileptic signs and correlative behaviors, one hypothesis is that the experiences and nonconvulsive behaviors of patients with electrical foci within the temporal lobe are also displayed, but with less intensity, by normal people. If this is correct, then there should be quantitative relationships between the numbers of major complex partial epileptic signs (CPES) and the occurrence of other frequent clinical experiences and behaviors. An inventory to answer this question was developed. Over a 3-year period, 414 (6 groups) university students were administered an inventory that included themes of CPES as well as control and information items. Strong correlations were consistently found between CPES scores and reports of paranormal (mystical, with religious overtones) experiences and "a sense of presence." Results from three personality (CPI, MMPI, and IPAT anxiety) inventories clearly demonstrated similar profiles. In addition to being more anxious, people who displayed higher CPES scores were more suspicious, aloof, stereotyped in their behavior, ruminative (overthinking), intellectually inefficient, and overly judgmental. CPES scores were significantly (p less than .001) correlated with the schizophrenia and mania subscales of the MMPI. The results suggest that functional hyperconnectionism of cortical-limbic systems within the brain may be more prevalent in the normal population than previously suspected.

  14. Epileptic consciousness: concept and meaning of aura.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez-Silva, Sergio; Alvarez-Silva, Iria; Alvarez-Rodriguez, Javier; Perez-Echeverria, M J; Campayo-Martinez, Antonio; Rodriguez-Fernandez, F L

    2006-05-01

    This research is based on previous publications that have analyzed certain neuropsychological phenomena that always have the same characteristic clinical features: a vivid experience of sudden onset and automatic development, accompanied by an intense sensation of strangeness. When these automatisms are accompanied by only mental symptoms, the designation paroxysmal psychic automatisms (PPAs) is proposed, and they should be interpreted as partial seizures (PSs) with a psychic content whenever they clearly exhibit the four features of suddenness, passivity, intensity, and strangeness. This interpretation is based on the existence of a wealth of scientific literature indicating an overlap between PPAs and PSs; moreover, bibliographic reviews indicate that the clinical signs just defined as characterizing PPAs are precisely those defining the epileptic consciousness.

  15. Imaging DC MEG Fields Associated with Epileptic Onset

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    Weiland, B. J.; Bowyer, S. M.; Moran, J. E.; Jenrow, K.; Tepley, N.

    2004-10-01

    Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive brain imaging modality, with high spatial and temporal resolution, used to evaluate and quantify the magnetic fields associated with neuronal activity. Complex partial epileptic seizures are characterized by hypersynchronous neuronal activity believed to arise from a zone of epileptogenesis. This study investigated the characteristics of direct current (DC) MEG shifts arising at epileptic onset. MEG data were acquired with rats using a six-channel first order gradiometer system. Limbic status epilepticus was induced by IA (femoral) administration of kainic acid. DC-MEG shifts were observed at the onset of epileptic spike train activity and status epilepticus. Epilepsy is also being studied in patients undergoing presurgical mapping from the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Henry Ford Hospital using a whole head Neuromagnetometer. Preliminary data analysis shows that DC-MEG waveforms, qualitatively similar to those seen in the animal model, are evident prior to seizure activity in human subjects.

  16. The persistence of erroneous familiarity in an epileptic male : Challenging perceptual theories of déjà vu activation

    OpenAIRE

    O'Connor, Akira Robert; Moulin, Christopher J. A.

    2008-01-01

    We report the case of a 39-year-old, temporal lobe epileptic male, MH. Prior to complex partial seizure, experienced up to three times a day, MH often experiences an aura experienced as a persistent sensation of deja vu. Data-driven theories of deja vu formation suggest that partial familiarity for the perceived stimulus is responsible for the sensation. Consequently, diverting attention away from this stimulus should cause the sensation to dissipate. MH, whose sensations of deja vu persist l...

  17. Laboratory findings in neurosyphilis patients with epileptic seizures alone as the initial presenting symptom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Man-Li; Liu, Li-Li; Zeng, Yan-Li; Zhang, Hui-Lin; Liu, Gui-Li; Zheng, Wei-Hong; Dong, Jie; Wu, Jing-Yi; Su, Yuan-Hui; Lin, Li-Rong; Yang, Tian-Ci

    2013-04-01

    A retrospective chart review was performed to characterize the clinical presentation, the characteristic combination of serologic and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities, and the neuroimaging findings of neurosyphilis (NS) patients who had epileptic seizures alone as an initial presenting symptom. In a 6.75-year period, 169 inpatients with NS were identified at Zhongshan Hospital (from June 2005 to February 2012). We demonstrated that 13 (7.7%) of the 169 NS patients had epileptic seizures alone as an initial presenting feature. Epileptic seizures occurred in NS patients with syphilitic meningitis (2 cases), meningovascular NS (5 cases), and general paresis (6 cases). The types of epileptic seizures included simple partial, complex partial with secondary generalization (including status epilepticus), and generalized seizures (no focal onset reported). Nine of NS patients with only epileptic seizures as primary symptom were misdiagnosed, and the original misdiagnosis was 69.23% (9/13). Ten (10/13, 76.9%) patients had an abnormal magnetic resonance imaging, and 7 (7/13 53.8%) patients had abnormal electroencephalogram recordings. In addition, the sera rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) from all 13 patients were positive. The overall positive rates of the CSF-RPR and CSF-TPPA were 61.5% and 69.2%, respectively. Three patients demonstrated CSF pleocytosis, and 9 patients exhibited elevated CSF protein levels. Therefore, NS with only epileptic seizures at the initial presentation exhibits a lack of specificity. It is recommended that every patient with clinically evident symptoms of epileptic seizures should have a blood test performed for syphilis. When the serology results are positive, all of the patients should undergo a CSF examination to diagnose NS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Autism spectrum disorder and epileptic encephalopathy: common causes, many questions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Siddharth; Sahin, Mustafa

    2017-01-01

    Epileptic encephalopathies represent a particularly severe form of epilepsy, associated with cognitive and behavioral deficits, including impaired social-communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors that are the hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With the advent of next-generation sequencing, the genetic landscape of epileptic encephalopathies is growing and demonstrates overlap with genes separately implicated in ASD. However, many questions remain about this connection, including whether epileptiform activity itself contributes to the development of ASD symptomatology. In this review, we compiled a database of genes associated with both epileptic encephalopathy and ASD, limiting our purview to Mendelian disorders not including inborn errors of metabolism, and we focused on the connection between ASD and epileptic encephalopathy rather than epilepsy broadly. Our review has four goals: to (1) discuss the overlapping presentations of ASD and monogenic epileptic encephalopathies; (2) examine the impact of the epilepsy itself on neurocognitive features, including ASD, in monogenic epileptic encephalopathies; (3) outline many of the genetic causes responsible for both ASD and epileptic encephalopathy; (4) provide an illustrative example of a final common pathway that may be implicated in both ASD and epileptic encephalopathy. We demonstrate that autistic features are a common association with monogenic epileptic encephalopathies. Certain epileptic encephalopathy syndromes, like infantile spasms, are especially linked to the development of ASD. The connection between seizures themselves and neurobehavioral deficits in these monogenic encephalopathies remains open to debate. Finally, advances in genetics have revealed many genes that overlap in ties to both ASD and epileptic encephalopathy and that play a role in diverse central nervous system processes. Increased attention to the autistic features of monogenic epileptic encephalopathies is warranted for

  19. Video electroencephalography monitoring differentiates between epileptic and non-epileptic seizures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørmark, Mette Borch; Erdal, Jesper; Kjær, Troels Wesenberg

    2011-01-01

    Epilepsy is often misdiagnosed and approximately one in every four patients diagnosed with refractory epilepsy does not have epilepsy, but instead non-epileptic seizures. Video electroencephalography monitoring (VEM) is the gold standard for differentiation between epileptic and non...

  20. EPILEPTIC ENCEPHALOPATHY WITH CONTINUOUS SPIKES-WAVES ACTIVITY DURING SLEEP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. D. Belousova

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The author represents the review and discussion of current scientific literature devoted to epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spikes-waves activity during sleep — the special form of partly reversible age-dependent epileptic encephalopathy, characterized by triad of symptoms: continuous prolonged epileptiform (spike-wave activity on EEG in sleep, epileptic seizures and cognitive disorders. The author describes the aspects of classification, pathogenesis and etiology, prevalence, clinical picture and diagnostics of this disorder, including the peculiar anomalies on EEG. The especial attention is given to approaches to the treatment of epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spikeswaves activity during sleep. Efficacy of valproates, corticosteroid hormones and antiepileptic drugs of other groups is considered. The author represents own experience of treatment this disorder with corticosteroids, scheme of therapy and assessment of efficacy.

  1. Dissociative experiences and quality of life in patients with non-epileptic attack disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, James W; Ali, Fizzah; Cavanna, Andrea E

    2012-11-01

    Dissociative experiences are commonly reported by patients with non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD). This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence and characteristics of dissociative experiences in patients with NEAD and assessed their association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Fifty-three patients diagnosed with NEAD were consecutively recruited (70.0% female, mean age=42 years, 22.0% with comorbid epilepsy) from a specialist neuropsychiatric clinic. Our sample reported high levels of dissociative experiences, with 36.7% of patients scoring ≥30 on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Significant negative correlations were found between total DES scores and HRQoL, as measured by the QOLIE-31 questionnaire (r=-0.64, pdissociative experiences in this patient population, highlighting the importance of routinely screening patients for dissociative symptoms and their impact on patients' lives. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Limited efficacy of the ketogenic diet in the treatment of highly refractory epileptic spasms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Shaun A; Shin, Ji Hyun; Shih, Evan J; Murata, Kristina K; Sewak, Sarika; Kezele, Michele E; Sankar, Raman; Matsumoto, Joyce H

    2016-02-01

    Numerous studies have suggested that the ketogenic diet is effective in the treatment of epileptic spasms, even in refractory cases. However, there has been very limited demonstration of prompt and complete (video-EEG confirmed) response. We set out to describe our center's experience with the ketogenic diet in the treatment of children with highly refractory epileptic spasms, with rigorous seizure outcome assessment. Children treated with the ketogenic diet for epileptic spasms between April, 2010 and June, 2014 were retrospectively identified. Seizure burden was tabulated at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, and 12-months of ketogenic diet exposure. Adverse events were similarly ascertained. We identified a cohort of 22 consecutive patients who received ketogenic diet therapy, with median age of onset of epileptic spasms of 5.2 (IQR 2.0-9.0) months, with diet initiation beginning a median of 26.4 (12.5-38.7) months after onset, and following a median of 7 (IQR 5-7) treatment failures. Only 2 patients exhibited a complete response during ketogenic diet exposure, and response was more reasonably attributed to alternative therapies in both cases. A modest early reduction in seizure frequency was not sustained beyond 1 month of diet exposure. The diet was well tolerated, and continued in 6 patients with subjective and/or partial response. In contrast to prior studies reporting substantial efficacy of the ketogenic diet, our findings suggest limited efficacy, albeit in a highly refractory cohort. Prospective studies in both refractory and new-onset populations, with both video-EEG confirmation of response and rigorous cognitive outcome assessment, would be of great value to more clearly define the utility of the ketogenic diet in the treatment of epileptic spasms. Copyright © 2016 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The origin of the concept of partial epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eadie

    1999-03-01

    The International League Against Epilepsy has devised classifications which subdivide both epileptic seizures and the epilepsies and epileptic syndromes into two main types: generalized and partial. Epileptogenesis in the partial variety is believed to originate in a localized part of the cerebral cortex and results in clinical manifestations which appear to commence in only a restricted part of the sufferer's body. Use of the term 'partial' in relation to these entities has often been said to date back to James Cowles Prichard (1786-1849) who was the author of the second major work on epilepsy to be written in the UK. While Prichard certainly described 'partial epilepsy', he stated that he intended the words to refer to the fact that the disorder he described under that designation was only partly, and not fully, epileptic in nature. He did not refer to the fact that it affected only part of the body as his basis for using the term. In the absence of knowledge of localization of function in the cerebral cortex at Prichard's time of writing, he had no basis for deducing that the underlying epileptic process arose in only part of the brain. However, there is an earlier mention of the use of the word 'partial' in relation to epilepsy. This is to be found in the writings of the great Scottish physician William Cullen (1710-1790), and there is reason to believe that Prichard should have been aware of this. Cullen used 'partial' with an intention similar to the modern one, employing the word to refer to seizures which affected only part of the body. Credit for the origin of the idea of a 'partial' epilepsy should belong to Cullen; not only did he have priority over Prichard but his concept was closer to the modern one than was Prichard's. Copyright 1999 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

  4. Automated differentiation between epileptic and non-epileptic convulsive seizures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beniczky, Sándor; Conradsen, Isa; Moldovan, Mihai

    2015-01-01

    Our objective was the clinical validation of an automated algorithm based on surface electromyography (EMG) for differentiation between convulsive epileptic and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs). Forty-four consecutive episodes with convulsive events were automatically analyzed with the a......%) and 18 PNESs (95%). The overall diagnostic accuracy was 95%. This algorithm is useful for distinguishing between epileptic and psychogenic convulsive seizures....

  5. Positron emission tomography in presurgical diagnosis of partial epilepsies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hajek, M.; Leenders, K.L.; Wieser, H.G.

    1992-01-01

    We present results of studies in which positron emission tomography was applied to the presurgical evaluation of epileptics. Emphasis is placed on results of PET studies with various tracers in partial epilepsies and on the use of PET in age-related epileptic syndromes in children. (orig.) [de

  6. Studies on glucose metabolism and blood perfusion in childhood partial seizure by positron emission CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michihiro, Narumi

    1986-01-01

    To investigate the glucose metabolism and blood perfusion of the interictal epileptic focus, 15 positron emission tomography (PET) measurements were performed in 14 children with partial seizures (2 with simple partial seizures, 2 with complex partial seizures, and 10 with partial seizures evolving to secondary generalized seizures), comprising 7 males and 7 females aged 1 to 12 years old at the onset of the epileptic seizures. The intervals between the seizure onset and PET examinations were 1 month to 7 years (mean 3 1/4 years). Radiopharmaceuticals such as 11 C-glucose, 11 CO 2 and 11 CO were used as indicators of local cerebral glucose metabolism, blood perfusion and blood flow, respectively. Apart from 2 cases, none of the patients showed abnormal x-ray computed tomographic scans (X-CT). The abnormal X-CT findings included cortical atrophy of the cerebrum apart from the epiletic focus in one case and cavum vergae in the other. Hypometabolism and hypoperfusion at the epileptic focus were observed in 10 patients undergoing single examinations who had suffered from epileptic seizures for more than 1 year. Out of 4 patients who had suffered from epileptic seizures for 1 year or less, one revealed a zone of hypometabolism and hypoperfusion in the epileptic focus and expanded region larger than that of the epileptic focus on the electroencephalogram. Two other patients revealed a zone of hypometabolism and hypoperfusion in an area contralateral to the epileptic focus. In the remaining one patient, PET examinations were performed twice. The initial PET pictures one year after seizure onset revealed a zone of hypermetabolism and hyperperfusion in the cerebellum ipsilateral to the epileptic focus, and the second PET at 6 months after the initial examination revealed hypometabolism and hypoperfusion in the focus, similarly to the 10 cases mentioned above. (J.P.N.)

  7. Treatment of Epileptic Encephalopathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balestrini, Simona; Sisodiya, Sanjay M

    2017-01-01

    Epileptic encephalopathies represent the most severe epilepsies, with onset in infancy and childhood and seizures continuing in adulthood in most cases. New genetic causes are being identified at a rapid rate. Treatment is challenging and the overall outcome remains poor. Available targeted treatments, based on the precision medicine approach, are currently few. To provide an overview of the treatment of epileptic encephalopathies with known genetic determinants, including established treatment, anecdotal reports of specific treatment, and potential tailored precision medicine strategies. Genes known to be associated to epileptic encephalopathy were selected. Genes where the association was uncertain or with no reports of details on treatment, were not included. Although some of the genes included are associated with multiple epilepsy phenotypes or other organ involvement, we have mainly focused on the epileptic encephalopathies and their antiepileptic treatments. Most epileptic encephalopathies show genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity. The treatment of seizures is difficult in most cases. The available evidence may provide some guidance for treatment: for example, ACTH seems to be effective in controlling infantile spams in a number of genetic epileptic encephalopathies. There are potentially effective tailored precision medicine strategies available for some of the encephalopathies, and therapies with currently unexplained effectiveness in others. Understanding the effect of the mutation is crucial for targeted treatment. There is a broad range of disease mechanisms underlying epileptic encephalopathies, and this makes the application of targeted treatments challenging. However, there is evidence that tailored treatment could significantly improve epilepsy treatment and prognosis. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  8. Computed tomography of epileptic children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurihara, Mana; Yamashita, Sumimasa; Miyake, Shota; Yamada, Michiko; Iwamoto, Hiroko

    1986-01-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze the changes seen on cranial computed tomography (CT) of epileptic children, especially in the area of the temporal horn. The subjects were 242 epileptic children excluding those with encephalitis, brain tumor, neurocutaneous syndromes, degenerative disease, hydrocephalus etc. The control subjects were 195 children without any neurological disease and symptoms. CT scan were taken with a TCT-60A whole body scanner, and 14 check points were evaluated excluding the temporal horn. 195 epileptic children (N-group) and all control children were normal at 14 check points. Next, the areas of the temporal horns and adjoining hemispheres of the epileptic children (N-group) and control children were examined with Muto-Tablet-Desitizer. The temporal horn ratio ((area of temporal horn/area of ipsilateral hemisphere) x 100) was greater in younger children of the control group, and it was higher in epileptic than in control children. Enlargement of the temporal horn was seen in 1 % of the controls and in 35 % of the 125 epileptic children with normal measurements at 14 points on CT scans (p < 0.01). The frequency of enlargement of temporal horns was not variable among different epileptic types. In the epileptic children with normal CT scans except for enlargement of temporal horns behavioral disturbances were 6 boys and 5 had enlarged temporal horns (bilateral 1 case, left side 1 case, right side 3 cases). (author)

  9. Domoic Acid Epileptic Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John S. Ramsdell

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Domoic acid epileptic disease is characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures weeks to months after domoic acid exposure. The potential for this disease was first recognized in a human case study of temporal lobe epilepsy after the 1987 amnesic shellfish-poisoning event in Quebec, and was characterized as a chronic epileptic syndrome in California sea lions through investigation of a series of domoic acid poisoning cases between 1998 and 2006. The sea lion study provided a breadth of insight into clinical presentations, unusual behaviors, brain pathology, and epidemiology. A rat model that replicates key observations of the chronic epileptic syndrome in sea lions has been applied to identify the progression of the epileptic disease state, its relationship to behavioral manifestations, and to define the neural systems involved in these behavioral disorders. Here, we present the concept of domoic acid epileptic disease as a delayed manifestation of domoic acid poisoning and review the state of knowledge for this disease state in affected humans and sea lions. We discuss causative mechanisms and neural underpinnings of disease maturation revealed by the rat model to present the concept for olfactory origin of an epileptic disease; triggered in dendodendritic synapases of the olfactory bulb and maturing in the olfactory cortex. We conclude with updated information on populations at risk, medical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

  10. Complex partial seizure, disruptive behaviours and the Nigerian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Complex partial seizure is an epileptic seizure which results in impairment of responsiveness or awareness such as altered level of consciousness. Complex partial seizures are often preceded by an aura such as depersonalization, feelings of de javu, jamais vu and fear. The ictal phase of complex partial ...

  11. Complete remission of epileptic psychosis after temporal lobectomy: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marchetti Renato Luiz

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available We report a case of a female patient with refractory complex partial seizures since 15 years of age, recurrent postictal psychotic episodes since 35 which evolved to a chronic refractory interictal psychosis and MRI with right mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS. After a comprehensive investigation (video-EEG intensive monitoring, interictal and ictal SPECT, and a neuropsychological evaluation including WADA test she was submitted to a right temporal lobectomy. Since then, she has been seizure-free with remission of psychosis, although with some persistence of personality traits (hiperreligiosity, viscosity which had been present before surgery. This case supports the idea that temporal lobectomy can be a safe and effective therapeutic measure for patients with MTS, refractory epilepsy and recurrent postictal epileptic psychosis or interictal epileptic psychosis with postictal exacerbation.

  12. Recurrent occurrences of CDKL5 mutations in patients with epileptic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Toshiyuki; Shimojima, Keiko; Kimura, Nobusuke; Mogami, Yukiko; Usui, Daisuke; Takayama, Rumiko; Ikeda, Hiroko; Imai, Katsumi

    2015-01-01

    The cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 gene (CDKL5) is recognized as one of the genes responsible for epileptic encephalopathy. We identified CDKL5 mutations in five Japanese patients (one male and four female) with epileptic encephalopathy. Although all mutations were of de novo origin, they were located in the same positions as previously reported pathogenic mutations. These recurrent occurrences of de novo mutations in the same loci may indicate hot spots of nucleotide alteration.

  13. Clinical Microbiological Aspects of Epileptic Seizures in the Tropical Countries with Specific Focus on Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ijeoma Kanu

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder; however, in Nigeria and other tropical regions, the causes of epileptic seizures differ greatly in etiology. This paper is an attempt to highlight some possible microbiological aspects of epileptic seizures. A literature review was carried out to identify the extent to which microbial infections were involved in the elicitation of epileptic seizures. Data were collected from several clinics in the community and hospitals in Nigeria and correlated with the evidence from the literature review. It was found that different microbial agents including viral, bacterial, protozoa, and fungal agents were involved in several aspects of epileptic seizures. Malaria was found to cause more than 88% of childhood epileptic seizures and 12% of adult seizures. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures occurred in more than 40% of adult patients. Partial seizures were uncommon. Cases of epileptic seizures associated with bacteria (e.g., brucellosis, viral, fungal, and protozoa infections were frequently reported. Malaria, tapeworm, and cysticercosis were some of the common infectious causes of epilepsy; however, in some cases, the cause remained unknown. From these findings, it was evident that microbiological aspects of epilepsies are possible research areas that might be developed. It is believed that the unraveling of the various microbiological factors in epileptic seizures would have important implications for understanding the underlying neurobiology, evaluating treatment strategies, and perhaps planning health-care resources for the affected. It will also help to improve the prognostic factors in initial seizure symptomatic etiology and presence of any structural cerebral abnormalities.

  14. Compare Of the West Syndrome with Other Syndromes in the Epileptic Encephalopathy - Kosovo Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeka, Naim; Gërguri, Abdurrahim; Bejiqi, Ramush; Retkoceri, Ragip; Vuciterna, Armend

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: West Syndrome (WS) represents as a specific epileptic encephalopathy characterised with a unique type of attacks, called infantile spasms, severe forms of abnormalities in electroencephalographic (EEG) records as a hypsarythmias and delays in the psychomotoric development. The characteristics of the disease, mostly affecting male gender, are infantile spasms and typical findings in EEG as a hypsarythmia. Infantile spasms are a consequence of many factors in the undeveloped brain. AIM: We aimed: (1) to see the incidence of the illness and the spreading out because of gender in rapport with other syndromes in the epileptic encephalopathies group; (2) to show principles of the treatment for the illness; and (3) to present the effects of the disease in the psycho-motoric development of affected children. METHODS: The study was designed as a cross-sectional study of the patients with epileptic encephalopathies, treated in Paediatric Clinic in Prishtina, from 1st of January 2013 until the 31st of December 2015. RESULTS: From the cohort group of 97 children diagnosed with epileptic encephalopathies, in 14 of them clinical and EEG signs of WS were noted. The earliest age of disease manifestation was 74 days (± 63.8 days). On the group of children with WS, 13 of them with Natrium Valpropat were treated, with the doses of 301.9 mg (± 64.1). From the cohort group, in 89 children (91.8%) psychomotoric retardation was documented, within the higher reoccurrence in the undifferentiated epileptic encephalopathies (96%) and the WS (78.6%). CONCLUSION: WS is a frequent disease of the encephalopathies with the epileptogenic framework. The resistance in anticonvulsive therapy is huge, and psychomotoric retardation follows a big percentage of children with this syndrome. PMID:29362620

  15. How large must an epileptic focus be to cause an electrographic status epilepticus--a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fauser, Susanne; Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas

    2004-10-01

    Based on experimental data from animal studies different theories regarding the size of an epileptic focus have been postulated which range from single pacemaker cells to extended neuronal networks. We report a case which gives further information about the size of a human epileptic focus which can trigger manifest epileptic seizures. We report a 22-year-old man with medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy. This patient suffered from brief complex partial seizures and frequent epigastric auras. To differentiate a mesiotemporal from a temporolateral seizure origin the patient was implanted with a 10 contact depth electrode from a posterior approach into the right hippocampus, and additional temporobasal/temporolateral subdural strip electrodes. Depth recordings revealed an electrographic status with continuous rhythmic sharp wave activity (1 Hz), the field of which was confined to a diameter of less than 1 cm in the anterior hippocampus, whereas temporobasal subdural strip electrodes did not display this activity. Periodically, spread of this activity occurred to the amygdala, to the posterior part of the hippocampus, and less often to the temporobasal cortex. Most seizure patterns remained subclinical, few of them became symptomatic as partial seizures. This case demonstrates that a hippocampal epileptic focus causing electrographic focal status epilepticus may be limited to a volume of less than 1 cm in diameter. This observation is discussed with regard to implantation strategies and to possible superselective resective or modulatory approaches in the treatment of such limited epileptogenic areas.

  16. Assessing quantitative EEG spectrograms to identify non-epileptic events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goenka, Ajay; Boro, Alexis; Yozawitz, Elissa

    2017-09-01

    To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of quantitative EEG (QEEG) spectrograms in order to distinguish epileptic from non-epileptic events. Seventeen patients with paroxysmal non-epileptic events, captured during EEG monitoring, were retrospectively assessed using QEEG spectrograms. These patients were compared to a control group of 13 consecutive patients (ages 25-60 years) with epileptic seizures of similar semiology. Assessment of raw EEG was employed as the gold standard against which epileptic and non-epileptic events were validated. QEEG spectrograms, available using Persyst 12 EEG system integration software, were each assessed with respect to their usefulness to distinguish epileptic from non-epileptic seizures. The given spectrogram was interpreted as indicating a seizure if, at the time of the clinically identified event, it showed a visually significant change from baseline. Eighty-two clinically identified paroxysmal events were analysed (46 non-epileptic and 36 epileptic). The "seizure detector trend analysis" spectrogram correctly classified 33/46 (71%) non-epileptic events (no seizure indicated during a clinically identified event) vs. 29/36 (81%) epileptic seizures (seizure indicated during a clinically identified event) (p=0.013). Similarly, "rhythmicity spectrogram", FFT spectrogram, "asymmetry relative spectrogram", and integrated-amplitude EEG spectrogram detected 28/46 (61%), 30/46 (65%), 22/46 (48%) and 27/46 (59%) non-epileptic events vs. 27/36 (75%), 25/36 (69%), 25/36 (69%) and 27/36 (75%) epileptic events, respectively. High sensitivities and specificities for QEEG seizure detection analyses suggest that QEEG may have a role at the bedside to facilitate early differentiation between epileptic seizures and non-epileptic events in order to avoid unnecessary administration of antiepileptic drugs and possible iatrogenic consequences.

  17. Knowledge and attitude of epilepsy among secondary schools students (epileptic and non-epileptic) in Assiut city Egypt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shehata, Ghaydaa A; Mahran, Dalia G

    2011-06-01

    This study was designed to assess knowledge and attitude with respect to epilepsy among secondary school students (epileptic and none) in Assiut city, Egypt. A cross sectional study was applied among secondary school students in Assiut city, Egypt. A 13-item questionnaire was self administered by 2226 students who selected randomly. All students either epileptic or non-epileptic had been heard about epilepsy. Only 7.1% of epileptic students and 8.5% of non-epileptic students thought that the epilepsy is a brain disease. Out of 2198 non-epileptic students, 28.4% thought that person with epilepsy (PWE) should not marry and 92% of them refused to marry from PWE. The correct knowledge of epilepsy was significantly positive correlated with positive attitude towards PWE. However, students still feel persons with epilepsy are stigmatized and are different from others. Secondary school students in Egypt have a vague knowledge about the etiology of epilepsy. Misconceptions about and negative attitudes towards epilepsy are unexpectedly high among those students. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Examinations with computerized cranial axial tomography carried out on patients with epileptic seizures, taking into consideration the EEG and the clinical picture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geiser, R.

    1982-01-01

    204 patients suffering from epileptic seizures were examined with the help of computerized cranial X-ray tomography; the results were compared with anamnestic, clinical, and EEC-findings. In good agreement with results published in literature, in 54% of the patients pathologic CT's such as tumours, attack scars, changes in ventricles and arachnoid spaces etc. were found. A pathological CT is very likely to appear in male patients who are 30 or even 50 years of age, having partial attacks with elementary symptoms, focal diagnosis in the EEG and a neurological unilateral finding. Especially noteworthy is the tumour detecting rate achieved by CT and the fact that in nearly 5% of the cases CT detected a cerebral lesion which has not been suspected, neither clinically nor in the EEG (4 tumours). This shows clearly that CT represents a heighly valuable diagnostic help, especially for patients with epileptic seizures. (orig./MG) [de

  19. DREADDs suppress seizure-like activity in a mouse model of pharmacoresistant epileptic brain tissue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Avaliani, N.; Andersson, M.; Thomsen, Annika Højrup Runegaard

    2016-01-01

    and closely resemble features of human epileptic tissue. Studies suggest that chemically induced epileptiform activity in rat OHSCs is pharmacoresistant to most of AEDs. However, high-frequency electric stimulus train-induced bursting (STIB) in OHSCs is responsive to carbamazepine and phenytoin. We...

  20. Reflex epileptic mechanisms in humans: Lessons about natural ictogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Peter

    2017-06-01

    The definition of reflex epileptic seizures is that specific seizure types can be triggered by certain sensory or cognitive stimuli. Simple triggers are sensory (most often visual, more rarely tactile or proprioceptive; simple audiogenic triggers in humans are practically nonexistent) and act within seconds, whereas complex triggers like praxis, reading and talking, and music are mostly cognitive and work within minutes. The constant relation between a qualitatively, often even quantitatively, well-defined stimulus and a specific epileptic response provides unique possibilities to investigate seizure generation in natural human epilepsies. For several reflex epileptic mechanisms (REMs), this has been done. Reflex epileptic mechanisms have been reported less often in focal lesional epilepsies than in idiopathic "generalized" epilepsies (IGEs) which are primarily genetically determined. The key syndrome of IGE is juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), where more than half of the patients present reflex epileptic traits (photosensitivity, eye closure sensitivity, praxis induction, and language-induced orofacial reflex myocloni). Findings with multimodal investigations of cerebral function concur to indicate that ictogenic mechanisms in IGEs largely (ab)use preexisting functional anatomic networks (CNS subsystems) normally serving highly complex physiological functions (e.g., deliberate complex actions and linguistic communication) which supports the concept of system epilepsy. Whereas REMs in IGEs, thus, are primarily function-related, in focal epilepsies, they are primarily localization-related. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Genetic and Reflex Epilepsies, Audiogenic Seizures and Strains: From Experimental Models to the Clinic". Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. A study on epileptic negative myoclonus in atypical benign partial epilepsy of childhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhixian; Liu, Xiaoyan; Qin, Jiong; Zhang, Yuehua; Bao, Xinhua; Chang, Xingzhi; Wang, Shuang; Wu, Ye; Xiong, Hui

    2009-04-01

    To investigate the clinical and neurophysiological characteristics, particularly therapeutic considerations, of epileptic negative myoclonus (ENM) in atypical benign partial epilepsy (ABPE) of childhood. From 1998 to 2006, 14/242 patients with benign children epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) were diagnosed as having ABPE with ENM. In all 14 patients, we performed video-EEG monitoring along with tests with the patient's arms outstretched; 6/14 patients were also simultaneously underwent surface electromyogram (EMG). ENM manifestations, electrophysiological features, and responses to antiepileptic drugs were analyzed. In all cases, ENM developed after the onset of epilepsy and during antiepileptic drug therapy, and the appearance of ENM were corresponding to EEG findings of high-amplitude spikes followed by a slow wave in the contralateral motor areas with secondary generalization. This was further confirmed by time-locked silent EMG. During ENM occurrence or recurrence, habitual seizures and interictal discharges were exaggerated. In some patients, the changes in antiepileptic drug regimens in relation to ENM appearance included add-on therapy with carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and phenobarbital or withdrawal of valproate. ENM was controlled in most cases by administration of various combinations of valproate, clonazepam, and corticosteroids. The incidence of ENM or ABPE in our center was approximately 5.79%. A combination of video-EEG monitoring with the patient's arms outstretched and EMG is essential to identify ENM. The aggravation of habitual seizures and interictal discharges indicate ENM. Some antiepileptic drugs, such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and phenobarbital, may be related to ENM occurrence during spontaneous aggravation of ABPE. Various combinations of valproate, benzodiazepines, and corticosteroids are relatively effective for treating ENM that occurs in ABPE.

  2. Recognition of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: a curable neurophobia?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Sullivan, S S

    2013-02-01

    Diagnosing psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) remains challenging. The majority of \\'PNES status\\' cases are likely to be seen in the emergency department or similar non-specialised units, where patients are initially assessed and managed by physicians of varying expertise in neurology.

  3. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: our video-EEG experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nežádal, Tomáš; Hovorka, Jiří; Herman, Erik; Němcová, Iveta; Bajaček, Michal; Stichová, Eva

    2011-09-01

    The aim of our study was to assess the number of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) in our patients with a refractory seizure disorder, to determine the 'typical' PNES semiology using video-EEG monitoring and describe other PNES parameters. We evaluated prospectively 596 patients with pharmacoresistant seizures. All these patients underwent continuous video-EEG monitoring. In consenting patients, we used suggestive seizure provocation. We assessed seizure semiology, interictal EEG, brain MRI, psychiatric co-morbidities, personality profiles, and seizure outcome. In the sample of 596 monitored patients, we detected 111 (19.3%) patients with PNES. Of the 111 patients with PNES, 86.5% had spontaneous and 76.5% had provoked seizures. The five most typical symptoms were: initially closed eyelids (67.6%), rapid tremor (47.7%), asynchronous limb movement (37.8%), preictal pseudosleep (33.3%), and side-to-side head movement (32.4%). Interictal EEG was rated as abnormal in 46.2% and with epileptiform abnormality in 9%. Brain MRI was abnormal in 32 (28.8%) patients. Personality disorders (46.8%), anxiety (39.6%), and depression (12.6%) were the most frequent additional psychiatric co-morbidities. PNES outcome after at least 2 years is reported; 22.5% patients was seizure-free; one-third had markedly reduced seizure frequency. We have not seen any negative impact of the provocative testing on the seizure outcome. Video-EEG monitoring with suggestive seizure provocation supported by clinical psychiatric and psychological evaluation significantly contributes to the correct PNES diagnosis, while interictal EEG and brain MRI are frequently abnormal. Symptoms typical for PNES, as opposed to epileptic seizures, could be distinguished.

  4. Idiopathic epileptic syndromes and cognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hommet, Caroline; Sauerwein, Hannelore C; De Toffol, Bertrand; Lassonde, Maryse

    2006-01-01

    Epilepsy is frequently associated with cognitive impairments which result from various interacting factors. The present paper deals with the contribution of neuropsychology to the characterization of the type of epilepsy and the possible mechanisms underlying idiopathic epileptic syndromes. The non-lesional, so-called idiopathic epilepsies, constitute an interesting model for assessing the relationship between epileptiform EEG discharges and cognition. Among the idiopathic generalized epilepsies, disorders of social integration and personality have been frequently reported in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). Since similar disturbances are observed in frontal-lobe-lesioned patients, impairments in other frontal lobe functions (e.g. executive functions) might be expected in JME. This gives rise to speculation about the possible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in JME. With regard to partial idiopathic epilepsies, benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECTS) may provide a useful model for the study of the relationship between epileptiform EEG discharges in the peri-sylvian region and language functions. Furthermore, the description of mild cognitive dysfunctions in BCECTS, and their persistence into adulthood, can provide information about compensatory mechanisms and may allow for the generation of remedial strategies. Thus, 'lesional' neuropsychology has given way to 'dynamic' neuropsychology based on specific postulates. By using the cognitive profile to specify the mechanism underlying the behavioral disturbances observed in different types of epilepsy, neuropsychology may eventually contribute to a revision of the present classification of epileptic syndromes. In addition, the neuropsychological data may help predict the extent and limits of functional recovery and cerebral plasticity.

  5. Recurrent epileptic Wernicke aphasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahaya, Kinshuk; Dhand, Upinder K; Goyal, Munish K; Soni, Chetan R; Sahota, Pradeep K

    2010-04-15

    We report a patient with recurrent epileptic Wernicke aphasia who prior to this presentation, had been misdiagnosed as transient ischemic attacks for several years. This case report emphasizes the consideration of epileptic nature of aphasia when a clear alternate etiology is unavailable, even when EEG fails to show a clear ictal pattern. We also present a brief discussion of previously reported ictal aphasias. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Personality and Psychopathology of Patients with Grandmal and Complex Partial Seizures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Najafi

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Epileptic patients have special mental profile and experience emotional and psychopathological problems. Some studies have reported that epilepsy and psychopathology occur together. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mental profile of Complex partial seizure (CPS and Grandmal seizure (GMS patients and compare them with the control group. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out in 2008 at the neurological clinics of Isfahan and included 40 Patients with CPS and GMS epilepsy selected conveniently and control group included relatives of the patients. Psychological and personality profile was measured with MMPI inventory. The obtained data was analyzed with SPSS software, mainly through the analysis of Chi Square and ANOVA. Results: The findings of this research showed that although the scores of clinical scales in MMPI are higher than control group, this psychopathology isn’t abnormal. Epileptic patients in hypochondria, depression and hysteria had more elevated levels in comparison with the control group, but this difference was significant only in CPS patients. Conclusion: The results showed that epileptic patients tend to have more psychological disorders than normal people. These findings emphasize the necessity for psychological treatment along with drug therapy.

  7. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: did he have seizures? Psychogenic or epileptic or both?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, John R

    2003-12-01

    Napoleon Bonaparte was a general in the French army at 24 years of age, later conquering most of Europe. He was one of the greatest military geniuses the world has ever known, but also an extremely intelligent individual. Did he have seizures? The evidence shows that he had both psychogenic and epileptic attacks. The psychogenic attacks were likely related to the tremendous stress in his life, and the epileptic seizures were the result of chronic uremia from a severe urethral stricture caused by gonorrhea that was transmitted from his wife, Empress Josephine.

  8. CT findings in epileptic children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koide, Nobuo; Kimura, Shigeru; Watanabe, Jun; Haneda, Satoshi; Takebe, Yukinao

    1981-01-01

    CT findings in 43 children with generalized seizures (grand mal seizures) (GM group) and in 50 children with partial seizures (P group), classified according to clinical seizure type, were studied. 1) CT abnormalities were demonstrated in 19% (8/43) in GM group and in 40% (20/50) in P group, including localized CT abnormalities in 9.3% (4/43) and in 34% (17/50) respectively. CT abnormalities were found more frequently in cases with abnormal past histories and/or mental defects (MD) than in those without them. 2) In P group, localized CT abnormalities and generalized brain atrophy were observed in 13 and 7 cases respectively. In 40 cases with focal epileptic discharges (FED) in EEG, localized CT abnormalities were demonstrated in 23% (9/40). The sites of localized CT abnormalities corresponded in 73% (11/15) to the sites of focal suppression in EEG (i.e., slowing, low amplitude and lazy pattern) regardless of FED. 3) The bicaudate cerebro-ventricular index (B-CVI) in 19 cases in the normal control group over 2 years of age was 10.0 +- 1.2 (mean +- SD). Ventricular narrowing (VN), with B-CVI less than 8.2 (mean - 1.5 SD), was observed in 5, 17 and 27% in control, GM and P groups respectively, indicating more frequently in epileptic children than in normal controls. Seizures were well controlled in 85% (11/13) in VN group and in 70% (26/36) in normal ventricular group. Brain atrophy in CT findings to inspection was ascertained in all cases by measuring B-CVI. (author)

  9. The offspring of epileptic mother.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamer, S K; Misra, S; Jaiswal, S

    1996-01-01

    The offspring of an epileptic mother is an issue-currently getting attention because of its several implications. A complex interaction between epilepsy during pregnancy and its adverse impact on foetus, labor, neonate, congenital malformation, psychosocial and medico-social concern and treatment challenges of such cases is increasingly being realised. Some of the significant observations has been reviewed extensively in this article. Maternal epilepsy is likely to adversely affect the off-spring at its various stages of development amounting to increased morbidity and mortality. Increased seizure frequency during pregnancy with resultant increased risk is well documented but its mechanism is poorly understood. Low apgar score, increased still birth rates (1.3 to 14%) in offspring of epileptic mother (OEM) is reported. So also, the neonatal and perinatal deaths are twice more common in OEMS than normal control. Small for dates, and prematurity in OEM is reported to be 7 to 10% and 4-11% respectively. Adverse impact on labor and delivery like preclampsia, abruptio placentae, polyhydramnios, assisted delivery, cesarean section and IUGR poses particular challenges to the obstetrician. Pediatrician's alertness is needed to anticipate and deal with the bleeding manifestation due to deficiency of Vit-K dependent clotting factors and various anticonvulsant drug (AED) withdrawal symptoms. Significant risk of developing congenital malformation is the result of epilepsy perse and the AED used during pregnancy. AED exposure leads to other distinct clinical syndromes, the orofacial clefts and cardiac anomalies being the commonest manifestation. Epilepsy in mother but not in father has significant adverse impact. Management strategies in the context of available observation has been discussed.

  10. Dynamic imaging of coherent sources reveals different network connectivity underlying the generation and perpetuation of epileptic seizures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lydia Elshoff

    Full Text Available The concept of focal epilepsies includes a seizure origin in brain regions with hyper synchronous activity (epileptogenic zone and seizure onset zone and a complex epileptic network of different brain areas involved in the generation, propagation, and modulation of seizures. The purpose of this work was to study functional and effective connectivity between regions involved in networks of epileptic seizures. The beginning and middle part of focal seizures from ictal surface EEG data were analyzed using dynamic imaging of coherent sources (DICS, an inverse solution in the frequency domain which describes neuronal networks and coherences of oscillatory brain activities. The information flow (effective connectivity between coherent sources was investigated using the renormalized partial directed coherence (RPDC method. In 8/11 patients, the first and second source of epileptic activity as found by DICS were concordant with the operative resection site; these patients became seizure free after epilepsy surgery. In the remaining 3 patients, the results of DICS / RPDC calculations and the resection site were discordant; these patients had a poorer post-operative outcome. The first sources as found by DICS were located predominantly in cortical structures; subsequent sources included some subcortical structures: thalamus, Nucl. Subthalamicus and cerebellum. DICS seems to be a powerful tool to define the seizure onset zone and the epileptic networks involved. Seizure generation seems to be related to the propagation of epileptic activity from the primary source in the seizure onset zone, and maintenance of seizures is attributed to the perpetuation of epileptic activity between nodes in the epileptic network. Despite of these promising results, this proof of principle study needs further confirmation prior to the use of the described methods in the clinical praxis.

  11. De-novo simple partial status epilepticus presenting as Wernicke's aphasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patil, Bhimanagouda; Oware, Agyepong

    2012-04-01

    Language disturbances manifesting as brief periods of speech arrest occur with seizures originating in the frontal or temporal lobes. These language disturbances are usually present with other features of seizures or may occur in an episodic fashion suggesting their likely epileptic origin. Sustained but reversible aphasia as the sole manifestation of partial status epilepticus is rare, particularly without a history of prior seizures. A few cases have been described in the literature where Broca's or mixed aphasia seems to be more common than Wernicke's aphasia. Here we describe a patient who presented with Wernicke's aphasia secondary to simple partial status epilepticus but without any other features of seizures. The diagnosis was confirmed on EEG and the aphasia reversed after antiepileptic treatment. Copyright © 2011 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Immune-mediated steroid-responsive epileptic spasms and epileptic encephalopathy associated with VGKC-complex antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suleiman, Jehan; Brenner, Tanja; Gill, Deepak; Troedson, Christopher; Sinclair, Adriane J; Brilot, Fabienne; Vincent, Angela; Lang, Bethan; Dale, Russell C

    2011-11-01

    Autoantibodies that bind to voltage-gated potassium-channel complex proteins (VGKC-complex antibodies) occur frequently in adults with limbic encephalitis presenting with cognitive impairment and seizures. Recently, VGKC-complex antibodies have been described in a few children with limbic encephalitis, and children with unexplained encephalitis presenting with status epilepticus. We report a case of infantile-onset epileptic spasms and developmental delay compatible with epileptic encephalopathy. Our patient was a female infant, aged 4 months at presentation. She had evidence of immune activation in the central nervous system with elevated cerebrospinal fluid neopterin and mirrored oligoclonal bands, which prompted testing for autoantibodies. VGKC-complex antibodies were elevated (201 pmol/L, normalVGKC-complex antibodies might represent a marker of immune therapy responsiveness in a subgroup of patients with infantile epileptic encephalopathy. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2011 Mac Keith Press.

  13. Development of a neurostimulator for studies of epileptic crisis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niro, J; Manso, J; Ballina, F; Periolo, S; D'Atellis, C; Ponce, S; Barroso, M; Anessi, C; Kochen, S

    2007-01-01

    This work describes the development and use of a multi-channel, programmable physiological stimulator. The device is intended for the detection of epileptic events and crisis prediction using encephalograms. The animals were followed by the kindling model. The system program accepts several inputs of stimulation parameters such as, pulse width, separation between pulses, pulse intensity and total number of pulses. The stimulator generates constant-current, bipolar pulses with a maximum amplitude of 5 mA and a resolution of 50μA. As regards voltage, the maximum amplitude is 150 V. The stimulator was constructed with a microcontroller (PIC18F4550), the latter version being controlled by a personal computer. Experiments of achieving the epileptic events were carried out on rats

  14. Development of a neurostimulator for studies of epileptic crisis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niro, J [Universidad Tecnologica Nacional / Secretaria de Proyectos Especiales, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Manso, J [Universidad Tecnologica Nacional / Secretaria de Proyectos Especiales, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Ballina, F [Universidad Tecnologica Nacional / Secretaria de Proyectos Especiales, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Periolo, S [Universidad Tecnologica Nacional / Secretaria de Proyectos Especiales, Buenos Aires (Argentina); D' Atellis, C [Universidad Tecnologica Nacional / Secretaria de Proyectos Especiales, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Ponce, S [Universidad Tecnologica Nacional / Secretaria de Proyectos Especiales, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Barroso, M [Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires / Facultad de Medicina, Centro de Epilepsia UBA - CONICET, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Anessi, C [Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires / Facultad de Medicina, Centro de Epilepsia UBA - CONICET, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Kochen, S [Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires / Facultad de Medicina, Centro de Epilepsia UBA - CONICET, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2007-11-15

    This work describes the development and use of a multi-channel, programmable physiological stimulator. The device is intended for the detection of epileptic events and crisis prediction using encephalograms. The animals were followed by the kindling model. The system program accepts several inputs of stimulation parameters such as, pulse width, separation between pulses, pulse intensity and total number of pulses. The stimulator generates constant-current, bipolar pulses with a maximum amplitude of 5 mA and a resolution of 50{mu}A. As regards voltage, the maximum amplitude is 150 V. The stimulator was constructed with a microcontroller (PIC18F4550), the latter version being controlled by a personal computer. Experiments of achieving the epileptic events were carried out on rats.

  15. [Unusual dreams in epileptics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boldyrev, A I

    1984-01-01

    The author discusses bizarre dreams characteristic of epileptics and never occurring in normal subjects which have an important practical implication especially for early detection of epilepsy and the prevention of severe forms of the disease. This group of dreams includes vivid nightmares with vital fear, dreams not infrequently transforming into pro-dream states; persistently repeated stereotyped dreams and dreams with invariably the same unpleasant sensations representing an isolated aura of subsequent epileptic attacks. Diagnostically important may also be dreams with the symptoms of derealization and depersonalization, vague dream images and the deja vu phenomenon.

  16. Oxidant-Antioxidant Balance In Epileptic Children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moawad, A.T.; Mohammed, A.A.; El-Maghraby, D.M.F.

    2011-01-01

    Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders which are characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. It is usually controlled, but cannot be cured with medications, although surgery may be considered in difficult cases. Over 30% of people with epilepsy don't have seizure control even with the best available medications. In epileptic children, oxidant-antioxidant balance is disturbed. Glutathione homeostasis may be altered as a consequence of reactive metabolites and/or reactive oxygen species produced during treatment with antiepileptic drugs. Per-oxidation of membrane lipid caused by an increase in generation of free radical or decrease in the activities of antioxidant defense systems have been suggested to be critically involved in seizure control. The effect of antiepileptic monotherapy as valproic acid (VPA) or carbamazepine (CBZ) or both on level of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) as an index of antioxidant and the plasma of malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index of oxidative stress were studied in this study. Forty children (18 males and 22 females) with idiopathic generalized epilepsy, diagnosed in the Pediatric Neurology Unit, Children Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, were selected to represent group (1) with mean age of 5.13 ± 4.36 years. Thirty healthy children (14 males and 16 females) matched in age, sex and social life status served as normal control group (2). The results revealed that there was high significant increase in the plasma level of MDA in patients with idiopathic epilepsy as compared to the control while the serum level of GST was significantly decreased in epileptic children as compared to the control group. Non-significant difference in plasma level of MDA and serum level of GST among the epileptic subgroups was observed. In uncontrolled epileptic patients (seizures more than 4/month), the plasma level of MDA displayed higher significant increase than in controlled epileptic patients. On the other hand, serum GST

  17. Magnetic resonance imaging in relation to EEG epileptic foci in tuberous sclerosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamaki, Kyoko; Okuno, Takehiko; Ito, Masatoshi; Asato, Reinin; Konishi, Junji; Mikawa, Haruki

    1990-01-01

    In 20 patients with tuberous sclerosis (TS), who were sequentially treated for epilepsy at our clinic, the high signal lesions in the cerebral cortex and subcortex detected on T2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were compared with the interictal EEG findings. In four cases who showed a unilateral distribution of the MRI lesions, there was a good correlation between the laterality of the affected lobes and the localization of the EEG epileptic foci. Thirteen cases with more than four affected lobes in both hemispheres also showed bilateral epileptic foci on EEG. The MRI lesions in the occipital lobes showed the best correlation with the EEG epileptic foci, while the worst correlation was seen in the frontal lobes. In addition, the cases with four or more affected lobes without laterality on MRI are more likely to show bilateral synchronization on EEG. The prognosis of epilepsy in these cases was found to be rather poor. (author)

  18. Multimodality localization of epileptic foci

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desco, Manuel; Pascau, Javier; Pozo, M. A.; Santos, Andres; Reig, Santiago; Gispert, Juan D.; Garcia-Barreno, Pedro

    2001-05-01

    This paper presents a multimodality approach for the localization of epileptic foci using PET, MRI and EEG combined without the need of external markers. Mutual Information algorithm is used for MRI-PET registration. Dipole coordinates (provided by BESA software) are projected onto the MRI using a specifically developed algorithm. The four anatomical references used for electrode positioning (nasion, inion and two preauricular points) are located on the MRI using a triplanar viewer combined with a surface-rendering tool. Geometric transformation using deformation of the ideal sphere used for dipole calculations is then applied to match the patient's brain size and shape. Eight treatment-refractory epileptic patients have been studied. The combination of the anatomical information from the MRI, hipoperfusion areas in PET and dipole position and orientation helped the physician in the diagnosis of epileptic focus location. Neurosurgery was not indicated for patients where PET and dipole results were inconsistent; in two cases it was clinically indicated despite the mismatch, showing a negative follow up. The multimodality approach presented does not require external markers for dipole projection onto the MRI, this being the main difference with previous methods. The proposed method may play an important role in the indication of surgery for treatment- refractory epileptic patients.

  19. Epileptic seizures precipited by eating: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Carlos Aleixo Sepulveda

    1981-03-01

    Full Text Available The case of one 23 year-old girl who had epileptic manifestations is reported. At first, generalized tonic seizures; afterwards, epileptic seizures precipited by eating. The electroencephalograms showed left temporal lobe disfunctions. Different types of drugs were used with no sucess. The best results were obtained by association of sodium valproate, clonazepan and phenobarbital. Comments are made about clinic and etiopathogenesis, believing the authors in the hipothesis of nervous structures chronic hiperactivity. To Walker8 the hiperactivity was reached by hormones production under neural control of specific cerebral centers. The continuous bombardment of epileptic discharges to hypothalamic centers is the probably responsible by epileptic seizures precipited by eating.

  20. Mutations of PTPN23 in developmental and epileptic encephalopathy

    KAUST Repository

    Sowada, Nadine

    2017-10-31

    Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders with poor prognosis. Recent discoveries have greatly expanded the repertoire of genes that are mutated in epileptic encephalopathies and DEE, often in a de novo fashion, but in many patients, the disease remains molecularly uncharacterized. Here, we describe a new form of DEE in patients with likely deleterious biallelic variants in PTPN23. The phenotype is characterized by early onset drug-resistant epilepsy, severe and global developmental delay, microcephaly, and sometimes premature death. PTPN23 encodes a tyrosine phosphatase with strong brain expression, and its knockout in mouse is embryonically lethal. Structural modeling supports a deleterious effect of the identified alleles. Our data suggest that PTPN23 mutations cause a rare severe form of autosomal-recessive DEE in humans, a finding that requires confirmation.

  1. Regional cerebral blood flow in diagnosis of childhood onset partial epilepsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitsuyoshi, Izuru; Tamaki, Kyoko; Mutoh, Kozo; Iwasaki, Yasushi; Konishi, Junji; Mikawa, Haruki; Okuno, Takehiko.

    1993-01-01

    We compared regional cerebral blood flow assessed by [ 123 I]N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and interictal surface electroencephalography (EEG) to evaluate its diagnostic potential in 24 patients with partial seizures with onset in childhood. Focal low uptake areas were observed in SPECT scans of 18 patients and were presumed to represent epileptogenic areas in 17. MRI revealed an abnormality in 12 and CT in 6 patients, and all organic lesions showed SPECT abnormalities, too. Six patients without focal structural abnormalities showed regional perfusion deficit on SPECT. Routine scalp EEG revealed an epileptic focus in 17 patients and three of them showed discordant results between SPECT and EEG, which suggested more serious brain disorders. In two patients without EEG localization only SPECT showed focal abnormalities in the probable epileptic area. [ 123 I]IMP-SPECT was useful in locating the epileptic focus, particularly during the early period after the onset of partial seizures when the EEG gave inconclusive results. (author)

  2. Localisation of epileptic foci using novel imaging modalities

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Ciantis, Alessio; Lemieux, Louis

    2013-01-01

    Purpose of review This review examines recent reports on the use of advanced techniques to map the regions and networks involved during focal epileptic seizure generation in humans. Recent findings A number of imaging techniques are capable of providing new localizing information on the ictal processes and epileptogenic zone. Evaluating the clinical utility of these findings has been mainly performed through post-hoc comparison with the findings of invasive EEG and ictal single-photon emission computed tomography, using postsurgical seizure reduction as the main outcome measure. Added value has been demonstrated in MRI-negative cases. Improved understanding of the human ictiogenic processes and the focus vs. network hypothesis is likely to result from the application of multimodal techniques that combine electrophysiological, semiological, and whole-brain coverage of brain activity changes. Summary On the basis of recent research in the field of neuroimaging, several novel imaging modalities have been improved and developed to provide information about the localization of epileptic foci. PMID:23823464

  3. What we know and would like to know about CDKL5 and its involvement in epileptic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilstrup-Nielsen, Charlotte; Rusconi, Laura; La Montanara, Paolo; Ciceri, Dalila; Bergo, Anna; Bedogni, Francesco; Landsberger, Nicoletta

    2012-01-01

    In the last few years, the X-linked serine/threonine kinase cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) has been associated with early-onset epileptic encephalopathies characterized by the manifestation of intractable epilepsy within the first weeks of life, severe developmental delay, profound hypotonia, and often the presence of some Rett-syndrome-like features. The association of CDKL5 with neurodevelopmental disorders and its high expression levels in the maturing brain underscore the importance of this kinase for proper brain development. However, our present knowledge of CDKL5 functions is still rather limited. The picture that emerges from the molecular and cellular studies suggests that CDKL5 functions are important for regulating both neuronal morphology through cytoplasmic signaling pathways and activity-dependent gene expression in the nuclear compartment. This paper surveys the current state of CDKL5 research with emphasis on the clinical symptoms associated with mutations in CDKL5, the different mechanisms regulating its functions, and the connected molecular pathways. Finally, based on the available data we speculate that CDKL5 might play a role in neuronal plasticity and we adduce and discuss some possible arguments supporting this hypothesis.

  4. What We Know and Would Like to Know about CDKL5 and Its Involvement in Epileptic Encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte Kilstrup-Nielsen

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In the last few years, the X-linked serine/threonine kinase cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5 has been associated with early-onset epileptic encephalopathies characterized by the manifestation of intractable epilepsy within the first weeks of life, severe developmental delay, profound hypotonia, and often the presence of some Rett-syndrome-like features. The association of CDKL5 with neurodevelopmental disorders and its high expression levels in the maturing brain underscore the importance of this kinase for proper brain development. However, our present knowledge of CDKL5 functions is still rather limited. The picture that emerges from the molecular and cellular studies suggests that CDKL5 functions are important for regulating both neuronal morphology through cytoplasmic signaling pathways and activity-dependent gene expression in the nuclear compartment. This paper surveys the current state of CDKL5 research with emphasis on the clinical symptoms associated with mutations in CDKL5, the different mechanisms regulating its functions, and the connected molecular pathways. Finally, based on the available data we speculate that CDKL5 might play a role in neuronal plasticity and we adduce and discuss some possible arguments supporting this hypothesis.

  5. Epileptic peri-ictal psychosis, a reversible cause of psychosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González Mingot, C; Gil Villar, M P; Calvo Medel, D; Corbalán Sevilla, T; Martínez Martínez, L; Iñiguez Martínez, C; Santos Lasaosa, S; Mauri Llerda, J A

    2013-03-01

    Epileptic psychoses are categorised as peri-ictal and interictal according to their relationship with the occurrence of seizures. There is a close temporal relationship between peri-ictal psychosis and seizures, and psychosis may present before (preictal), during (ictal) or after seizures (postictal). Epileptic psychoses usually have acute initial and final phases, with a short symptom duration and complete remission with a risk of recurrence. There is no temporal relationship between interictal or chronic psychosis and epileptic seizures. Another type of epileptic psychosis is related to the response to epilepsy treatment: epileptic psychosis caused by the phenomenon of forced normalisation (alternative psychosis), which includes epileptic psychosis secondary to epilepsy surgery. Although combination treatment with antiepileptic and neuroleptic drugs is now widely used to manage this condition, there are no standard treatment guidelines for epileptic psychosis. We present 5 cases of peri-ictal epileptic psychosis in which we observed an excellent response to treatment with levetiracetam. Good control was achieved over both seizures and psychotic episodes. Levetiracetam was used in association with neuroleptic drugs with no adverse effects, and our patients did not require high doses of the latter. Categorising psychotic states associated with epilepsy according to their temporal relationship with seizures is clinically and prognostically useful because it provides important information regarding disease treatment and progression. The treatment of peri-ictal or acute mental disorders is based on epileptic seizure control, while the treatment of interictal or chronic disorders has more in common with managing disorders which are purely psychiatric in origin. In addition to improving the patient's quality of life and reducing disability, achieving strict control over seizures may also prevent the development of interictal psychosis. For this reason, we believe that

  6. Electrical stimulation of the epileptic focus in absence epileptic WAG/RIJ rats: assessment of local and network excitability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luttjohann, A.K.; Zhang, S.W.; Peijper, R.A.G. de; Luijtelaar, E.L.J.M. van

    2011-01-01

    [Objective] The study aims to investigate whether there is a higher excitability in the deep cortical layers of the pen-oral region of the somatosensory cortex as compared to other cortical regions in absence epileptic WAG/Rij rats and whether this is unique for this type of epileptic rats, as would

  7. Epileptic seizures in Neuro-Behcet disease: why some patients develop seizure and others not?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutlu, Gulnihal; Semercioglu, Sencer; Ucler, Serap; Erdal, Abidin; Inan, Levent E

    2015-03-01

    Behcet disease (BD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder. Neuro BD (NBD) is seen in approximately 5% of all patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency, type and prognosis of epileptic seizures in different forms of NBD. All files of 42 patients with NBD were evaluated between 2006 and 2012, retrospectively. The demographic data, the presentation of NBD, clinical findings including seizures, EEG and neuroimaging findings were reviewed. The mean age of patients was 35.02±8.43 years. Thirty (71.4%) patients were male; the remaining 12 of them were female. Twenty-four patients had brainstem lesions; 16 patients had cerebral venous thrombosis. Spinal cord involvement was seen in two patients. Seven patients had epileptic seizures (six partial onset seizures with or without secondary generalization). Six of them had cerebral sinus thrombosis (CVT). Four patients had a seizure as the first symptom of the thrombosis. One patient had late onset seizure due to chronic venous infarct. The other patient with seizure had brainstem involvement. The remaining was diagnosed as epilepsy before the determination of NBD. CVT seen in BD seems to be the main risk factor for epileptic seizures in patients with NBD. The prognosis is usually good especially in patients with CVT. Epileptic seizures in patients with brainstem involvement may be an indicator for poor prognosis. Superior sagittal thrombosis or cortical infarct would be predictor of seizures occurrence because of the high ratio in patients with seizures. Copyright © 2015 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effect of enzyme inducing anticonvulsants on ethosuximide pharmacokinetics in epileptic patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    GIACCONE, M.; BARTOLI, A.; GATTI, G.; MARCHISELLI, R.; PISANI, F.; LATELLA, M.A.; PERUCCA, E.

    1996-01-01

    1To assess the effect of enzyme inducing anticonvulsants on ethosuximide pharmacokinetics, plasma ethosuximide concentrations after a single oral dose (500 mg) of the drug were compared in 12 healthy control subjects and 10 epileptic patients receiving chronic therapy with phenobarbitone, phenytoin and/or carbamazepine. 2Compared with controls, epileptic patients showed markedly shorter ethosuximide half-lives (29.0±7.8 vs 53.7±14.3 h, means±s.d., Panticonvulsants, the effect probably being mediated by stimulation of cytochrome CYP3A activity. 4The enhancement of ethosuximide clearance in patients comedicated with enzyme inducing anticonvulsants is likely to be clinically relevant. Higher ethosuximide dosages will be required to achieve therapeutic drug concentrations in these patients. PMID:8799524

  9. CDKL5 alterations lead to early epileptic encephalopathy in both genders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Jao-Shwann; Shimojima, Keiko; Takayama, Rumiko; Natsume, Jun; Shichiji, Minobu; Hirasawa, Kyoko; Imai, Kaoru; Okanishi, Tohru; Mizuno, Seiji; Okumura, Akihisa; Sugawara, Midori; Ito, Tomoshiro; Ikeda, Hiroko; Takahashi, Yukitoshi; Oguni, Hirokazu; Imai, Katsumi; Osawa, Makiko; Yamamoto, Toshiyuki

    2011-10-01

    Genetic mutations of the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 gene (CDKL5) have been reported in patients with epileptic encephalopathy, which is characterized by intractable seizures and severe-to-profound developmental delay. We investigated the clinical relevance of CDKL5 alterations in both genders. A total of 125 patients with epileptic encephalopathy were examined for genomic copy number aberrations, and 119 patients with no such aberrations were further examined for CDKL5 mutations. Five patients with Rett syndrome, who did not show methyl CpG-binding protein 2 gene (MECP2) mutations, were also examined for CDKL5 mutations. One male and three female patients showed submicroscopic deletions including CDKL5, and two male and six female patients showed CDKL5 nucleotide alterations. Development of early onset seizure was a characteristic clinical feature for the patients with CDKL5 alterations in both genders despite polymorphous seizure types, including myoclonic seizures, tonic seizures, and spasms. Severe developmental delays and mild frontal lobe atrophies revealed by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were observed in almost all patients, and there was no gender difference in phenotypic features. We observed that 5% of the male patients and 14% of the female patients with epileptic encephalopathy had CDKL5 alterations. These findings indicate that alterations in CDKL5 are associated with early epileptic encephalopathy in both female and male patients. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 International League Against Epilepsy.

  10. [Clinical and electrophysiologic studies on epileptic negative myoclonus in atypical benign partial epilepsy of childhood].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhi-xian; Liu, Xiao-yan; Qin, Jiong; Zhang, Yue-hua; Bao, Xin-hua; Chang, Xing-zhi; Wu, Ye; Xiong, Hui

    2008-12-01

    To investigate the clinical, neurophysiologic characteristics and therapeutic considerations of epileptic negative myoclonus (ENM) in atypical benign partial epilepsy of childhood (ABPE). Video-EEG monitoring with outstretched arm tests were carried out in 17 patients, and 9 of them were examined with simultaneous electromyography (EMG). The ENM manifestations, electrophysiologic features and responses to antiepileptic drugs (AED) were analyzed. Seventeen patients were diagnosed as having benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT) during the early course of the disease and were treated with AED. During the course of the disease, hand trembling, objects dropping, head nodding and instability during standing might be clues for ENM occurrence. ENM had been confirmed in our patients by outstretched arm tests during video-EEG recording. The ictal EEG showed that high-amplitude spikes followed by a slow wave over the contralateral motor areas. This was further confirmed by time-locked silent EMG in 9 patients. During ENM occurrence or recurrence, the habitual seizures and interictal discharges were exaggerated. Atypical absence seizures also occurred in 6 patients. The alteration of therapeutic options of AED relating to ENM appearance in some patients included the add-on therapy with carbamazepine (CBZ), oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, or withdrawal of valproate (VPA). ENM was controlled in most cases by using VPA, clonazepam (CZP) and corticosteroid with different combination. ENM could occur during the course of ABPE. Outstretching arm tests during video-EEG monitoring in combination with EMG was essential to confirm ENM. The ENM occurrence was always associated with the frequency increasing of habitual seizures and the aggravation of interictal discharges. Some AED such as CBZ might induce ENM. VPA, benzodiazepines and corticosteroid with different combination were relatively effective in treatment of ENM.

  11. CDKL5 gene-related epileptic encephalopathy: electroclinical findings in the first year of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melani, Federico; Mei, Davide; Pisano, Tiziana; Savasta, Salvatore; Franzoni, Emilio; Ferrari, Anna Rita; Marini, Carla; Guerrini, Renzo

    2011-04-01

    Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) gene abnormalities cause an early-onset epileptic encephalopathy. We performed video-electroencephalography (video-EEG) monitoring early in the course of CDKL5-related epileptic encephalopathy in order to examine the early electroclinical characteristics of the condition. We used video-EEG to monitor six infants (five females, one male) with CDKL5-related epileptic encephalopathy (five mutations; one deletion), at ages 45 days to 12 months and followed them up to the ages of 14 months to 5 years (mean age 23 mo). We focused our analysis on the first year of life. The results were evaluated against those of a comparison group of nine infants (aged below 1y) with epileptic encephalography who had tested negative for CDKL5 mutations and deletions. One infant exhibited normal background activity, three exhibited moderate slowing, and two exhibited a suppression burst pattern. Two participants had epileptic spasms and four had a stereotyped complex seizure pattern, which we defined as a 'prolonged' generalized tonic-clonic event consisting of a tonic-tonic/vibratory contraction, followed by a clonic phase with series of spasms, gradually translating into repetitive distal myoclonic jerks. Seizure duration ranged from 2 to 4 minutes. The EEG correlate of each clinical phase included an initial electrodecremental event (tonic vibratory phase), irregular series of sharp waves and spike slow waves (clonic phase with series of spasms), and bilateral rhythmic sharp waves (time locked with myoclonus). Infants with CDKL5-related early epileptic encephalopathy can present in the first year of life with an unusual electroclinical pattern of 'prolonged' generalized tonic-clonic seizures. © The Authors. Journal compilation © Mac Keith Press 2011.

  12. Absence-like and tonic seizures in aspartoacylase/attractin double-mutant mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gohma, Hiroshi; Kuramoto, Takashi; Matalon, Reuben; Surendran, Sankar; Tyring, Stephen; Kitada, Kazuhiro; Sasa, Masashi; Serikawa, Tadao

    2007-04-01

    The Spontaneously Epileptic Rat (SER), a double-mutant for tremor and zitter mutations, shows spontaneous occurrences of absence-like and tonic seizures. Several lines of evidence suggest that the combined effect of Aspa and Atrn mutations is the most likely cause of the epileptic phenotype of the SER. To address this issue, we produced a new double-mutant mouse line carrying both homozygous Aspa-knockout and Atrn(mg-3J) mutant alleles. The Aspa/Atrn double-mutant mice exhibited absence-like and tonic seizures that were characterized by the appearance of 5-7 Hz spike-wave-like complexes and low voltage fast waves on EEGs. These results demonstrate directly that the simultaneous loss of the Aspa and Atrn gene functions causes epileptic seizures in the mouse and suggest that both Aspa and Atrn deficiencies might be responsible for epileptic seizures in the SER.

  13. Two different mechanisms associated with ripple-like oscillations (100-250 Hz) in the human epileptic subiculum in vitro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarado-Rojas, C; Huberfeld, G; Baulac, M; Clemenceau, S; Charpier, S; Miles, R; Menendez de la Prida, L; Le Van Quyen, M

    2015-01-01

    Transient high-frequency oscillations (150-600 Hz) in local field potential generated by human hippocampal and parahippocampal areas have been related to both physiological and pathological processes. The cellular basis and effects of normal and abnormal forms of high-frequency oscillations (HFO) has been controversial. Here, we searched for HFOs in slices of the subiculum prepared from human hippocampal tissue resected for treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. HFOs occurred spontaneously in extracellular field potentials during interictal discharges (IID) and also during pharmacologically induced preictal discharges (PID) preceding ictal-like events. While most of these events might be considered pathological since they invaded the fast ripple band (>250 Hz), others were spectrally similar to physiological ripples (150-250 Hz). Do similar cellular mechanisms underly IID-ripples and PID-ripples? Are ripple-like oscillations a valid proxy of epileptogenesis in human TLE? With combined intra- or juxta-cellular and extracellular recordings, we showed that, despite overlapping spectral components, ripple-like IID and PID oscillations were associated with different cellular and synaptic mechanisms. IID-ripples were associated with rhythmic GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic potentials with moderate neuronal firing. In contrast, PID-ripples were associated with depolarizing synaptic inputs frequently reaching the threshold for bursting in most cells. Thus ripple-like oscillations (100-250 Hz) in the human epileptic hippocampus are associated with different mechanisms for synchrony reflecting distinct dynamic changes in inhibition and excitation during interictal and pre-ictal states. PMID:25448920

  14. Evaluation of SPECT with N-isopropyl[I-123]-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) in epileptic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nambu, Toshikazu; Itoh, Kazuo; Sumi, Tetsuo; Furudate, Masayori; Irie, Goro

    1988-01-01

    Brain SPECT scintigrams with N-Isopropyl[I-123]-p-Iodoamphetamine (IMP) were reviewed and compared with the EEG findings in 21 epileptic patients (22 SPECT images) with normal CT. Thirteen of 22 SPECT images showed abnormal low uptake and 7 of them corresponded to the EEG focus. In order to obtain the quantitative analysis, the count ratio of the focus side to the opposite I-123 content in fixed ROI was measured for each case, but no statistically significant correlation for the frequency or the duration of epilepsy was found. EEG is not considered to be favorite standard for localizing epileptic foci, especially in deep cerebral region, and that may be one of the main reason for the incomplete correlation. In the qualitative study, however, the cases with frequent epileptic attack were more likely to show abnormal findings. I-123 IMP SPECT can now be considered as having a significant clinical role for the diagnosis and management of patients with epilepsy. (author)

  15. Definition and classification of epilepsy. Classification of epileptic seizures 2016

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Yu. Mukhin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases, especially in childhood and adolescence. The incidence varies from 15 to 113 cases per 100 000 population with the maximum among children under 1 year old. The prevalence of epilepsy is high, ranging from 5 to 8 cases (in some regions – 10 cases per 1000 children under 15 years old. Classification of the disease has great importance for diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. The article presents a novel strategy for classification of epileptic seizures, developed in 2016. It contains a number of brand new concepts, including a very important one, saying that some seizures, previously considered as generalized or focal only, can be, in fact, both focal and generalized. They include tonic, atonic, myoclonic seizures and epileptic spasms. The term “secondarily generalized seizure” is replace by the term “bilateral tonic-clonic seizure” (as soon as it is not a separate type of epileptic seizures, and the term reflects the spread of discharge from any area of cerebral cortex and evolution of any types of focal seizures. International League Against Epilepsy recommends to abandon the term “pseudo-epileptic seizures” and replace it by the term “psychogenic non-epileptic seizures”. If a doctor is not sure that seizures have epileptic nature, the term “paroxysmal event” should be used without specifying the disease. The conception of childhood epileptic encephalopathies, developed within this novel classification project, is one of the most significant achievements, since in this case not only the seizures, but even epileptiform activity can induce severe disorders of higher mental functions. In addition to detailed description of the new strategy for classification of epileptic seizures, the article contains a comprehensive review of the existing principles of epilepsy and epileptic seizures classification.

  16. Knowledge about epilepsy among teachers and epileptic patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria F. Valls Tosetti

    1991-09-01

    Full Text Available 223 epileptics patients and their families and 136 teachers from public and private schools were submitted to similar questionnaires related to inheritance, transmission, cure, complilcation rates, care during seizures, need for information on the disease, habits, comparison with other diseases and to the educational and social performances of epileptics. Cure and complication nates accounted for the main differences between those populations. Epileptics could recognize a bigger number of complications but still expected to be cured from the disease. The majority of teachers and patients have never been informed about epilepsy and this finding was related to the big number of equivocal answers obtained from them. Put together, the data showed that social and educational performance of epileptic patients could be disturbed by medical and social parameters. Some, of them could be improved by an educational program towards these aspects of epilepsy.

  17. Preoperative localization of epileptic foci with SPECT brain perfusion imaging, electrocorticography, surgery and pathology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia Shaowei; Xu Wengui; Chen Hongyan; Weng Yongmei; Yang Pinghua

    2002-01-01

    Objective: The value of preoperative localization of epileptic foci with SPECT brain perfusion imaging was investigated. Methods: The study population consisted of 23 patients with intractable partial seizures which was difficult to control with anticonvulsant for long period. In order to preoperatively locate the epileptic foci, double SPECT brain perfusion imaging was performed during interictal and ictal stage. The foci were confirmed with electrocorticography (EcoG), surgery and pathology. Results: The author checked with EcoG the foci shown by SPECT, 23 patients had all typical spike discharge. The regions of radioactivity increase in ictal matched with the abnormal electrical activity areas that EcoG showed. The spike wave originated in the corresponding cerebrum cortex instead of hyperplastic and adherent arachnoid or tumor itself. Conclusions: SPECT brain perfusion imaging contributes to distinguishing location, size, perfusion and functioning of epileptogenic foci, and has some directive function on to making out a treatment programme at preoperation

  18. Consciousness in Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder

    OpenAIRE

    Reuber, M.; Kurthen, M.

    2011-01-01

    Non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD) is one of the most important differential diagnoses of epilepsy. Impairment of\\ud consciousness is the key feature of non-epileptic attacks (NEAs). The first half of this review summarises the clinical research\\ud literature featuring observations relating to consciousness in NEAD. The second half places this evidence in the wider context\\ud of the recent discourse on consciousness in neuroscience and the philosophy of mind. We argue that studies of consci...

  19. Clinical Presentation of Epilepsy among Adult Sudanese Epileptic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: To study the pattern of clinical presentation of epilepsy among adult Sudanese epileptic patients. Methods: 120 patients with epilepsy were included in a prospective cross-sectional study. Setting: The study was conducted at Sheik Mohamed Kheir Friday Epileptic Clinic .Duration: May 2003 Oct 2006. Results: ...

  20. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in epileptic adult patients: experience in Ramathibodi Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solosrungruang, Anusorn; Laothamatas, Jiraporn; Chinwarun, Yotin

    2007-04-01

    The purpose of the present study was to classify the imaging structural abnormalities of epileptic adult patients referred for magnetic resonance imaging (MR imaging) of the brain at Ramathibodi Hospital and to correlate with the clinical data and EEG. MR imaging of 91 adult epileptic patients (age ranging from 15-85 years old with an average of 36.90 years old) were retrospectively reviewed and classified into eight groups according to etiologies. Then clinical data and EEG correlations were analyzed using the Kappa analysis. All of the MR imaging of the brain were performed at Ramathibodi Hospital from January 2001 to December 2002. Secondary generalized tonic clonic seizure was the most common clinical presenting seizure type. Extra temporal lobe epilepsy was the most common clinical diagnosis. Of the thirty-three patients who underwent EEG before performing MR imaging, 17 had normal EEG From MR imaging, temporal lobe lesion was the main affected location and mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) was the most common cause of the epilepsy in patients. For age group classification, young adult (15-34 years old) and adult (35-64 years old) age groups, MTS was the most common etiology of epilepsy with cortical dysplasia being the second most common cause for the first group and vascular disease for the latter group. For the older age group (> 64 years old), vascular disease and idiopathic cause were equally common etiologies. MRI, EEG findings, and clinical data were all concordant with statistical significance. MRI is the non-invasive modality of choice for evaluation of the epileptic patients. The result is concordant with the clinical and EEG findings. It can detect and localize the structural abnormality accurately and is useful in the treatment planning.

  1. Efficacy of sodium channel blockers in SCN2A early infantile epileptic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dilena, Robertino; Striano, Pasquale; Gennaro, Elena; Bassi, Laura; Olivotto, Sara; Tadini, Laura; Mosca, Fabio; Barbieri, Sergio; Zara, Federico; Fumagalli, Monica

    2017-04-01

    Recent clinical evidence supports a targeted therapeutic approach for genetic epileptic encephalopathies based on the molecular dysfunction. A 2-day-old male infant presented with epileptic encephalopathy characterized by burst-suppression EEG background and tonic-clonic migrating partial seizures. The condition was refractory to phenobarbital, pyridoxine, pyridoxal phosphate and levetiracetam, but a dramatic response to an intravenous loading dose of phenytoin was documented by video-EEG monitoring. Over weeks phenytoin was successfully switched to carbamazepine to prevent seizure relapses associated with difficulty in maintaining proper blood levels of phenytoin. Genetic analysis identified a novel de novo heterozygous mutation (c.[4633A>G]p.[Met1545Val]) in SCN2A. At two years and three months of age the patient is still seizure-free on carbamazepine, although a developmental delay is evident. Sodium channel blockers represent the first-line treatment for confirmed or suspected SCN2A-related epileptic encephalopathies. In severe cases with compatible electro-clinical features we propose a treatment algorithm based on a test trial with high dose intravenous phenytoin followed in case of a positive response by carbamazepine, more suitable for long-term maintenance treatment. Because of their rarity, collaborative studies are needed to delineate shared therapeutic protocols for EIEE based on the electro-clinical features and the presumed underlying genetic substrate. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Prevalence of Autism among Epileptic Children Referring to Imam Reza Clinic and Comparing to Control Group (non Epileptic Children During2013-2014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LS mohammadijahromi

    2017-06-01

    Discussion: According to this study, the prevalence of autism among epileptic children is higher than non epileptic ones. As the age of the onset of seizure is lower the prevalence of autism will be higher. Also, the prevalence of autism among epileptic children will be higher as abnormal findings of imaging and known etiologies of seizureincrease. Loss of significant correlations among prevalence of autism and some variables of seizure can be due to few numbers of autistic cases, which were diagnosed in this study comparing with previous studies.

  3. Temporal epileptic seizures and occupational exposure to solvents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, M; Bælum, Jesper; Bonde, J P

    1994-01-01

    Long term exposure to organic solvents is usually not considered as a possible cause of chronic epileptic seizures. A case that shows a remarkable coincidence between exposure to organic solvents and occurrence of epileptic seizures is reported. The man was a 58 year old sign writer with lifelong...

  4. Mental Development of Children with Non-epileptic Paroxysmal States in Medical History

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Turovskaya N.G.,

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The author studied mental functions disorders in children with a history of paroxysmal states of various etiologies and compared mental development disorder patterns in patients with epileptic and non-epileptic paroxysms. Study sample were 107 children, aged 6 to 10 years. The study used experimental psychological and neuropsychological techniques. According to the empirical study results, non-epileptic paroxysms unlike epileptic much less combined with a number of mental functions disorders and intelligence in general. However, non-epileptic paroxysmal states as well as epileptic seizure associated with increasing activity exhaustion and abnormal function of the motor analyzer (dynamic and kinesthetic dyspraxia. Visual memory disorders and modal-nonspecific memory disorders have more pronounced importance in the mental ontogenesis structure in children with convulsive paroxysms compared to children with cerebral pathology without paroxysms history

  5. Ictal and interictal SPECT imaging of 8 patients with symptomatic partial epilepsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Motooka, Hiromichi

    1993-01-01

    Although epileptic discharges such as spike, spike and wave complex, sharp wave, and sharp and wave complex can be recorded by interictal scalp electroencephalography (EEG) in many patients with epilepsy, recent studies have demonstrated that no epileptic discharges can be recorded by interictal and ictal scalp EEGs in some patients who clinically exhibit epileptic seizures. Accordingly scalp EEG is not always helpful for diagnosing epilepsy or identifying the epileptic foci in the brain in these patients. Recently, studies using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) have been performed for patients with epilepsy and evidence that epileptic foci can be identified by changes in the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) seen on SPECT scanning have been accumulated. In the present study, therefore, 8 patients with medically intractable partial seizures were simultaneously or independently investigated by the recordings of scalp EEG and SPECT scanning during the interictal and ictal period. N-isopropyl-p[ 123 I]-iodoamphetamine ( 123 I-IMP) was used for SPECT scanning for 7 patients and 99m Tc-d,l-hexamethyl-propyleneamineoxime ( 99m Tc-HMPAO) for 1 patient. An increase in rCBF (hyperperfusion) or decrease in rCBF (hypoperfusion) were found in 4 patients by interictal SPECT imaging and in all patients by ictal SPECT imaging although epileptic discharges were observed in 3 patients by interictal scalp EEG and 5 patients by ictal scalp EEG. The findings of the present study indicate that ictal SPECT scanning is more useful for diagnosing epilepsy and identifying the epileptic foci in the brain than ictal scalp EEG. (author)

  6. A girl with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy associated with microdeletion involving CDKL5.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saitsu, Hirotomo; Osaka, Hitoshi; Nishiyama, Kiyomi; Tsurusaki, Yoshinori; Doi, Hiroshi; Miyake, Noriko; Matsumoto, Naomichi

    2012-05-01

    Recent studies have shown that aberrations of CDKL5 in female patients cause early-onset intractable seizures, severe developmental delay or regression, and Rett syndrome-like features. We report on a Japanese girl with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy, hypotonia, developmental regression, and Rett syndrome-like features. The patient showed generalized tonic seizures, and later, massive myoclonus induced by phone and light stimuli. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed no structural brain anomalies but cerebral atrophy. Electroencephalogram showed frontal dominant diffuse poly spikes and waves. Through copy number analysis by genomic microarray, we found a microdeletion at Xp22.13. A de novo 137-kb deletion, involving exons 5-21 of CDKL5, RS1, and part of PPEF1 gene, was confirmed by quantitative PCR and breakpoint specific PCR analyses. Our report suggests that the clinical features associated with CDKL5 deletions could be implicated in Japanese patients, and that genetic testing of CDKL5, including both sequencing and deletion analyses, should be considered in girls with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy and RTT-like features. Copyright © 2011 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Dextromethorphan in the treatment of early myoclonic encephalopathy evolving into migrating partial seizures in infancy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yin-Hsuan Chien

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Epileptic encephalopathy with suppression-burst in electroencephalography (EEG can evolve into a few types of epileptic syndromes. We present here an unusual case of early myoclonic encephalopathy that evolved into migrating partial seizures in infancy. A female neonate initially had erratic myoclonus movements, hiccups, and a suppression-burst pattern in EEG that was compatible with early myoclonic encephalopathy. The seizures were controlled with dextromethorphan (20 mg/kg, and a suppression-burst pattern in EEG was reverted to relatively normal background activity. However, at 72 days of age, alternating focal tonic seizures, compatible with migrating partial seizures in infancy, were demonstrated by the 24-hour EEG recording. The seizures responded poorly to dextromethorphan. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of early myoclonic encephalopathy evolving into migrating partial seizure in infancy. Whether it represents another age-dependent epilepsy evolution needs more clinical observation.

  8. Dose-Dependent Effect of Curcumin on Learning and Memory Deficit in Kainate-Epileptic Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Kiasalari

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Background & objectives : Epileptic seizures accompany disturbances in learning, memory, and cognitive skills. With regard to antiepileptic potential of curcumin and its beneficial effect on memory, the effect of its administration on learning and memory in kainate-epileptic rats was investigated.   Methods: Forty male rats were divided into sham, positive control ( valproate-treated epileptic, epileptic, and two curcumin-treated epileptic groups. Rat model of epilepsy was induced by unilateral intrahippocampal administration of 4 μg of kainate per rat. Rats received intraperitoneal injection of curcumin (50 and 100 mg/kg daily for 1 week before surgery. For evaluation of learning and memory, initial (IL and step-through latencies (STL were determined using passive avoidance test and alternation behavior percentage was obtained according to Y maze test.   Results: Regarding IL, there was no significant difference between the groups. In contrast, STL significantly decreased in curcumin-50-treated epileptic group (p<0.05 (a change from 263.1 to 184.5 s. However, this parameter significantly increased in curcumin-100-treated epileptic group as compared to epileptic group (p<0.01 (a change from 263.1 to 220.3 s. In addition, STL was also significantly higher in valproic acid-treated epileptic group versus epileptic group (p<0.05 (a change from 145.7 to 210.3 s. Alternation percentage was also significantly higher in curcumin-50- and curcumin-100-treated epileptic groups relative to epileptic group (p<0.05 (a change from 60.5 to 77.6 and 80.3%.   Conclusion: Curcumin could dose-dependently enhance the consolidation and recall in epileptic animals and could improve spatial memory in such animals.

  9. Genetic epileptic encephalopathies: is all written into the DNA?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Striano, Pasquale; de Jonghe, Peter; Zara, Federico

    2013-11-01

    Epileptic encephalopathy is a condition in which epileptic activity, clinical or subclinical, is thought to be responsible for any disturbance of cognition, behavior, or motor control. However, experimental evidence supporting this clinical observation are still poor and the causal relationship between pharmacoresistant seizures and cognitive outcome is controversial. In the past two decades, genetic studies shed new light onto complex mechanisms underlying different severe epileptic conditions associated with intellectual disability and behavioral abnormalities, thereby providing important clues on the relationship between seizures and cognitive outcome. Dravet syndrome is a childhood disorder associated with loss-of-function mutations in SCN1A and is characterized by frequent seizures and severe cognitive impairment, thus well illustrating the concept of epileptic encephalopathy. However, it is difficult to determine the causative role of the underlying sodium channel dysfunction and that of the consequent seizures in influencing cognitive outcome in these children. It is also difficult to demonstrate whether a recognizable profile of cognitive impairment or a definite behavioral phenotype exists. Data from the laboratory and the clinics may provide greater insight into the degree to which epileptic activity may contribute to cognitive impairment in individual syndromes. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2013 International League Against Epilepsy.

  10. [Subacute encephalopathy with epileptic seizures in an alcoholic patient].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozian, R; Otto, F G

    2000-09-01

    We introduce a case of a 66 year-old male with chronic alcoholism who suffered from confusion, Wernicke-aphasia and epileptic seizures. Several EEG revealed periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges. The patient's case resembles the symptoms of a subacute encephalopathy with epileptic seizures which can occur in alcoholics.

  11. Coordination of the Tromsoe Partial Reflection Experiment (PRE) and EISCAT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haug, A.

    1977-01-01

    A redesigned partial reflection experiment has been installed and put in operation at Ramfjord, Tromsoe. In this paper the theory for the experiment is briefly outlined and it is shown that the partial reflection experiment is suitable for a number of different studies of the lower ionosphere. An antenna array of 10 5 m 2 has been erected at the same site where the European Incoherent Scatter Facility (EISCAT) will be installed. In the redesigned experiment system control and fast data analysis are performed by a computer with the necessary peripherals. It is shown that the resolution, accuracy and height range of the different partial reflection sub-experiments provides for a number of coordinated investigations with the European Incoherent Scatter facility. (Auth.)

  12. Evaluation of the pentylenetetrazole seizure threshold test in epileptic mice as surrogate model for drug testing against pharmacoresistant seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Töllner, Kathrin; Twele, Friederike; Löscher, Wolfgang

    2016-04-01

    Resistance to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is a major problem in epilepsy therapy, so that development of more effective AEDs is an unmet clinical need. Several rat and mouse models of epilepsy with spontaneous difficult-to-treat seizures exist, but because testing of antiseizure drug efficacy is extremely laborious in such models, they are only rarely used in the development of novel AEDs. Recently, the use of acute seizure tests in epileptic rats or mice has been proposed as a novel strategy for evaluating novel AEDs for increased antiseizure efficacy. In the present study, we compared the effects of five AEDs (valproate, phenobarbital, diazepam, lamotrigine, levetiracetam) on the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) seizure threshold in mice that were made epileptic by pilocarpine. Experiments were started 6 weeks after a pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. At this time, control seizure threshold was significantly lower in epileptic than in nonepileptic animals. Unexpectedly, only one AED (valproate) was less effective to increase seizure threshold in epileptic vs. nonepileptic mice, and this difference was restricted to doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg, whereas the difference disappeared at 400mg/kg. All other AEDs exerted similar seizure threshold increases in epileptic and nonepileptic mice. Thus, induction of acute seizures with PTZ in mice pretreated with pilocarpine does not provide an effective and valuable surrogate method to screen drugs for antiseizure efficacy in a model of difficult-to-treat chronic epilepsy as previously suggested from experiments with this approach in rats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Compare Of the West Syndrome with Other Syndromes in the Epileptic Encephalopathy - Kosovo Experience

    OpenAIRE

    Zeka, Naim; Gërguri, Abdurrahim; Bejiqi, Ramush; Retkoceri, Ragip; Vuciterna, Armend

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: West Syndrome (WS) represents as a specific epileptic encephalopathy characterised with a unique type of attacks, called infantile spasms, severe forms of abnormalities in electroencephalographic (EEG) records as a hypsarythmias and delays in the psychomotoric development. The characteristics of the disease, mostly affecting male gender, are infantile spasms and typical findings in EEG as a hypsarythmia. Infantile spasms are a consequence of many factors in the undeveloped brain. ...

  14. An acardiac acephalic monster following in-utero anti-epileptic drug exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutlay, B; Bayramoglu, S; Kutlar, A I; Yesildaglar, N

    1996-04-01

    Acardia, the absence of the heart, is one of the rarest medical anomalies. The exact mechanism which causes this anomaly is still unknown. The authors report the acardiac acephalic fetus of an epileptic mother who was on primidone therapy. The mother who received no antenatal care stopped taking primidone (her sole medication) in the third month of pregnancy with the fear of delivering a malformed baby and had three convulsions until delivery. This is the first reported case of acardia associated with anti-epileptic medication. The cause of the anomaly in this patient may be an unknown genetic defect, the maternal epileptic disorder, the convulsions, the anti-epileptic medication, or a combination of these factors.

  15. Plasticity of Hippocampal Excitatory-Inhibitory Balance: Missing the Synaptic Control in the Epileptic Brain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Bonansco

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Synaptic plasticity is the capacity generated by experience to modify the neural function and, thereby, adapt our behaviour. Long-term plasticity of glutamatergic and GABAergic transmission occurs in a concerted manner, finely adjusting the excitatory-inhibitory (E/I balance. Imbalances of E/I function are related to several neurological diseases including epilepsy. Several evidences have demonstrated that astrocytes are able to control the synaptic plasticity, with astrocytes being active partners in synaptic physiology and E/I balance. Here, we revise molecular evidences showing the epileptic stage as an abnormal form of long-term brain plasticity and propose the possible participation of astrocytes to the abnormal increase of glutamatergic and decrease of GABAergic neurotransmission in epileptic networks.

  16. The role of stress as a trigger for epileptic seizures: a narrative review of evidence from human and animal studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novakova, Barbora; Harris, Peter R; Ponnusamy, Athi; Reuber, Markus

    2013-11-01

    Stress is one of the most frequently self-identified seizure triggers in patients with epilepsy; however, most previous publications on stress and epilepsy have focused on the role of stress in the initial development of epilepsy. This narrative review explores the causal role of stress in triggering seizures in patients with existing epilepsy. Findings from human studies of psychological stress, as well as of physiologic stress responses in humans and animals, and evidence from nonpharmacologic interventions for epilepsy are considered. The evidence from human studies for stress as a trigger of epileptic seizures is inconclusive. Although retrospective self-report studies show that stress is the most common patient-perceived seizure precipitant, prospective studies have yielded mixed results and studies of life events suggest that stressful experiences only trigger seizures in certain individuals. There is limited evidence suggesting that autonomic arousal can precede seizures. Interventions designed to improve coping with stress reduce seizures in some individuals. Studies of physiologic stress using animal epilepsy models provide more convincing evidence. Exposure to exogenous and endogenous stress mediators has been found to increase epileptic activity in the brain and trigger overt seizures, especially after repeated exposure. In conclusion, stress is likely to exacerbate the susceptibility to epileptic seizures in a subgroup of individuals with epilepsy and may play a role in triggering "spontaneous" seizures. However, there is currently no strong evidence for a close link between stress and seizures in the majority of people with epilepsy, although animal research suggests that such links are likely. Further research is needed into the relationship between stress and seizures and into interventions designed to reduce perceived stress and improve quality of life with epilepsy. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2013 International League Against Epilepsy.

  17. Wavelet analysis of epileptic spikes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latka, Miroslaw; Was, Ziemowit; Kozik, Andrzej; West, Bruce J.

    2003-05-01

    Interictal spikes and sharp waves in human EEG are characteristic signatures of epilepsy. These potentials originate as a result of synchronous pathological discharge of many neurons. The reliable detection of such potentials has been the long standing problem in EEG analysis, especially after long-term monitoring became common in investigation of epileptic patients. The traditional definition of a spike is based on its amplitude, duration, sharpness, and emergence from its background. However, spike detection systems built solely around this definition are not reliable due to the presence of numerous transients and artifacts. We use wavelet transform to analyze the properties of EEG manifestations of epilepsy. We demonstrate that the behavior of wavelet transform of epileptic spikes across scales can constitute the foundation of a relatively simple yet effective detection algorithm.

  18. Wavelet analysis of epileptic spikes

    CERN Document Server

    Latka, M; Kozik, A; West, B J; Latka, Miroslaw; Was, Ziemowit; Kozik, Andrzej; West, Bruce J.

    2003-01-01

    Interictal spikes and sharp waves in human EEG are characteristic signatures of epilepsy. These potentials originate as a result of synchronous, pathological discharge of many neurons. The reliable detection of such potentials has been the long standing problem in EEG analysis, especially after long-term monitoring became common in investigation of epileptic patients. The traditional definition of a spike is based on its amplitude, duration, sharpness, and emergence from its background. However, spike detection systems built solely around this definition are not reliable due to the presence of numerous transients and artifacts. We use wavelet transform to analyze the properties of EEG manifestations of epilepsy. We demonstrate that the behavior of wavelet transform of epileptic spikes across scales can constitute the foundation of a relatively simple yet effective detection algorithm.

  19. Endogenous sulfur dioxide regulates hippocampal neuron apoptosis in developing epileptic rats and is associated with the PERK signaling pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Manman; Han, Ying; Li, Qinrui; Zhang, Jing

    2018-02-05

    Epilepsy is among the most common neurological diseases in children. Recurrent seizures can result in hippocampal damage and seriously impair learning and memory functions in children. However, the mechanisms underlying epilepsy-related brain injury are unclear. Neuronal apoptosis is among the most common neuropathological manifestations of brain injury. Endogenous sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) has been shown to be involved in seizures and related neuron apoptosis. However, the role of endogenous SO 2 in epilepsy remains unclear. This study assessed whether endogenous SO 2 is involved in epilepsy and its underlying mechanisms. Using a rat epilepsy model induced by an intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (KA), we found that hippocampal neuron apoptosis was induced in epileptic rats, and the SO 2 content and aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) activity in the plasma were increased compared to those in the control group. However, the inhibition of SO 2 production by l-aspartate-β-hydroxamate (HDX) can subvert this response 72h after an epileptic seizure. No difference in apoptosis was observed 7 d after the epileptic seizure in the KA and KA+HDX groups. The protein expression levels of AAT2, glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), pancreatic eIF2 kinase-like ER kinase (PERK) and phospho-PERK (p-PERK) were remarkably elevated in the hippocampi of the epileptic rats, while the HDX treatment was capable of reversing this process 7 d after the epileptic seizure. These results indicate that the inhibition of endogenous SO 2 production can alleviate neuronal apoptosis and is associated with the PERK signaling pathway during the initial stages after epileptic seizure, but inhibiting SO 2 production only delayed the occurrence of apoptosis and did not prevent neuronal apoptosis in the epileptic rats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Pharmacokinetics of Anti-Epileptic Drugs and their Clinical Significance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svein I. Johannessen

    1990-01-01

    Full Text Available The serum concentration achieved and maintained following the administration of a fixed drug dosage is a direct consequence of the interactions of a wide variety of interrelated processes, including drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, and the physiological status of the patient. These interrelationships are reviewed with specific reference to the major anti-epileptic drugs, phenobarbitone, phenytoin, sodium valproate, and carbamazepine, as well as a new first-line antiepileptic, oxcarbazepine. Both older drugs, such as phenobarbitone and phenytoin, and newer drugs, such as carbamazepine (CBZ and sodium valproate, have been studied extensively over the past years giving valuable information for drug treatment. An important feature of oxcarbazepine (OXC , which was developed through minimal changes in the structure of CBZ in order to improve on the tolerability of CBZ without sacrificing efficacy, is that its metabolites do not include the 11-epoxide which has been implicated in the side-effects of CBZ. In man, OXC is metabolized to a monohydroxy derivative which has independent anti-epileptic properties. OXC seems to lack several disadavantageous pharmacokinetic properties common to other major anti-epileptic drugs. OXC does not influence its own metabolism after repeated administration, in contrast to the auto-induction displayed by CBZ. The metabolism of OXC is not influenced by anti-epileptic co-medication and does not influence the kinetics of other anti-epileptic drugs – or if it does, then to a lesser extent than CBZ.

  1. Epileptic seizures in patients with a posterior circulation infarct

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yüksel Kaplan

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of seizures and the clinical features of patients with seizures related to a posterior circulation infarct (POCI. METHODS: We reviewed all ischemic stroke patients admitted to our clinic between January 2011 and January 2012. The patients’ database information was retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-five patients with a POCI were included in the study. We reviewed all patients with epileptic seizures related to a POCI. Age, gender, recurrent stroke, risk factors, etiology, radiographic localization, the seizure type and onset time, and the electroencephalographic findings of patients were evaluated. We excluded all patients who had precipitating conditions during seizures such as taking drugs, acid-base disturbances, electrolyte imbalance, and history of epilepsy. RESULTS: Seizures were observed in four patients (3 male, 1 female with a POCI related epileptic seizures (7.2%. The etiology of strokes was cardiac-embolic in 3 patients and vertebral artery dissection in 1 patient. Seizures occurred in 2 patients as presenting finding, in 1 patient within 7 days, and 1 patient within 28 days. Primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures occurred in 3 patients and simple partial seizures with secondary generalization in 1 patient. Three patients had cerebellum infarction at the left hemisphere. One patient had lateral medullary infarction at the right side. The electroencephalographic findings of patients were normal. CONCLUSION: Studies involving patients with seizures related to a POCI are novel and few in number. Three patients with seizure had cerebellum infarction. The cerebellum in these patients may contribute via different mechanisms over seizure activity.

  2. Topiramate-induced paresthesia is more frequently reported by migraine than epileptic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sedighi, Behnaz; Shafiei, Kaveh; Azizpour, Iman

    2016-04-01

    Topiramate is an approved and effective drug in migraine prophylaxis. Paresthesia is the most commonly reported side effect. The primary objective of this study was to compare the frequency of topiramate-induced paresthesia in migraine headache to epileptic patients. Patients with migraine without aura and epilepsy were enrolled in this observational study. All cases were interviewed by telephone about their history of paresthesia. Confounding factors were controlled through logistic regression. The odds ratio of developing topiramate-induced paresthesia in migraine compared to epilepsy patients was 3.4. Three factors were independent contributors to developing topiramate-induced paresthesia: female sex (odds ratio 2.1), topiramate dosage (odds ratio 0.3) and duration of therapy. Our findings indicate an independent association between migraine and development of paresthesia. Migraineurs were more likely than epileptic patients to report paresthesia as topiramate adverse effects. Female sex, treatment duration and topiramate dosage contribute significantly to subsequent development of paresthesia.

  3. Epileptic seizures and headache/migraine: a review of types of association and terminology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cianchetti, Carlo; Pruna, Dario; Ledda, Mariagiuseppina

    2013-11-01

    There are different possible temporal associations between epileptic seizures and headache attacks which have given rise to unclear or controversial terminologies. The classification of the International League Against Epilepsy does not refer to this type of disorder, while the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-2) defines three kinds of association: (1) migraine-triggered seizure ("migralepsy"), (2) hemicrania epileptica, and (3) post-ictal headache. We performed an extensive review of the literature, not including "post-ictal" and "inter-ictal" headaches. On the basis of well-documented reports, the following clinical entities may be identified: (A) "epileptic headache (EH)" or "ictal epileptic headache (IEH)": in this condition headache (with or without migrainous features) is an epileptic manifestation per se, with onset, and cessation if isolated, coinciding with the scalp or deep EEG pattern of an epileptic seizure. EH maybe followed by other epileptic manifestations (motor/sensory/autonomic); this condition should be differentiated from "pure" or "isolated" EH, in which headache/migraine is the sole epileptic manifestation (requiring differential diagnosis from other headache forms). "Hemicrania epileptica" (if confirmed) is a very rare variant of EH, characterized by ipsilateral location of headache and ictal EEG paroxysms. (B) "Pre-ictal migraine" and "pre-ictal headache": when a headache attack is followed during, or shortly after, by a typical epileptic seizure. The migraine attack may be with or without aura, and its seizure-triggering role ("migraine-triggered seizure") is still a subject of debate. A differentiation from occipital epilepsy is mandatory. The term "migralepsy" has not been used uniformly, and may therefore led to misinterpretation. On the basis of this review we suggest definitions and a terminology which may become the basis of a forthcoming classification of headaches associated with epileptic seizures. Copyright

  4. Results of the mockup experiment on partial LOCA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dreier, J.; Winkler, H.

    1985-01-01

    A mockup experiment has been performed to verify the heat transfer model for a partial loss of coolant accident in the swimming pool reactor SAPHIR. Three coolant channels with the same dimensions as in a SAPHIR fuel element were simulated using four electrically heated plates. For a water level such that the heated plates are partially submerged, plate temperatures remain below 160 0 C for plate powers of up to 650 W. For water levels low enough to just block the channels, plate temperatures of 400 0 C are reached for plate powers as low as 60 W. Details of the experiment and further results are discussed

  5. The impact of self-efficacy, alexithymia and multiple traumas on posttraumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity following epileptic seizures: a moderated mediation analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Man Cheung; Allen, Rachel D; Dennis, Ian

    2013-12-30

    This study investigated the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychiatric co-morbidity following epileptic seizure, whether alexithymia mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and psychiatric outcomes, and whether the mediational effect was moderated by the severity of PTSD from other traumas. Seventy-one (M=31, F=40) people with a diagnosis of epilepsy recruited from support groups in the United Kingdom completed the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale. They were compared with 71 people (M=29, F=42) without epilepsy. For people with epilepsy, 51% and 22% met the diagnostic criteria for post-epileptic seizure PTSD and for PTSD following one other traumatic life event respectively. For the control group, 24% met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD following other traumatic life events. The epilepsy group reported significantly more anxiety and depression than the control. Partial least squares (PLS) analysis showed that self-efficacy was significantly correlated with alexithymia, post-epileptic seizure PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity. Alexithymia was also significantly correlated with post-epileptic seizure PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity. Mediation analyses confirmed that alexithymia mediated the path between self-efficacy and post-epileptic seizure PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity. Moderated mediation also confirmed that self-efficacy and PTSD from one other trauma moderated the effect of alexithymia on outcomes. To conclude, people can develop posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and psychiatric co-morbidity following epileptic seizure. These psychiatric outcomes are closely linked with their belief in personal competence to deal with stressful situations and regulate their own functioning, to process rather than defend against distressing emotions, and with the degree of PTSD from other traumas. © 2013 Elsevier

  6. Network dynamics in the healthy and epileptic developing brain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Rosch

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Electroencephalography (EEG allows recording of cortical activity at high temporal resolution. EEG recordings can be summarized along different dimensions using network-level quantitative measures, such as channel-to-channel correlation, or band power distributions across channels. These reveal network patterns that unfold over a range of different timescales and can be tracked dynamically. Here we describe the dynamics of network state transitions in EEG recordings of spontaneous brain activity in normally developing infants and infants with severe early infantile epileptic encephalopathies (n = 8, age: 1–8 months. We describe differences in measures of EEG dynamics derived from band power, and correlation-based summaries of network-wide brain activity. We further show that EEGs from different patient groups and controls may be distinguishable on a small set of the novel quantitative measures introduced here, which describe dynamic network state switching. Quantitative measures related to the sharpness of switching from one correlation pattern to another show the largest differences between groups. These findings reveal that the early epileptic encephalopathies are associated with characteristic dynamic features at the network level. Quantitative network-based analyses like the one presented here may in the future inform the clinical use of quantitative EEG for diagnosis.

  7. MDR-1 and MRP2 gene polymorphisms in Mexican epileptic pediatric patients with complex partial seizures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David eEscalante-Santiago

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Although the Pgp efflux transport protein is overexpressed in resected tissue of patients with epilepsy, the presence of polymorphisms in MDR1 / ABCB1 and MRP2 / ABCC2 in patients with antiepileptic-drugs resistant epilepsy is controversial. The aim of this study was to perform an exploratory study to identify nucleotide changes and search new and reported mutations in patients with antiepileptic-drugs resistant epilepsy (ADR and patients with good response to anti-epileptic drugs (CTR in a rigorously selected population. We analyzed 22 samples from drug-resistant patients with epilepsy and 7 samples from patients with good response to anti-epileptic drugs. Genomic DNA was obtained from leukocytes. Eleven exons in both genes were genotyped. The concentration of drugs in saliva and plasma was determined. The concentration of valproic acid in saliva was lower in ADR than in CRT. In ABCB1, five reported SNPs and five unreported nucleotide changes were identified; rs2229109 (GA and rs2032582 (AT and AG were found only in the ADR. Of six SNPs associated with the ABCC2 that were found in the study population, rs3740066 (TT and 66744T>A (TG were found only in the ADR. The strongest risk factor in the ABCB1 gene was identified as the TA genotype of rs2032582, whereas for the ABCC2 gene the strongest risk factor was the T allele of rs3740066. The screening of SNPs in ACBC1 and ABCC2 indicates that the Mexican patients with epilepsy in this study display frequently reported ABCC1 polymorphisms; however, in the study subjects with a higher risk factor for drug resistance, new nucleotide changes were found in the ABCC2 gene. Thus, the population of Mexican patients with AED-resistant epilepsy used in this study exhibits genetic variability with respect to those reported in other study populations; however, it is necessary to explore this polymorphism in a larger population of patients with AED-resistant epilepsy.

  8. Cognitive Dysfunctions in Epileptic Syndromes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Semih Ayta

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Some children with epilepsy display a low level of intelligence, learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mood disorders and anxiety. Besides specific learning disabilities like reading, writing, arithmetics, learning problems may involve other major areas of intellectual functions such as speech and language, attention, memory, fine motor coordination. Even in the presence of common pathology that leads to epilepsy and mental dysfunctions, seizures cause additional cognitive problems. Age at seizure onset, type of seizures and epileptic syndromes are some variables that determine the effect of epilepsy on cognition. As recurrent seizures may have some negative impact on the developing brain, the use of antiepileptic drugs should be considered not only to aim reducing seizures but also to prevent possible seizure-induced cortical dysfunctions. Epilepsy is a disorder requiring a complicated psychological adjustment for the patients and indeed is a disease that affects the whole family. Thus, the management of epilepsy must include educational, psychotherapeutic and behavioral interventions as well as drug treatment.

  9. Focal epileptic seizures with secondary generalization in cortical atrophy and gliosis dysplasia in the left temporal lobe and hemimegalencephaly in the left occipital lobe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manchev, I.; Mancheva-Ganeva, V.; Manolova, T.; Manchev, L.

    2016-01-01

    It is a case of an eight-year-old patient with cortical dysplasia and gliosis in the left temporal lobe clinically manifested with focal epileptic seizures with secondary generalization. Signs of mental retardation and a number of somatic complications - diabetes, etc., were found. The complex therapy with anticonvulsant medications, immunovenin, plasmaphoresis and anti-diabetic drugs was partially effective

  10. Long-term outcomes of epilepsy surgery in school-aged children with partial epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Shuli; Wang, Shuai; Zhang, Junchen; Ding, Chengyun; Zhang, Zhiwen; Fu, Xiangping; Hu, Xiaohong; Meng, Xiaoluo; Jiang, Hong; Zhang, Shaohui

    2012-10-01

    The pediatric epileptic spectrum and seizure control in surgical patients have been defined in developed countries. However, corresponding data on school-aged children from developing countries are insufficient. We summarized epileptic surgical data from four centers in China, to compare surgical outcomes of school-aged children with intractable partial epilepsy from China and those from developed countries, and introduce surgical candidate criteria. Data from 206 children (aged 6-14 years) undergoing surgical resection for epilepsy between September 2001 and January 2007 were selected. Postoperative freedom from seizures was achieved in 173 cases (84.0%) at 1 year, 149 (72.3%) at 3 years, and 139 (67.5%) at 5 years. Patients with focal magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities and a short history of seizure were most likely to become seizure-free postoperatively. Those with preoperative low intelligence quotients who became seizure-free postoperatively achieved improvements in full memory quotients, intelligence quotients, and overall quality of life at 2 years. Significant differences were evident in mean changes of full intelligence quotient, full memory quotient, and overall quality of life between patients with preoperative low intelligence quotients who received corpus callosotomies and those with a normal preoperative intelligence quotient, and between seizure-free children and those with continual seizures. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. HMGB1 Contributes to the Expression of P-Glycoprotein in Mouse Epileptic Brain through Toll-Like Receptor 4 and Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Chen

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to investigate the role of high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1 in the seizure-induced P-glycoprotein (P-gp overexpression and the underlying mechanism. Kainic acid (KA-induced mouse seizure model was used for in vivo experiments. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: normal saline control (NS group, KA-induced epileptic seizure (EP group, and EP group pretreated with HMGB1 (EP+HMGB1 group or BoxA (HMGB1 antagonist, EP+BoxA group. Compared to the NS group, increased levels of HMGB1 and P-gp in the brain were observed in the EP group. Injection of HMGB1 before the induction of KA further increased the expression of P-gp while pre-treatment with BoxA abolished this up-regulation. Next, the regulatory role of HMGB1 and its potential involved signal pathways were investigated in mouse microvascular endothelial bEnd.3 cells in vitro. Cells were treated with HMGB1, HMGB1 plus lipopolysaccharide from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (LPS-RS [toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4 antagonist], HMGB1 plus FPS-ZM1 [receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE inhibitor], HMGB1 plus SN50 [nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB inhibitor], or vehicle. Treatment with HMGB1 increased the expression levels of P-gp, TLR4, RAGE and the activation of NF-κB in bEnd.3 cells. These effects were inhibited by the pre-treatment with either LPS-RS or FPS-ZM1, and were abolished by the pre-treatment of SN50 or a combination treatment of both LPS-RS and FPS-ZM1. Luciferase reporter assays showed that exogenous expression of NF-κB p65 increased the promoter activity of multidrug resistance 1a (P-gp-encoding gene in endothelial cells. These data indicate that HMGB1 contributes to the overexpression of P-gp in mouse epileptic brain tissues via activation of TLR4/RAGE receptors and the downstream transcription factor NF-κB in brain microvascular endothelial cells.

  12. Psycho-Social Aspects of Educating Epileptic Children: Roles for School Psychologists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank, Brenda B.

    1985-01-01

    Epileptic children may have physical and emotional needs which can interfere with learning and socialization. Current prevalence estimates, definitions, and classifications of epilepsy are surveyed. Factors affecting the epileptic child's school performance and specific learning problems are addressed. Specific roles are presented for school…

  13. Does rapid and physiological astrocyte–neuron signalling amplify epileptic activity?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The hippocampus is a key brain region in the pathophysiology of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Long‐term changes of its architecture and function on the network and cellular level are well documented in epilepsy. Astrocytes can control many aspects of neuronal function and their long‐term alterations over weeks, months and years play an important role in epilepsy. However, a pathophysiological transformation of astrocytes does not seem to be required for astrocytes to contribute to epileptic activity. Some of the properties of physiological astrocyte–neuron communication could allow these cells to exacerbate or synchronize neuronal firing on shorter time scales of milliseconds to minutes. Therefore, these astrocyte–neuron interactions are increasingly recognized as potential contributors to epileptic activity. Fast and reciprocal communication between astrocytes and neurons is enabled by a diverse set of mechanisms that could both amplify and counteract epileptic activity. They may thus promote or cause development of epileptic activity or inhibit it. Mechanisms of astrocyte–neuron interactions that can quickly increase network excitability involve, for example, astrocyte Ca2+ and Na+ signalling, K+ buffering, gap junction coupling and metabolism. However, rapid changes of astrocyte neurotransmitter uptake and morphology may also underlie or support development of network hyperexcitability. The temporal characteristics of these interactions, their ability to synchronize neuronal activity and their net effect on network activity will determine their contribution to the emergence or maintenance of epileptic activity. PMID:27106234

  14. Does rapid and physiological astrocyte-neuron signalling amplify epileptic activity?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henneberger, Christian

    2017-03-15

    The hippocampus is a key brain region in the pathophysiology of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Long-term changes of its architecture and function on the network and cellular level are well documented in epilepsy. Astrocytes can control many aspects of neuronal function and their long-term alterations over weeks, months and years play an important role in epilepsy. However, a pathophysiological transformation of astrocytes does not seem to be required for astrocytes to contribute to epileptic activity. Some of the properties of physiological astrocyte-neuron communication could allow these cells to exacerbate or synchronize neuronal firing on shorter time scales of milliseconds to minutes. Therefore, these astrocyte-neuron interactions are increasingly recognized as potential contributors to epileptic activity. Fast and reciprocal communication between astrocytes and neurons is enabled by a diverse set of mechanisms that could both amplify and counteract epileptic activity. They may thus promote or cause development of epileptic activity or inhibit it. Mechanisms of astrocyte-neuron interactions that can quickly increase network excitability involve, for example, astrocyte Ca 2+ and Na + signalling, K + buffering, gap junction coupling and metabolism. However, rapid changes of astrocyte neurotransmitter uptake and morphology may also underlie or support development of network hyperexcitability. The temporal characteristics of these interactions, their ability to synchronize neuronal activity and their net effect on network activity will determine their contribution to the emergence or maintenance of epileptic activity. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

  15. Behavioral Problems in Iranian Epileptic Children; A Case Control Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Aludari

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background Epilepsy is among the most common neurological disorders in childhood, prevalence of which is increasing. Unpredictable and chronic nature of the disease affects physical, social and mental functions of the children and their family. This study was aimed to compare behavioral problems in epileptic children group versus healthy control group. Materials and Methods This study is a case-control one conducted from January 2013 to June 2016 in Tehran, Iran. The epileptic children in age of 7-10 years old that were diagnosed by neurologist referred to the researcher for further process. Their parents were provided with Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL to be completed. For matching by age and gender, the healthy group was sampled after the epilepsy group. Multivariate Analysis of Variance was used for statistical analysis. Results In this study 94 children with epilepsy and 83 healthy children in age of 7-10 years old were studied. The results indicated that there were significantly higher behavioral problems in the children with epilepsy than in control group in nine categories of seclusiveness, physical complaints, anxiety and depression, social problems, thought problems, attention problems, delinquent behaviors, aggressive behaviors, and other problems. Comparison of two generalized and partial epilepsy groups indicated that there was a significant difference only in attention problems (p = 0.024. Conclusion The present study indicates that the children with epilepsy have more behavioral problems as compared to control group. Therefore, educational and psychological interventions are necessary for supporting desirable psychosocial growth and development of such children.

  16. Epileptic Seizure Prediction Using a New Similarity Index for Chaotic Signals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niknazar, Hamid; Nasrabadi, Ali Motie

    Epileptic seizures are generated by abnormal activity of neurons. The prediction of epileptic seizures is an important issue in the field of neurology, since it may improve the quality of life of patients suffering from drug resistant epilepsy. In this study a new similarity index based on symbolic dynamic techniques which can be used for extracting behavior of chaotic time series is presented. Using Freiburg EEG dataset, it is found that the method is able to detect the behavioral changes of the neural activity prior to epileptic seizures, so it can be used for prediction of epileptic seizure. A sensitivity of 63.75% with 0.33 false positive rate (FPR) in all 21 patients and sensitivity of 96.66% with 0.33 FPR in eight patients were achieved using the proposed method. Moreover, the method was evaluated by applying on Logistic and Tent map with different parameters to demonstrate its robustness and ability in determining similarity between two time series with the same chaotic characterization.

  17. The partial Siberian snake experiment at the Brookhaven AGS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, H.; Caussyn, D.D.; Ellison, T.; Jones, B.; Lee, S.Y.; Schwandt, P.; Ahren, L.; Alessi, J.; Bleser, E.J.; Bunce, G.; Cameron, P.; Courant, E.D.; Foelsche, H.W.; Gardner, C.J.; Geller, J.; Lee, Y.Y.; Makdisi, Y.I.; Mane, S.R.; Ratner, L.; Reece, K.; Roser, T.; Skelly, J.F.; Soukas, A.; Tepikian, S.; Thern, R.E.; van Asselt, W.; Spinka, H.; Teng, L.; Underwood, D.G.; Yokosawa, A.; Wienands, U.; Bharadwaj, V.; Hsueh, S.; Hiramatsu, S.; Mori, Y.; Sato, H.; Yokoya, K.

    1992-01-01

    We are building a 4.7 Tesla-meter room temperature solenoid to be installed in a 10-foot long AGS straight section. This experiment will test the idea of using a partial snake to correct all depolarizing imperfection resonances and also test the feasibility of betatron tune jump in correction intrinsic resonances in the presence of a partial snake

  18. Oral hygiene practices and status of epileptics and controls in Lagos ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Bacterial plaque is the primary aetiologic agent in inflammatory periodontal disease. This study therefore aims to investigate the oral health practices and status of epileptics and controls. This will form the basis of a more detailed study on the periodontal status and treatment needs of epileptic patients. Materials and Method: ...

  19. Significance of MDR1 and multiple drug resistance in refractory human epileptic brain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dini Gabriele

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The multiple drug resistance protein (MDR1/P-glycoprotein is overexpressed in glia and blood-brain barrier (BBB endothelium in drug refractory human epileptic tissue. Since various antiepileptic drugs (AEDs can act as substrates for MDR1, the enhanced expression/function of this protein may increase their active extrusion from the brain, resulting in decreased responsiveness to AEDs. Methods Human drug resistant epileptic brain tissues were collected after surgical resection. Astrocyte cell cultures were established from these tissues, and commercially available normal human astrocytes were used as controls. Uptake of fluorescent doxorubicin and radioactive-labeled Phenytoin was measured in the two cell populations, and the effect of MDR1 blockers was evaluated. Frozen human epileptic brain tissue slices were double immunostained to locate MDR1 in neurons and glia. Other slices were exposed to toxic concentrations of Phenytoin to study cell viability in the presence or absence of a specific MDR1 blocker. Results MDR1 was overexpressed in blood vessels, astrocytes and neurons in human epileptic drug-resistant brain. In addition, MDR1-mediated cellular drug extrusion was increased in human 'epileptic' astrocytes compared to 'normal' ones. Concomitantly, cell viability in the presence of cytotoxic compounds was increased. Conclusions Overexpression of MDR1 in different cell types in drug-resistant epileptic human brain leads to functional alterations, not all of which are linked to drug pharmacokinetics. In particular, the modulation of glioneuronal MDR1 function in epileptic brain in the presence of toxic concentrations of xenobiotics may constitute a novel cytoprotective mechanism.

  20. Historic, clinical, and prognostic features of epileptic encephalopathies caused by CDKL5 mutations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moseley, Brian D; Dhamija, Radhika; Wirrell, Elaine C; Nickels, Katherine C

    2012-02-01

    Mutations within the X-linked cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) gene are important causes of early-onset epileptic encephalopathies. We sought to determine the historic, clinical, and prognostic features of epilepsy secondary to CDKL5 mutations. We performed retrospective chart reviews of children at our institution with epilepsy and CDKL5 mutations. Six children were identified. One manifested a deletion in exons 10-15 of the CDKL5 gene, another manifested a single base-pair duplication in exon 3, and the rest manifested base-pair exchanges. The mean age of seizure onset was 1.8 months (range, 1-3 months). Although the majority (4/6, 67%) presented with partial-onset seizures, all children developed infantile spasms. All children demonstrated developmental delay and visual impairment. Although such mutations are X-linked, two children were boys. They did not present with more severe phenotypes than their female counterparts. Despite trials of antiepileptic drugs (mean, 5; range, 3-7), steroids/adrenocorticotropic hormone (4/6; 67%), and the ketogenic diet (6/6; 100%), all children manifested refractory seizures at last follow-up. Although no treatment eliminated seizures, topiramate, vigabatrin, and the ketogenic diet were most helpful at reducing seizure frequency. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. The ketogenic diet can be used successfully in combination with corticosteroids for epileptic encephalopathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ville, Dorothée; Chiron, Catherine; Laschet, Jacques; Dulac, Olivier

    2015-07-01

    Hormonal therapy or ketogenic diet often permits overcoming the challenging periods of many epileptic encephalopathies (West and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes and encephalopathy with continuous spike-waves in slow sleep), but relapse affects over 20% of patients. We report here a monocenter pilot series of 42 consecutive patients in whom we combined oral steroids with the ketogenic diet for corticosteroid-resistant or -dependent epileptic encephalopathy. We retrospectively evaluated the effect on seizure frequency, interictal spike activity, neuropsychological course, and steroid treatment course. Twenty-three patients had West syndrome (WS), 13 had encephalopathy with continuous spike-waves in slow sleep (CSWS), and six others had miscellaneous epileptic encephalopathies. All patients succeeded to reach 0.8 to 1.6g/l ketone bodies in the urine following the usual KD regimen. For at least 6 months, 14/42 responded to the addition of the ketogenic diet: 4/23 with WS, 8/13 with CSWS, and 2/6 with miscellaneous epileptic encephalopathies. The addition of the KD allowed withdrawing steroids in all responders. Among them, 10/15 had been patients with steroid-dependent epileptic encephalopathy and 4/27 patients with steroid-resistant epileptic encephalopathy. Therefore, the ketogenic diet can be used successfully in combination with corticosteroids for epileptic encephalopathies. Patients presenting with steroid-dependent CSWS seem to be the best candidates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Aspirin attenuates spontaneous recurrent seizures in the chronically epileptic mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Kun; Hu, Ming; Yuan, Bo; Liu, Jian-Xin; Liu, Yong

    2017-08-01

    Neuroinflammatory processes are pathologic hallmarks of both experimental and human epilepsy, and could be implicated in the neuronal hyperexcitability. Aspirin represents one of the non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with fewer side effects in long-term application. This study was carried out to assess the anti-epileptic effects of aspirin when administered during the chronic stage of temporal lobe epilepsy [TLE] in mice. The alteration of hippocampal neurogenesis was also examined for raising a possible mechanism underlying the protective effect of anti-inflammatory treatment in the TLE. Two months after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus, the chronically epileptic mice were treated with aspirin (20 mg, 60 mg or 80 mg/kg) once a day for 10 weeks. Spontaneous recurrent seizures were monitored by video camera for 2 weeks. To evaluate the profile of hippocampal neurogenesis, the newly generated cells in the dentate gyrus were labeled by the proliferation marker BrdU. The newborn neurons that extended axons to CA3 area were visualized by cholera toxin B subunit retrograde tracing. Administration of aspirin with a dosage of 60 mg or 80 mg/kg initiated at 2 months after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus significantly reduced the frequency and duration of spontaneous recurrent seizures. Aspirin treatment also increased the number of newborn neurons with anatomic integration through improving the survival of the newly generated cells. Aspirin treatment during the chronic stage of TLE could attenuate the spontaneous recurrent seizures in mice. Promotion of hippocampal neurogenesis and inhibition of COX-PGE2 pathway might partly contribute to this anti-epileptic effect. Highlights • Aspirin attenuates spontaneous recurrent seizures of chronically epileptic mice • Aspirin increases neurogenesis of chronically epileptic hippocampus by improving the survival of newly generated cells • Promotion of hippocampal neurogenesis and inhibition

  3. Pharmacological response of systemically derived focal epileptic lesions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Remler, M.P.; Sigvardt, K.; Marcussen, W.H.

    1986-11-01

    Focal epileptic lesions were made in rats by systemic focal epileptogenesis. In this method, a focal lesion of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is produced by focal alpha irradiation followed by repeated systemic injection of a convulsant drug that cannot cross the normal BBB, resulting in a chronic epileptic focus. Changes in the spike frequency of these foci in response to various drugs was recorded. The controls, saline and chlorpromazine, produced no change. Phenytoin, phenobarbital, chlordiazepoxide, and valproic acid produced the expected decrease in spike frequency. Pentobarbital and diazepam produced a paradoxical increase in spike frequency.

  4. Sleep deprivation and spike-wave discharges in epileptic rats

    OpenAIRE

    Drinkenburg, W.H.I.M.; Coenen, A.M.L.; Vossen, J.M.H.; Luijtelaar, E.L.J.M. van

    1995-01-01

    The effects of sleep deprivation were studied on the occurrence of spike-wave discharges in the electroencephalogram of rats of the epileptic WAG/Rij strain, a model for absence epilepsy. This was done before, during and after a period of 12 hours of near total sleep deprivation. A substantial increase in the number of spike-wave discharges was found during the first 4 hours of the deprivation period, whereas in the following deprivation hours epileptic activity returned to baseline values. I...

  5. Targeted resequencing in epileptic encephalopathies identifies de novo mutations in CHD2 and SYNGAP1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carvill, Gemma L; Heavin, Sinéad B; Yendle, Simone C

    2013-01-01

    Epileptic encephalopathies are a devastating group of epilepsies with poor prognosis, of which the majority are of unknown etiology. We perform targeted massively parallel resequencing of 19 known and 46 candidate genes for epileptic encephalopathy in 500 affected individuals (cases) to identify...... CHD2 and SYNGAP1 mutations are new causes of epileptic encephalopathies, accounting for 1.2% and 1% of cases, respectively. We also expand the phenotypic spectra explained by SCN1A, SCN2A and SCN8A mutations. To our knowledge, this is the largest cohort of cases with epileptic encephalopathies...

  6. Results of the mock-up experiment on partial LOCA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dreier, J.; Winkler, H.

    1985-01-01

    A mockup experiment has been performed to verify the heat transfer model for a partial loss of coolant accident in the swimming pool reactor SAPHIR. Three coolant channels with the same dimensions as in a SAPHIR fuel element were simulated using four electrically heated plates. For a water level such that the heated plates are partially submerged, plate temperatures remain below 160 deg. C for plate powers of up to 650 W. For water levels low enough to just block the channels, plate temperatures of 400 deg. C are reached for plate powers as low as 60 W. Details of the experiment and further results are discussed. (author)

  7. Accelerometry based detection of epileptic seizures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nijsen, T.M.E.

    2008-01-01

    Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. Epileptic seizures are the manifestation of abnormal hypersynchronous discharges of cortical neurons that impair brain function. Most of the people affected can be treated successfully with drug therapy or neurosurgical procedures. But there

  8. Ketogenic diet efficacy in the treatment of intractable epileptic spasms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kayyali, Husam R; Gustafson, Megan; Myers, Tara; Thompson, Lindsey; Williams, Michelle; Abdelmoity, Ahmad

    2014-03-01

    To determine the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in controlling epileptic spasms after failing traditional antiepileptic medication therapy. This is a prospective, case-based study of all infants with epileptic spasms who were referred for treatment with the ketogenic diet at our hospital between 2009 and 2012. All subjects continued to have epileptic spasms with evidence of hypsarrhythmia or severe epileptic encephalopathy on electroencephalography despite appropriate medication treatments. The diet efficacy was assessed through clinic visits, phone communications, and electroencephalography. Quality of life improvement was charted based on the caregiver's perspective. Twenty infants (15 males) were included in the study. The mean age at seizure onset was 4.5 months. Age at ketogenic diet initiation was 0.3 to 2.9 years (mean 1.20, standard deviation 0.78). Fifteen patients had epileptic spasms of unknown etiology; three had perinatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, one had lissencephaly, and one had STXBP1 mutation. Fifteen infants failed to respond to adrenocorticotropin hormone and/or vigabatrin before going on the ketogenic diet. Three months after starting the diet, >50% seizure reduction was achieved in 70% of patients (95% CI 48-86). These results were maintained at 6- and 12-month intervals. All eight of the patients followed for 24 months had >50% seizure reduction (95% CI 63-100). At least 90% seizure reduction was reported in 20% of patients at 3 months (95% CI 7-42), 22% (95% CI 8-46) at 6 months, and 35% (95% CI 17-59) at 12 months. The majority of patients (63%) achieved improvement of their spasms within 1 month after starting the diet. Sixty percent of patients had electroencephalographic improvement. All caregivers reported improvement of the quality of life at the 3-month visit (95% confidence interval 81-100). This ratio was 94% at 6 months (95% CI 72-99) and 82% at 12 months (95% CI 58-95). The ketogenic diet is a safe and potentially

  9. Two Novel Variants Affecting CDKL5 Transcript Associated with Epileptic Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neupauerová, Jana; Štěrbová, Katalin; Vlčková, Markéta; Sebroňová, Věra; Maříková, Tat'ána; Krůtová, Marcela; David, Staněk; Kršek, Pavel; Žaliová, Markéta; Seeman, Pavel; Laššuthová, Petra

    2017-10-01

    Variants in the human X-linked cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) gene have been reported as being etiologically associated with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy type 2 (EIEE2). We report on two patients, a boy and a girl, with EIEE2 that present with early onset epilepsy, hypotonia, severe intellectual disability, and poor eye contact. Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) of a custom-designed gene panel for epilepsy and epileptic encephalopathy containing 112 epilepsy-related genes was performed. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the novel variants. For confirmation of the functional consequence of an intronic CDKL5 variant in patient 2, an RNA study was done. DNA sequencing revealed de novo variants in CDKL5, a c.2578C>T (p. Gln860*) present in a hemizygous state in a 3-year-old boy, and a potential splice site variant c.463+5G>A in heterozygous state in a 5-year-old girl. Multiple in silico splicing algorithms predicted a highly reduced splice site score for c.463+5G>A. A subsequent mRNA study confirmed an aberrant shorter transcript lacking exon 7. Our data confirmed that variants in the CDKL5 are associated with EIEE2. There is credible evidence that the novel identified variants are pathogenic and, therefore, are likely the cause of the disease in the presented patients. In one of the patients a stop codon variant is predicted to produce a truncated protein, and in the other patient an intronic variant results in aberrant splicing.

  10. Modeling epileptic brain states using EEG spectral analysis and topographic mapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Direito, Bruno; Teixeira, César; Ribeiro, Bernardete; Castelo-Branco, Miguel; Sales, Francisco; Dourado, António

    2012-09-30

    Changes in the spatio-temporal behavior of the brain electrical activity are believed to be associated to epileptic brain states. We propose a novel methodology to identify the different states of the epileptic brain, based on the topographic mapping of the time varying relative power of delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma frequency sub-bands, estimated from EEG. Using normalized-cuts segmentation algorithm, points of interest are identified in the topographic mappings and their trajectories over time are used for finding out relations with epileptogenic propagations in the brain. These trajectories are used to train a Hidden Markov Model (HMM), which models the different epileptic brain states and the transition among them. Applied to 10 patients suffering from focal seizures, with a total of 30 seizures over 497.3h of data, the methodology shows good results (an average point-by-point accuracy of 89.31%) for the identification of the four brain states--interictal, preictal, ictal and postictal. The results suggest that the spatio-temporal dynamics captured by the proposed methodology are related to the epileptic brain states and transitions involved in focal seizures. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Ictal but not interictal epileptic discharges activate astrocyte endfeet and elicit cerebral arteriole responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta eGomez-Gonzalo

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Activation of astrocytes by neuronal signals plays a central role in the control of neuronal activity-dependent blood flow changes in the normal brain. The cellular pathways that mediate neurovascular coupling in the epileptic brain remain, however, poorly defined. In a cortical slice model of epilepsy, we found that the ictal, seizure-like discharge, and only to a minor extent the interictal discharge, evokes both a Ca2+ increase in astrocyte endfeet and a vasomotor response. We also observed that rapid ictal discharge-induced arteriole responses were regularly preceded by Ca2+ elevations in endfeet and were abolished by pharmacological inhibition of Ca2+ signals in these astrocyte processes. Under these latter conditions, arterioles exhibited after the ictal discharge only slowly developing vasodilations. The poor efficacy of interictal discharges, compared with ictal discharges, to activate endfeet was confirmed also in the intact in vitro isolated guinea pig brain. Although the possibility of a direct contribution of neurons, in particular in the late response of cerebral blood vessels to epileptic discharges, should be taken into account, our study supports the view that astrocytes are central for neurovascular coupling also in the epileptic brain. The massive endfeet Ca2+ elevations evoked by ictal discharges and the poor response to interictal events represent new information potentially relevant to interpret data from diagnostic brain imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance, utilized in the clinic to localize neural activity and to optimize neurosurgery of untreatable epilepsies.

  12. Correlation between regional cerebral blood flow and degree of brain tissue injury of interictal epileptic activity in patients with epilepsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Huan; Chen Xuehong; Wang Zhengjiang; Ma Dongmei; Feng Jianzhong; Liu Jiangyan

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To explore the correlation between the change of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and brain tissue injury from interictal epileptic activity in patients with epilepsy. Methods: Forty-eight patients with epilepsy and 30 healthy persons were included in the study from which the serum S100β protein levels were determined by double antibody sandwich ELISA method. SPECT rCBF imaging was performed in all patients. The visual and semi-quantitative analyses were used to analyze the epileptic foci. SPSS 11.0 was applied for variance and linear correlation analyses. Results: Serum S-100β in patients with interictal epileptic activity was significantly higher than that in control group ((0.572±0.163) μg/L vs (0.218±0.134) μg/L, t =9.96, P<0.01). According to epilepsy control criteria, 20 cases achieved complete control (CC), 18 cases achieved partial control (PR). However, 10 cases got no improvement,whose serum S-100β protein ((0.809±0.056) μg/L) and the percentage change of rCBF ((0.337±0.060) %) were significantly higher than those of CC ((0.443±0.083) μg/L, (0.035±0.038) %) and those of PC ((0.585±0.108) μg/L, (0.187±0.075)%), F=56. 740, 92. 316, P<0.01. There were high correlation between serum S-100β and the percentage change of rCBF in epilepsy patients (r =0.887, P<0.01). Conclusion: Serum S-100β protein assay combined with rCBF on SPECT imaging can make semi-quantitative diagnosis of epilepsy and help evaluate the brain damage from interictal epileptic activity. (authors)

  13. Ictal cerebral perfusion patterns in partial epilepsy: SPECT subtraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hyang Woon; Hong, Seung Bong; Tae, Woo Suk; Kim, Sang Eun; Seo, Dae Won; Jeong, Seung Cheol; Yi, Ji Young; Hong, Seung Chyul

    2000-01-01

    To investigate the various ictal perfusion patterns and find the relationships between clinical factors and different perfusion patterns. Interictal and ictal SPECT and SPECT subtraction were performed in 61 patients with partial epilepsy. Both positive images showing ictal hyperperfusion and negative images revealing ictal hypoperfusion were obtained by SPECT subtraction. The ictal perfusion patterns of subtracted SPECT were classified into focal hyperperfusion, hyperperfusion-plus, combined hyperperfusion-hypoperfusion, and focal hypoperfusion only. The concordance rates with epileptic focus were 91.8% in combined analysis of ictal hyperperfusion and hypoperfusion images of subtracted SPECT, 85.2% in hyperperfusion images only of subtracted SPECT, and 68.9% in conventional ictal SPECT analysis. Ictal hypoperfusion occurred less frequently in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) than extratemporal lobe epilepsy. Mesial temporal hyperperfusion alone was seen only in mesial TLE while lateral temporal hyperperfusion alone was observed only in neocortical TLE. Hippocampal sclerosis had much lower incidence of ictal hypoperfusion than any other pathology. Some patients showed ictal hypoperfusion at epileptic focus with ictal hyperperfusion in the neighboring brain regions where ictal discharges propagated. Hypoperfusion as well as hyperperfusion in ictal SPECT should be considered for localizing epileptic focus. Although the mechanism of ictal hypoperfusion could be an intra-ictal early exhaustion of seizure focus or a steal phenomenon by the propagation of ictal discharges to adjacent brain areas, further study is needed to elucidate it.=20

  14. Ictal cerebral perfusion patterns in partial epilepsy: SPECT subtraction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Hyang Woon; Hong, Seung Bong; Tae, Woo Suk; Kim, Sang Eun; Seo, Dae Won; Jeong, Seung Cheol; Yi, Ji Young; Hong, Seung Chyul [Sungkyunkwan Univ. School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2000-06-01

    To investigate the various ictal perfusion patterns and find the relationships between clinical factors and different perfusion patterns. Interictal and ictal SPECT and SPECT subtraction were performed in 61 patients with partial epilepsy. Both positive images showing ictal hyperperfusion and negative images revealing ictal hypoperfusion were obtained by SPECT subtraction. The ictal perfusion patterns of subtracted SPECT were classified into focal hyperperfusion, hyperperfusion-plus, combined hyperperfusion-hypoperfusion, and focal hypoperfusion only. The concordance rates with epileptic focus were 91.8% in combined analysis of ictal hyperperfusion and hypoperfusion images of subtracted SPECT, 85.2% in hyperperfusion images only of subtracted SPECT, and 68.9% in conventional ictal SPECT analysis. Ictal hypoperfusion occurred less frequently in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) than extratemporal lobe epilepsy. Mesial temporal hyperperfusion alone was seen only in mesial TLE while lateral temporal hyperperfusion alone was observed only in neocortical TLE. Hippocampal sclerosis had much lower incidence of ictal hypoperfusion than any other pathology. Some patients showed ictal hypoperfusion at epileptic focus with ictal hyperperfusion in the neighboring brain regions where ictal discharges propagated. Hypoperfusion as well as hyperperfusion in ictal SPECT should be considered for localizing epileptic focus. Although the mechanism of ictal hypoperfusion could be an intra-ictal early exhaustion of seizure focus or a steal phenomenon by the propagation of ictal discharges to adjacent brain areas, further study is needed to elucidate it.

  15. Population pharmacokinetic analysis for 10-monohydroxy derivative of oxcarbazepine in pediatric epileptic patients shows no difference between Japanese and other ethnicities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugiyama, Ikuo; Bouillon, Thomas; Yamaguchi, Masayuki; Suzuki, Hikoe; Hirota, Takashi; Fink, Martin

    2015-04-01

    Oxcarbazepine is an anti-epileptic drug, which is almost completely metabolized by cytosolic enzymes in the liver to the active 10-monohyroxy metabolite (MHD) following oral administration. The pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of MHD were evaluated in pediatric epileptic patients and a possible ethnic difference in PK of MHD between Japanese and non-Japanese pediatric patients was assessed. A non-linear mixed effect modeling approach was used to determine the PK of MHD. A one-compartment population model with first-order absorption appropriately described the PK of MHD. No clinically relevant differences were found for using body surface area or weight to explain between-patient variability, therefore the final model included the effects of body weight on apparent clearance (CL/F) and apparent volume of distribution (V/F) of MHD, and in addition, the effect of 3 concomitant anti-epileptic drugs (carbamazepine, phenobarbital and phenytoin) on CL/F of MHD. Inclusion of ethnicity as a covariate in the final model, concluded no ethnic difference with respect to CL/F of MHD between Japanese and non-Japanese patients. Hence, oxcarbazepine can be generally applied using the same dosage and administration for the treatment of partial onset seizures in pediatric patients, regardless of ethnicity. Copyright © 2014 The Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Epileptic seizure predictors based on computational intelligence techniques: a comparative study with 278 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexandre Teixeira, César; Direito, Bruno; Bandarabadi, Mojtaba; Le Van Quyen, Michel; Valderrama, Mario; Schelter, Bjoern; Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas; Navarro, Vincent; Sales, Francisco; Dourado, António

    2014-05-01

    The ability of computational intelligence methods to predict epileptic seizures is evaluated in long-term EEG recordings of 278 patients suffering from pharmaco-resistant partial epilepsy, also known as refractory epilepsy. This extensive study in seizure prediction considers the 278 patients from the European Epilepsy Database, collected in three epilepsy centres: Hôpital Pitié-là-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Germany; Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Portugal. For a considerable number of patients it was possible to find a patient specific predictor with an acceptable performance, as for example predictors that anticipate at least half of the seizures with a rate of false alarms of no more than 1 in 6 h (0.15 h⁻¹). We observed that the epileptic focus localization, data sampling frequency, testing duration, number of seizures in testing, type of machine learning, and preictal time influence significantly the prediction performance. The results allow to face optimistically the feasibility of a patient specific prospective alarming system, based on machine learning techniques by considering the combination of several univariate (single-channel) electroencephalogram features. We envisage that this work will serve as benchmark data that will be of valuable importance for future studies based on the European Epilepsy Database. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. De novo mutations in synaptic transmission genes including DNM1 cause epileptic encephalopathies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2014-01-01

    in five individuals and de novo mutations in GABBR2, FASN, and RYR3 in two individuals each. Unlike previous studies, this cohort is sufficiently large to show a significant excess of de novo mutations in epileptic encephalopathy probands compared to the general population using a likelihood analysis (p...... = 8.2 × 10(-4)), supporting a prominent role for de novo mutations in epileptic encephalopathies. We bring statistical evidence that mutations in DNM1 cause epileptic encephalopathy, find suggestive evidence for a role of three additional genes, and show that at least 12% of analyzed individuals have...... analyzed exome-sequencing data of 356 trios with the "classical" epileptic encephalopathies, infantile spasms and Lennox Gastaut syndrome, including 264 trios previously analyzed by the Epi4K/EPGP consortium. In this expanded cohort, we find 429 de novo mutations, including de novo mutations in DNM1...

  18. The Anticonvulsant Effects of Ketogenic Diet on Epileptic Seizures and Potential Mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yifan; Xu, Jingwei; Zhang, Kun; Yang, Wei; Li, Bingjin

    2018-01-01

    Epilepsy is a syndrome of brain dysfunction induced by the aberrant excitability of certain neurons. Despite advances in surgical technique and anti-epileptic drug in recent years, recurrent epileptic seizures remain intractable and lead to a serious morbidity in the world. The ketogenic diet refers to a high-fat, low-carbohydrate and adequate-protein diet. Currently, its beneficial effects on epileptic seizure reduction have been well established. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying the anti-epileptic effects of ketogenic diet are still poorly understood. In this article, the possible roles of ketogenic diet on epilepsy were discussed. Data was obtained from the websites including Web of Science, Medline, Pubmed, Scopus, based on these keywords: "Ketogenic diet" and "epilepsy". As shown in both clinical and basic studies, the therapeutic effects of ketogenic diet might involve neuronal metabolism, neurotransmitter function, neuronal membrane potential and neuron protection against ROS. In this review, we systematically reviewed the effects and possible mechanisms of ketogenic diet on epilepsy, which may optimize the therapeutic strategies against epilepsy. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  19. Epileptic Seizures Versus Syncope: Pathophysiology and Clinical Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marios Charalambous

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Generalised epileptic seizures and syncope are two syndromes with similar clinical manifestation and their differentiation can be quite challenging. The aim of this review is to use an evidence-based approach in differentiating these two syndromes through the comprehension of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved and their clinical signs. Both syndromes affect regions of the forebrain and consciousness level, although, different mechanisms are involved. Syncope is a paroxysmal event secondary to a short-term decrease in cerebral perfusion, oxygenation or essential nutrients delivery. Generalised epileptic seizure activity is defined as the clinical manifestation of transient paroxysmal disturbances in brain function secondary to an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. Clinical criteria, including precipitating events, clinical signs preceding, during and following the episodes and event duration, can be used to differentiate the two syndromes. Although these criteria might be useful for the practitioner, definite conclusions should be precluded due to the lack of original research articles and weak evidence on this specific field.Application: The review might be a useful tool for the general practitioner and clinical scientist as it will aid towards the differentiation of two syndromes, i.e. generalised epileptic seizures and syncope, with similar clinical presentation.

  20. Mental development of tuberous sclerosis with regard to epileptic seizures and CT findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katafuchi, Yukihiko; Ishihara, Osamu; Matsuishi, Toyojiro; Shiotsuki, Yuko; Yamaguchi, Yoichiro; Imuta, Fusae

    1985-01-01

    The relation of mental development to epileptic seizures and CT findings was examined in 17 patients with tuberous sclerosis. Epileptic seizures occurred in 16 of the 17 patients. The earlier it occurred, the higher the incidence of mental retardation was. There was no constant correlation between mental development and the type of epileptic seizures or the attainment of inhibition of seizures. In two patients in whom calcification spreading to the cerebral cortex and subcortical region was detected on CT, in addition to calcified tubercles around the cerebral ventricle, an intelligence quotient was significantly lower than in the other patients. (Namekawa, K.)

  1. Mortality predictors of epilepsy and epileptic seizures among hospitalized elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Telma M. R Assis

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Epilepsy and epileptic seizures are common brain disorders in the elderly and are associated with increased mortality that may be ascribed to the underlying disease or epilepsy-related causes.Objective To describe mortality predictors of epilepsy and epileptic seizures in elderly inpatients.Method Retrospective analysis was performed on hospitalized elderly who had epilepsy or epileptic seizures, from January 2009 to December 2010. One hundred and twenty patients were enrolled.Results The most common etiology was ischemic stroke (37%, followed by neoplasias (13%, hemorrhagic stroke (12%, dementias (11.4% and metabolic disturbances (5.5%. In a univariate analysis, disease duration (p = 0.04, status epilepticus (p < 0.001 and metabolic etiology (p = 0.005 were associated with mortality. However after adjustment by logistic regression, only status epilepticus remained an independent predictor of death (odds ratio = 13; 95%CI = 2.3 to 72; p = 0.004.Conclusion In this study status epilepticus was an independent risk factor for death during hospitalization.

  2. Molecular and genetic insights into an infantile epileptic encephalopathy-CDKL5 disorder

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Ailing Zhou; Song Han; Zhaolan Joe Zhou

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND:The discovery that mutations in cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) gene are associated with infantile epileptic encephalopathy has stimulated world-wide research effort to understand the molecular and genetic basis of CDKL5 disorder.Given the large number of literature published thus far,this review aims to summarize current genetic studies,draw a consensus on proposed molecular functions,and point to gaps of knowledge in CDKL5 research.METHODS:A systematic review process was conducted using the PubMed search engine focusing on CDKL5 studies in the recent ten years.We analyzed these publications and summarized the findings into four sections:genetic studies,CDKL5 expression pattems,molecular functions,and animal models.We also discussed challenges and future directions in each section.RESULTS:On the clinical side,CDKL5 disorder is characterized by early onset epileptic seizures,intellectual disability,and stereotypical behaviors.On the research side,a series of molecular and genetic studies in human patients,cell cultures and animal models have established the causality of CDKL5 to the infantile epileptic encephalopathy,and pointed to a key role for CDKL5 in regulating neuronal function in the brain.Mouse models of CDKL5 disorder have also been developed,and notably,manifest behavioral phenotypes,mimicking numerous clinical symptoms of CDKL5 disorder and advancing CDKL5 research to the preclinical stage.CONCLUSIONS:Given what we have leamed thus far,future identification of robust,quantitative,and sensitive outcome measures would be the key in animal model studies,particularly in heterozygous females.In the meantime,molecular and cellular studies of CDKL5 should focus on mechanism-based investigation and aim to uncover druggable targets that offer the potential to rescue or ameliorate CDKL5 disorder-related phenotypes.

  3. Molecular and genetic insights into an infantile epileptic encephalopathy - CDKL5 disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ailing; Han, Song; Zhou, Zhaolan Joe

    2017-02-01

    The discovery that mutations in cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 ( CDKL5 ) gene are associated with infantile epileptic encephalopathy has stimulated world-wide research effort to understand the molecular and genetic basis of CDKL5 disorder. Given the large number of literature published thus far, this review aims to summarize current genetic studies, draw a consensus on proposed molecular functions, and point to gaps of knowledge in CDKL5 research. A systematic review process was conducted using the PubMed search engine focusing on CDKL5 studies in the recent ten years. We analyzed these publications and summarized the findings into four sections: genetic studies, CDKL5 expression patterns, molecular functions, and animal models. We also discussed challenges and future directions in each section. On the clinical side, CDKL5 disorder is characterized by early onset epileptic seizures, intellectual disability, and stereotypical behaviors. On the research side, a series of molecular and genetic studies in human patients, cell cultures and animal models have established the causality of CDKL5 to the infantile epileptic encephalopathy, and pointed to a key role for CDKL5 in regulating neuronal function in the brain. Mouse models of CDKL5 disorder have also been developed, and notably, manifest behavioral phenotypes, mimicking numerous clinical symptoms of CDKL5 disorder and advancing CDKL5 research to the preclinical stage. Given what we have learned thus far, future identification of robust, quantitative, and sensitive outcome measures would be the key in animal model studies, particularly in heterozygous females. In the meantime, molecular and cellular studies of CDKL5 should focus on mechanism-based investigation and aim to uncover druggable targets that offer the potential to rescue or ameliorate CDKL5 disorder-related phenotypes.

  4. Effects of anticonvulsants and inactivity on bone disease in epileptics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murchison, Lilian E.; Bewsher, P. D.; Chesters, Marion; Gilbert, J.; Catto, G.; Law, Elizabeth; McKay, E.; Ross, H. S.

    1975-01-01

    No significant biochemical or radiological features of vitamin D deficiency were found in groups of juvenile and adult epileptics and control groups of non-epileptic patients in hospitals for the mentally retarded. There was evidence of hepatic enzyme induction in patients on anticonvulsants, in that urinary D-glucaric acid concentration and excretion were raised. No effect was found of prolonged anticonvulsant therapy on bone densitometry, but in children immobility was closely associated with decreased bone density. The evidence suggests that disuse osteoporosis is the major bone disease in these mentally retarded children. PMID:1161672

  5. Transient epileptic amnesia: clinical report of a cohort of patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapenta, Leonardo; Brunetti, Valerio; Losurdo, Anna; Testani, Elisa; Giannantoni, Nadia Mariagrazia; Quaranta, Davide; Di Lazzaro, Vincenzo; Della Marca, Giacomo

    2014-07-01

    Transient epileptic amnesia is a seizure disorder, usually with onset in the middle-elderly and good response to low dosages of antiepileptic drugs. We describe the clinical, electroencephalography (EEG), and neuroimaging features of 11 patients with a temporal lobe epilepsy characterized by amnesic seizures as the sole or the main symptom. We outline the relevance of a detailed clinical history to recognize amnesic seizures and to avoid the more frequent misdiagnoses. Moreover, the response to monotherapy was usually good, although the epileptic disorder was symptomatic of acquired lesions in the majority of patients.

  6. Ketogenic Diet in Epileptic Encephalopathies

    OpenAIRE

    Sharma, Suvasini; Tripathi, Manjari

    2013-01-01

    The ketogenic diet is a medically supervised high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that has been found useful in patients with refractory epilepsy. It has been shown to be effective in treating multiple seizure types and epilepsy syndromes. In this paper, we review the use of the ketogenic diet in epileptic encephalopathies such as Ohtahara syndrome, West syndrome, Dravet syndrome, epilepsy with myoclonic atonic seizures, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

  7. Syndrome of Electrical Status Epilepticus During Sleep: Epileptic Encephalopathy Related to Brain Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiao-Qiao; Zhang, Wei-Na; Hu, Lin-Yan; Liu, Meng-Jia; Zou, Li-Ping

    2016-03-01

    Epileptic encephalopathy with electrical status epilepticus during sleep is an age-related and self-limited disorder. The present study analyzed the etiology, demographics, and pathogenesis of patients with electrical status epilepticus during sleep to provide information on the diagnosis and therapy of this syndrome. The etiologies of epileptic encephalopathy with electrical status epilepticus during sleep in patients admitted in Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from 2009 to 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified into the genetic, structural-metabolic, and unknown groups according to the etiology. Demographics and clinical characteristics of all the patients were then analyzed and compared among groups. The etiologies of epileptic encephalopathy with electrical status epilepticus during sleep in 75 patients mainly included benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, Landau-Kleffner syndrome, polymicrogyria, and migration disorders. Age at onset of epilepsy did not show a specific pattern, but age at onset of epileptic encephalopathy with electrical status epilepticus during sleep was concentrated at age 6-9 years. The mean age at onset of epilepsy in the genetic group was significantly older than that in the structural-metabolic group (P status epilepticus during sleep did not significantly differ between the two groups. Electrical status epilepticus during sleep is an epileptic encephalopathy related to brain development and presents an age-dependent occurrence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Ecstatic epileptic seizures: a glimpse into the multiple roles of the insula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Markus eGschwind

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Ecstatic epileptic seizures are a rare but compelling epileptic entity. During the first seconds of these seizures, ecstatic auras provoke feelings of well-being, intense serenity, bliss, and enhanced self-awareness. They are associated with the impression of time dilation, and can be described as a mystic experience by some patients. The functional neuroanatomy of ecstatic seizures is still debated. During recent years several patients presenting with ecstatic auras have been reported by others and us (in total n=49; a few of them in the setting of presurgical evaluation including electrical brain stimulation. According to the recently recognized functions of the insula, and the results of nuclear brain imaging and electrical stimulation, the ecstatic symptoms in these patients seem to localize to a functional network centered around the anterior insular cortex, where we thus propose to locate this rare ictal phenomenon. Here we summarize the role of the multiple sensory, autonomic, affective and cognitive functions of the insular cortex, which are integrated into the creation of self-awareness, and we suggest how this system may become dysfunctional on several levels during ecstatic aura.

  9. Combined Effects of Feedforward Inhibition and Excitation in Thalamocortical Circuit on the Transitions of Epileptic Seizures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Denggui; Duan, Lixia; Wang, Qian; Luan, Guoming

    2017-01-01

    The mechanisms underlying electrophysiologically observed two-way transitions between absence and tonic-clonic epileptic seizures in cerebral cortex remain unknown. The interplay within thalamocortical network is believed to give rise to these epileptic multiple modes of activity and transitions between them. In particular, it is thought that in some areas of cortex there exists feedforward inhibition from specific relay nucleus of thalamus (TC) to inhibitory neuronal population (IN) which has even more stronger functions on cortical activities than the known feedforward excitation from TC to excitatory neuronal population (EX). Inspired by this, we proposed a modified computational model by introducing feedforward inhibitory connectivity within thalamocortical circuit, to systematically investigate the combined effects of feedforward inhibition and excitation on transitions of epileptic seizures. We first found that the feedforward excitation can induce the transition from tonic oscillation to spike and wave discharges (SWD) in cortex, i.e., the epileptic tonic-absence seizures, with the fixed weak feedforward inhibition. Thereinto, the phase of absence seizures corresponding to strong feedforward excitation can be further transformed into the clonic oscillations with the increasing of feedforward inhibition, representing the epileptic absence-clonic seizures. We also observed the other fascinating dynamical states, such as periodic 2/3/4-spike and wave discharges, reversed SWD and clonic oscillations, as well as saturated firings. More importantly, we can identify the stable parameter regions representing the tonic-clonic oscillations and SWD discharges of epileptic seizures on the 2-D plane composed of feedforward inhibition and excitation, where the physiologically plausible transition pathways between tonic-clonic and absence seizures can be figured out. These results indicate the functional role of feedforward pathways in controlling epileptic seizures and

  10. Combined Effects of Feedforward Inhibition and Excitation in Thalamocortical Circuit on the Transitions of Epileptic Seizures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denggui Fan

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The mechanisms underlying electrophysiologically observed two-way transitions between absence and tonic-clonic epileptic seizures in cerebral cortex remain unknown. The interplay within thalamocortical network is believed to give rise to these epileptic multiple modes of activity and transitions between them. In particular, it is thought that in some areas of cortex there exists feedforward inhibition from specific relay nucleus of thalamus (TC to inhibitory neuronal population (IN which has even more stronger functions on cortical activities than the known feedforward excitation from TC to excitatory neuronal population (EX. Inspired by this, we proposed a modified computational model by introducing feedforward inhibitory connectivity within thalamocortical circuit, to systematically investigate the combined effects of feedforward inhibition and excitation on transitions of epileptic seizures. We first found that the feedforward excitation can induce the transition from tonic oscillation to spike and wave discharges (SWD in cortex, i.e., the epileptic tonic-absence seizures, with the fixed weak feedforward inhibition. Thereinto, the phase of absence seizures corresponding to strong feedforward excitation can be further transformed into the clonic oscillations with the increasing of feedforward inhibition, representing the epileptic absence-clonic seizures. We also observed the other fascinating dynamical states, such as periodic 2/3/4-spike and wave discharges, reversed SWD and clonic oscillations, as well as saturated firings. More importantly, we can identify the stable parameter regions representing the tonic-clonic oscillations and SWD discharges of epileptic seizures on the 2-D plane composed of feedforward inhibition and excitation, where the physiologically plausible transition pathways between tonic-clonic and absence seizures can be figured out. These results indicate the functional role of feedforward pathways in controlling epileptic

  11. High-Definition transcranial direct current stimulation in early onset epileptic encephalopathy: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meiron, Oded; Gale, Rena; Namestnic, Julia; Bennet-Back, Odeya; David, Jonathan; Gebodh, Nigel; Adair, Devin; Esmaeilpour, Zeinab; Bikson, Marom

    2018-01-01

    Early onset epileptic encephalopathy is characterized by high daily seizure-frequency, multifocal epileptic discharges, severe psychomotor retardation, and death at infancy. Currently, there are no effective treatments to alleviate seizure frequency and high-voltage epileptic discharges in these catastrophic epilepsy cases. The current study examined the safety and feasibility of High-Definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) in reducing epileptiform activity in a 30-month-old child suffering from early onset epileptic encephalopathy. HD-tDCS was administered over 10 intervention days spanning two weeks including pre- and post-intervention video-EEG monitoring. There were no serious adverse events or side effects related to the HD-tDCS intervention. Frequency of clinical seizures was not significantly reduced. However, interictal sharp wave amplitudes were significantly lower during the post-intervention period versus baseline. Vital signs and blood biochemistry remained stable throughout the entire study. These exploratory findings support the safety and feasibility of 4 × 1 HD-tDCS in early onset epileptic encephalopathy and provide the first evidence of HD-tDCS effects on paroxysmal EEG features in electroclinical cases under the age of 36 months. Extending HD-tDCS treatment may enhance electrographic findings and clinical effects.

  12. Inferences from a community study about non-epileptic events

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gomes Marleide da Mota

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the epidemiological importance of the different types of non-epileptic events (NEE in a low-income urban community. METHOD: The patients suspected of having epilepsy, who were detected in the first phase (screening one of this prevalence study, were interviewed by a neurologist in a non-structured neurological interview. These NEE were classified as physiological and psychogenic, subdivided by various types. The psychogenic NEE were classified according to the DSM-IV criteria. RESULTS: We compared the cases suspected of having epilepsy (n=176 with those not suspected (n=806 and discovered that those cases suspected of having epilepsy had a greater median age (<0.01 and female predominance (p<0.01. Among the cases suspected of having epilepsy there were different diagnosis: epileptic events without identifiable cause (n=20 or with identifiable causes (e.g., febrile convulsions and eclampsia. The most prevalent diagnosis for those suspected of having epilepsy was syncope (n=63; 35.8%. In terms of physiological events, the most frequent were: epileptic seizures, paroxysmal toxic phenomena (including alcoholism and brain trauma, besides syncope; in terms of psychogenic events the most frequent were: dissociative and anxiety disorders. Regarding gender differences, paroxysmal toxic problems were significantly more prevalent in men (p= 0.02, and dissociative disorders (p=0.01 in women. CONCLUSION: This survey confirms the epidemiological importance of syncope in a populational sample with NEE. However, among the psychogenic disorders of this NEE sample, the most frequent were dissociative and anxiety phenomena. This finding contrasts with the literature based on samples from tertiary epileptic centers with video-EEG resources, which found somatoform disorders to be more prevalent than dissociative and anxiety phenomena.

  13. Transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells modulates hippocampal expression of growth factors in chronically epileptic animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanirati, Gabriele; Azevedo, Pamella Nunes; Marinowic, Daniel Rodrigo; Rodrigues, Felipe; de Oliveira Dias, Ana Christina; Venturin, Gianina Teribele; Greggio, Samuel; Simão, Fabrício; DaCosta, Jaderson Costa

    2015-05-01

    In previous studies, transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) in epileptic animals has been found to be neuroprotective. However, the mechanism by which the BMMCs act remains unclear. We hypothesize that BMMCs may provide neuroprotection to the epileptic brain through trophic support. To test our hypothesis, we studied the temporal expression of neurotrophins after BMMC transplantation in the epileptic rat hippocampus. Chronically epileptic rats were intravenously transplanted with 1 × 10(7) BMMCs isolated from GFP transgenic mice. Expression levels of BDNF, GDNF, NGF, VEGF, and TGF-β1, and their receptors, were evaluated by ELISA and/or qRT-PCR analysis. Our data revealed increased protein expression of BDNF, GDNF, NGF, and VEGF and reduced levels of TGF-β1 in the hippocampus of transplanted epileptic animals. Additionally, an increase in the mRNA expression of BDNF, GDNF, and VEGF, a reduction in TGF-β1, and a decrease in mRNA levels of the TrkA and TGFR-β1 receptors were also observed. The gain provided by transplanted BMMCs in the epileptic brain may be related to the ability of these cells in modulating the network of neurotrophins and angiogenic signals. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Cardiac troponin I (CTnI level among children with epileptic seizures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed Anwer Attia Khattab

    2014-09-01

    Conclusion: Cardiac troponin I is a perfect tool for early detection of cases with myocardial dysfunction in epileptic patients – cardiac troponin I is significantly increased in children with epilepsy especially the complicated epilepsy. Cardiac injury in epileptic children is more common in patients with early onset epilepsy, positive prenatal problem, idiopathic epilepsy, abnormal imaging and EEG – elevated TnI levels may be of value in assessing the severity and eventual outcome and mortality risk of the disease in children with epilepsy.

  15. Differential DNA methylation patterns define status epilepticus and epileptic tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller-Delaney, Suzanne F C; Das, Sudipto; Sano, Takanori; Jimenez-Mateos, Eva M; Bryan, Kenneth; Buckley, Patrick G; Stallings, Raymond L; Henshall, David C

    2012-02-01

    Prolonged seizures (status epilepticus) produce pathophysiological changes in the hippocampus that are associated with large-scale, wide-ranging changes in gene expression. Epileptic tolerance is an endogenous program of cell protection that can be activated in the brain by previous exposure to a non-harmful seizure episode before status epilepticus. A major transcriptional feature of tolerance is gene downregulation. Here, through methylation analysis of 34,143 discrete loci representing all annotated CpG islands and promoter regions in the mouse genome, we report the genome-wide DNA methylation changes in the hippocampus after status epilepticus and epileptic tolerance in adult mice. A total of 321 genes showed altered DNA methylation after status epilepticus alone or status epilepticus that followed seizure preconditioning, with >90% of the promoters of these genes undergoing hypomethylation. These profiles included genes not previously associated with epilepsy, such as the polycomb gene Phc2. Differential methylation events generally occurred throughout the genome without bias for a particular chromosomal region, with the exception of a small region of chromosome 4, which was significantly overrepresented with genes hypomethylated after status epilepticus. Surprisingly, only few genes displayed differential hypermethylation in epileptic tolerance. Nevertheless, gene ontology analysis emphasized the majority of differential methylation events between the groups occurred in genes associated with nuclear functions, such as DNA binding and transcriptional regulation. The present study reports select, genome-wide DNA methylation changes after status epilepticus and in epileptic tolerance, which may contribute to regulating the gene expression environment of the seizure-damaged hippocampus.

  16. Pharmacokinetic aspects of the anti-epileptic drug substance vigabatrin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nøhr, Martha Kampp; Frølund, Sidsel; Holm, René

    2014-01-01

    are discussed in detail. Special focus is on the contribution of the proton-coupled amino acid transporter 1 (PAT1) for intestinal vigabatrin absorption. Furthermore, the review gives an overview of the pharmacokinetic parameters of vigabatrin across different species and drug-food and drug-drug interactions......Drug transporters in various tissues, such as intestine, kidney, liver and brain, are recognized as important mediators of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drug substances. This review gives a current status on the transporter(s) mediating the absorption, distribution......, metabolism and excretion properties of the anti-epileptic drug substance vigabatrin. For orally administered drugs, like vigabatrin, the absorption from the intestine is a prerequisite for the bioavailability. Therefore, transporter(s) involved in the intestinal absorption of vigabatrin in vitro and in vivo...

  17. Genetics Home Reference: early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 1 (EIEE1) is a seizure disorder characterized by a type of seizure known as ... 2 links) Health Topic: Developmental Disabilities Health Topic: Epilepsy Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (1 link) ...

  18. [A modified approach to the diagnosis and therapy of epileptic seizures in the third stage of life].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gavranović, Muhamed; Delilović, Jasminka; Kurtović, Azra; Alibegović, Sakib; Rajić, Zeljka; Ajanović, Zakira

    2003-01-01

    Incidence of seizures in the elderly is nowadays greater than the one characteristic for children up to 10 years of age. Epileptic seizures are the third most common serious neurological disorder in this age group, after stroke and dementia. Optimal care for those patients, regarding to the seizures, demands some modification in diagnostic and treatment approach. Aim of this report was to point out problems in diagnostics, treatment and most common mistakes in practice. Fifty one patients were assessed, aged 65-83 years, (30 female and 21 male), with diagnosis of epilepsy and established antiepileptic treatment. All patients were re-examined, and following procedures were utilised: auto and heteroanamnesis (especially data provided by eyewitnesses), clinical examination, biochemical status, complete cardiological examination, EEG registration, serum concentrations of antiepileptic drugs, CT and MRI scan. Out of 51 patients 11 were misdiagnosed (syncope, provoked seizures, TIA). The most common form of seizures were partial seizures with or without secondary generalization (31 cases). Etiologic factors: stroke (25 cases), arteriosclerosis (7 cases), tumours (3 cases), trauma (2 cases), unknown (3 cases) cardiovascular diseases (29 casec) diabetes mellitus (20 cases), respiratory disturbance (12 cases) renal disturbances (8 cases). Only 30 patients had monotherapy from the beginning, with either carbamazepine or valproate. Rest were treated from the beginning with 2 antiepileptic drugs (phenobarbital + carbamazepine or pheytoin + phenobarbital). Adverse effects were recorded in 21 patients. I. It is crucial to distingiush unprovoked and provoked seizures during diagnostic procedures, as well as epileptic and non-epileptic attacks; 2. Principle of monotherapy is conditio sine qua non, and in treatment attention should be paid to co-morbidity, multitherapy, drug interactions, intoxication, diminished detoxication and elimination of drugs, as well as increased

  19. The clinical presentation and diagnosis of epileptic autonomic auras

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marina Revditovna Kremenchugskaya

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to refine the pattern of clinical manifestations of epileptic autonomic auras (EAA and to reveal clinical, electroencephalographic, and neuroimaging ratios. Patients and methods. Eighteen patients (8, 41% men and 10, 59% women aged 9 to 27years (mean 18±5years were examined. The examination encompassed analysis of history data, clinical and neurological studies, long-term video-assisted electroencephalographic monitoring, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI of the brain. Results. In most patients (n = 12, 67%, the symptoms of EAA corresponded to the criteria for abdominal one. In the other patients, the clinical manifestations resembled autonomic paroxysms as attacks of panic. Interictal pathological changes on an electroencephalogram (EEG were present in the frontal, temporal, and frontotemporal regions in 4 (22%, 6 (33%, and 7 (39% patients, respectively, as well as in both the left and right hemispheres without significant differences. Pathological EEG changes were not found in one case. MRI detected that 13 (72% patients had structural changes that were potentially eliptogenic. Conclusion. The clinical symptoms of EAA give information on the site of a primary pathological focus. It is necessary to differentiate EAA from non-epileptic paroxysmal states. The autonomic phenomena of epileptic genesis help study the functional organizations of the autonomic nervous system.

  20. Epileptic aura and perception of self-control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lohse, Allan; Kjaer, Troels W; Sabers, Anne

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The health locus of control is the subjective perception of control over one's health. It has been studied for years as one of several factors that determine patient health-related behaviors. The aim of this study was to investigate how the epileptic aura is associated with the health...

  1. Molecular and genetic insights into an infantile epileptic encephalopathy – CDKL5 disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ailing; Han, Song

    2017-01-01

    Background The discovery that mutations in cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) gene are associated with infantile epileptic encephalopathy has stimulated world-wide research effort to understand the molecular and genetic basis of CDKL5 disorder. Given the large number of literature published thus far, this review aims to summarize current genetic studies, draw a consensus on proposed molecular functions, and point to gaps of knowledge in CDKL5 research. Methods A systematic review process was conducted using the PubMed search engine focusing on CDKL5 studies in the recent ten years. We analyzed these publications and summarized the findings into four sections: genetic studies, CDKL5 expression patterns, molecular functions, and animal models. We also discussed challenges and future directions in each section. Results On the clinical side, CDKL5 disorder is characterized by early onset epileptic seizures, intellectual disability, and stereotypical behaviors. On the research side, a series of molecular and genetic studies in human patients, cell cultures and animal models have established the causality of CDKL5 to the infantile epileptic encephalopathy, and pointed to a key role for CDKL5 in regulating neuronal function in the brain. Mouse models of CDKL5 disorder have also been developed, and notably, manifest behavioral phenotypes, mimicking numerous clinical symptoms of CDKL5 disorder and advancing CDKL5 research to the preclinical stage. Conclusions Given what we have learned thus far, future identification of robust, quantitative, and sensitive outcome measures would be the key in animal model studies, particularly in heterozygous females. In the meantime, molecular and cellular studies of CDKL5 should focus on mechanism-based investigation and aim to uncover druggable targets that offer the potential to rescue or ameliorate CDKL5 disorder-related phenotypes. PMID:28580010

  2. Amplitude reconstruction from complete photoproduction experiments and truncated partial-wave expansions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Workman, R. L.; Tiator, L.; Wunderlich, Y.; Doring, M.; Haberzettl, H.

    2017-01-01

    Here, we compare the methods of amplitude reconstruction, for a complete experiment and a truncated partial-wave analysis, applied to the photoproduction of pseudoscalar mesons. The approach is pedagogical, showing in detail how the amplitude reconstruction (observables measured at a single energy and angle) is related to a truncated partial-wave analysis (observables measured at a single energy and a number of angles).

  3. Application of rare variant transmission disequilibrium tests to epileptic encephalopathy trio sequence data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2017-01-01

    The classic epileptic encephalopathies, including infantile spasms (IS) and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), are severe seizure disorders that usually arise sporadically. De novo variants in genes mainly encoding ion channel and synaptic proteins have been found to account for over 15% of patients...... with IS or LGS. The contribution of autosomal recessive genetic variation, however, is less well understood. We implemented a rare variant transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) to search for autosomal recessive epileptic encephalopathy genes in a cohort of 320 outbred patient-parent trios that were generally...... not find evidence of a role for individual autosomal recessive genes, our current sample is insufficiently powered to assess the overall role of autosomal recessive genotypes in an outbred epileptic encephalopathy population....

  4. The lateralizing and localizing value of peri-ictal cough in epileptic seizures

    OpenAIRE

    Korkmaz, Bektaş; Erşen, Gülsün; Delil, Şakir; Özkara, Çiğdem; Yeni, S. Naz

    2013-01-01

    Introduction. Coughing may be observed as an epiphenomenon during or after epileptic seizures. Aim. In this paper we discuss the lateralization and localization value of cough as an epileptic peri/post ictal semiological phenomenon. Material and Methods. Seven patients presenting cough as a part of their symptomatology are presented. We will discuss cough in the context of these seven patients. Results. Six out of these seven patients were multidrug resistant temporal lobe epilepsy patient...

  5. ‘Transient epileptic amnesia’ : een caus en loteratuuroverzicht

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thissen, S.; Vlooswijk, Marielle; Hendriks, M.P.H.; Majoie, Marian

    ‘Transient epileptic amnesia’ (TEA) wordt gezien als een weinig voorkomende vorm van temporaalkwabepilepsie, gekarakteriseerd door aanvallen van specifieke amnesie door epileptische activiteit (ictaalof postictaal). TEA treft voornamelijk mannen bovende 40 jaar. Aanvallen duren korter dan 60 minuten

  6. Application of magnetic source imaging in localizing the epileptic foci in patients with grey matter heterotopia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Jilin; Wu Jie; Jia Xiuchuan; Li Sumin

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the value of magnetic source imaging (MSI) in localizing the epileptic foci of patients with histologically proved grey matter heterotopia (GMH) and seizure. Methods: MSI examinations were performed on 8 patients with GMH and seizure. The location of the epileptic foci defined by MSI was compared with the results of the ECoG. After imaging examinations, all patients received operation with 13-48 months follow up to observe the effectiveness of the operation. Results: Among the 8 patients, 1 had hippocampal sclerosis, 2 had focal cortical dysplasia of type Ⅰ B and 1 had focal cortical dysplasia of type Ⅱ B. MRI showed normal findings in 2 cases, subcortical heterotopia in 4 cases, and nodular heterotopia in 2 cases with one having schizencephaly. The epileptic foci defined by MSI were at right temporal lobe in 2 cases, left frontal lobe in 2 cases, biparietal lobe in 1 case, left parietal lobe in 1 case, left temporal lobe in 1 case, and left frontal-parietal lobe in 1 case. The epileptic foci defined by MSI were completely overlaid with area of GMH in 4 cases, closely behind the area of GMH in case, and partly overlaid with area of CMH in 1 cases with size larger than that of the latter. One patient showed two epileptic foci with one located within the area of GMH and the other one 2 centimeters anterior to the area of GMH. One case's epileptic focus located 2 centimeters posteolateral to the area of GMH. The locations of the epileptic foci defined by MSI showed no difference with those defined by ECoG in all patients. According to Engel classification of treatment effect of epilepsy, 6 patients achieved Engle class Ⅰ ( seizure free after operation), and 2 patients Engel class Ⅳ (no changes in the frequency of occurrence of seizures before and after operation). Conclusion: MSI can noninvasively and precisely localize the epileptic foci before operation in patients with GMH and seizure. (authors)

  7. Brain Graph Topology Changes Associated with Anti-Epileptic Drug Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, Harvey S.; Chiang, Sharon

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Neuroimaging studies of functional connectivity using graph theory have furthered our understanding of the network structure in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Brain network effects of anti-epileptic drugs could influence such studies, but have not been systematically studied. Resting-state functional MRI was analyzed in 25 patients with TLE using graph theory analysis. Patients were divided into two groups based on anti-epileptic medication use: those taking carbamazepine/oxcarbazepine (CBZ/OXC) (n=9) and those not taking CBZ/OXC (n=16) as a part of their medication regimen. The following graph topology metrics were analyzed: global efficiency, betweenness centrality (BC), clustering coefficient, and small-world index. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the association of CBZ/OXC with graph topology. The two groups did not differ from each other based on epilepsy characteristics. Use of CBZ/OXC was associated with a lower BC. Longer epilepsy duration was also associated with a lower BC. These findings can inform graph theory-based studies in patients with TLE. The changes observed are discussed in relation to the anti-epileptic mechanism of action and adverse effects of CBZ/OXC. PMID:25492633

  8. Neo-Timm staining in the thalamus of chronically epileptic rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamani C.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The thalamus is an important modulator of seizures and is severely affected in cholinergic models of epilepsy. In the present study, chronically epileptic rats had their brains processed for neo-Timm and acetylcholinesterase two months after the induction of status epilepticus with pilocarpine. Both controls and pilocarpine-treated animals presented neo-Timm staining in the anterodorsal nucleus, laterodorsal nucleus, reticular nucleus, most intralaminar nuclei, nucleus reuniens, and rhomboid nucleus of the thalamus, as well as in the zona incerta. The intensity of neo-Timm staining was similar in control and pilocarpine-treated rats, except for the nucleus reuniens and the rhomboid nucleus, which had a lower intensity of staining in the epileptic group. In animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy, zinc seems to modulate glutamate release and to decrease seizure activity. In this context, a reduction of neo-Timm-stained terminals in the midline thalamus could ultimately result in an increased excitatory activity, not only within its related nuclei, but also in anatomical structures that receive their efferent connections. This might contribute to the pathological substrate observed in chronic pilocarpine-treated epileptic animals.

  9. Emotional stimuli-provoked seizures potentially misdiagnosed as psychogenic non-epileptic attacks: A case of temporal lobe epilepsy with amygdala enlargement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hidetaka Tamune

    Full Text Available The association between emotional stimuli and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE is largely unknown. Here, we report the case of a depressed, 50-year-old female complaining of episodes of a “spaced out” experience precipitated by emotional stimuli. Psychogenic non-epileptic attacks were suspected. However, video-EEG coupled with emotional stimuli-provoked procedures and MRI findings of amygdala enlargement, led to the diagnosis of left TLE. Accurate diagnosis and explanation improved her subjective depression and seizure frequency. This case demonstrated that emotional stimuli can provoke seizures in TLE and suggested the involvement of the enlarged amygdala and the modulation of emotion-related neural circuits. Keywords: Video-EEG, Psychogenic non-epileptic attacks, Temporal lobe epilepsy, Amygdala enlargement, Reflex seizure, Provoked seizure

  10. Weather as a risk factor for epileptic seizures: A case-crossover study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakers, Florian; Walther, Mario; Schiffner, Rene; Rupprecht, Sven; Rasche, Marius; Kockler, Michael; Witte, Otto W; Schlattmann, Peter; Schwab, Matthias

    2017-07-01

    Most epileptic seizures occur unexpectedly and independently of known risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of patients' perception that weather is a risk factor for epileptic seizures. Using a hospital-based, bidirectional case-crossover study, 604 adult patients admitted to a large university hospital in Central Germany for an unprovoked epileptic seizure between 2003 and 2010 were recruited. The effect of atmospheric pressure, relative air humidity, and ambient temperature on the onset of epileptic seizures under temperate climate conditions was estimated. We found a close-to-linear negative correlation between atmospheric pressure and seizure risk. For every 10.7 hPa lower atmospheric pressure, seizure risk increased in the entire study population by 14% (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.28). In patients with less severe epilepsy treated with one antiepileptic medication, seizure risk increased by 36% (1.36, 1.09-1.67). A high relative air humidity of >80% increased seizure risk in the entire study population by up to 48% (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.11-1.96) 3 days after exposure in a J-shaped association. High ambient temperatures of >20°C decreased seizure risk by 46% in the overall study population (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.32-0.90) and in subgroups, with the greatest effects observed in male patients (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.14-0.74). Low atmospheric pressure and high relative air humidity are associated with an increased risk for epileptic seizures, whereas high ambient temperatures seem to decrease seizure risk. Weather-dependent seizure risk may be accentuated in patients with less severe epilepsy. Our results require further replication across different climate regions and cohorts before reliable clinical recommendations can be made. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

  11. Positron emission tomography in pre-surgical evaluation of partial epilepsy in adults

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semah, F.; Dupont, S.

    1999-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) may be used to map regional cerebral glucose metabolism using 18 F-deoxyglucose in patients with partial epilepsy. An area of reduced glucose metabolism, that is commonly more extensive than the underlying anatomical abnormality, is found in most of the patients with medically refractory partial epilepsy. These functional lesions are very useful in the delineation of the epileptogenic focus prior to surgery. PET may also be used to demonstrate abnormalities in the binding of specific ligands, such as 11 C-flumazenil, to the central benzodiazepine-GABA A receptor complex. Focal decreases in benzodiazepine receptor binding is commonly seen at an epileptic focus, in a more restricted distribution than the area of hypo-metabolism. (author)

  12. GRIN1 Mutations in Early-Onset Epileptic Encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenjuan Chen

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Investigators from Yokohama City University and other medical centers in Israel and Japan reported mutations on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA receptors subunit GRIN1 (GluN1 identified in patients with nonsyndromic intellectual disability and early-onset epileptic encephalopathy.

  13. FOCAL EPILEPTIC MYOCLONUS IN KOZHEVNIKOV–RASMUSSEN SYNDROME

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. E. Kvaskova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article presents the clinical, electroencephalographic (EEG and neuroimaging features, as well as the results of treatment of patients with focal epileptic myoclonus (FEM with the Kozhevnikov–Rasmussen syndrome (KRS. FEM in KRS-patients was identified in 11 cases, accounting for 0.9 % of all the cases of epilepsy with the onset of seizures up to 18 years (n = 1261. The age at onset of KRS ranged from 3 to 21 years (average – 9.2 ± 5.7 years. In the active period of the disease of all patients in the clinical picture the active FEM appeared and increasing frequency of the secondary generalized seizures (SGS. In addition SGS and FEM, the clinical picture of the disease in most patients (91 % the focal motor (clonic and the somatosensory focal seizures were observed. As the disease progressed, the FEM became more pronounced in frequency and intensity, seized more muscle groups, localizing mainly in the muscles of the trunk and limbs. The typical EEG pattern of FEM patients with KRS was regional epileptiform activity that occurs in the structure of the continued regional slowing localizing maximum of the fronto-central-temporal region. During the magnetic resonance tomography of the brain in dynamics all the patients observed the increase in total cortical hemiatrophy. In all the cases, the appointment of antiepileptic therapy resulted in a slowing of the FEM, however, a complete remission was reached at none of the patients. Two patients were made surgical treatment of epilepsy. In one case remission of epileptic seizures was observed after right-side hemispherotomy. Our study showed that FEM is very resistant type of epileptic seizures. This fact calls for the identification of the FEM at the early stages of the disease with the purpose to improve the prognosis, as well as for an earlier surgical treatment.

  14. Knowledge and attitude of Iranian community pharmacists about the pharmaceutical care for epileptic females

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabzghabaee, A.M.; Zolfaghari, B.; Ebrahimabadi, M.H.

    2012-01-01

    This study was designed to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of a cohort of Iranian community pharmacists about the pharmaceutical care indexes and drug therapy in female epileptic patients. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran (2011) and one hundred and twenty two community pharmacists were randomly selected using clustering method for sampling. A self-administered questionnaire which was originally made by a clinical pharmacy focus group was used. This questionnaire had 10 true/false questions for knowledge assessing (Spearman-Brown coefficient, 0.65) and 19 attitude statements (with Likert scale) about the intention of pharmacists for providing pharmaceutical care for epileptic females (Croanbach's alpha, 0.802). Face and content validity for both parts of the questionnaire were performed before the study. Results: There was a significant inverse relationship between pharmacists' knowledge on pharmaceutical care for epileptic females and the time elapsed from their graduation date. Considering the minimum passing score of 5, 85% of pharmacists did not have enough knowledge. The range of pharmacists' attitude scores was 35 to 64 and its mean was 46.09. Regarding the minimum passing score of 45, 63.3% of pharmacists had positive attitude to AEDs in epileptic females. Conclusion: It seems that the pharmaceutical care for epileptic females is a missing part of Pharmacy education. It is highly recommended to pay special attention to this topic in continuing education programs for Iranian pharmacists. (author)

  15. Adult epileptic patients’ perception of social support during rational antiepileptic therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. N. Vlasov

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The problem of stigmatization of a patient with epilepsy is frequently essential in restricting the capacities of his social performance. Society is often unready to recognize an epileptic patient as its equal member. The authors consider the main sources of social support (SS to patients with epilepsy: the patient’s family takes first place; friends and other important persons also play a major role. The perception of SS has been found to be related to the number of used antiepileptic drugs and the hemispheric lateralization of a leading epileptic focus.

  16. An epileptic seizures detection algorithm based on the empirical mode decomposition of EEG.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orosco, Lorena; Laciar, Eric; Correa, Agustina Garces; Torres, Abel; Graffigna, Juan P

    2009-01-01

    Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects around 50 million people worldwide. The seizure detection is an important component in the diagnosis of epilepsy. In this study, the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method was proposed on the development of an automatic epileptic seizure detection algorithm. The algorithm first computes the Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) of EEG records, then calculates the energy of each IMF and performs the detection based on an energy threshold and a minimum duration decision. The algorithm was tested in 9 invasive EEG records provided and validated by the Epilepsy Center of the University Hospital of Freiburg. In 90 segments analyzed (39 with epileptic seizures) the sensitivity and specificity obtained with the method were of 56.41% and 75.86% respectively. It could be concluded that EMD is a promissory method for epileptic seizure detection in EEG records.

  17. Regional cerebral blood flow in epileptic foci using [I-123] IMP-SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konishi, Tohru

    1989-01-01

    Fifty-six epileptic patients, whose ages ranged from 6 months to 16 years (a mean age, 8 years and 2 months), were examined by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [I-123] N-isopropyl p-iodoamphetamine (IMP). Of these patients, 44 had partial seizures (PS) and 12 had generalized seizures (GS). SPECT revealed abnormality of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 24 PS patients (54.5%), being correlated with EEG abnormality. Among the 24 patients, 22 had a decreased rCBF and 2 others had an increased rCBF. According to the PS type, rCBF abnormality in the foci was less frequently observed for benign age-related partial epilepsy (2/9) than for the other types of partial epilepsy (22/35). Among 35 patients with the other types of partial epilepsy, SPECT showed foci in the frontal (12), central (3), parietal (4), temporal (6), and occipital (6) regions, and diffuse spike-wave or the lack of paroaxysmals (4). The EEG foci was of the left hemisphere in 12 patients, and of the right hemisphere in 18 patients. Higher incidence of rCBF abnormality was associated with the temporal, partietal, and frontal foci than with the occipital foci. There was no correlation between the incidence of rCBF abnormlaity and the frequency of seizure activities on EEG. Complex partial seizures had a tendency to be associated with rCBF abnormality. In comparing IMP uptake in evaluable 17 patients with a decreased rCBF, a mean %CBF in foci compared to that in the contralateral area was 91.9%. All of the 12 GS patients showed no focal reduction of rCBF around the cortex. Patients with tonic-clonic seizure and myoclonic seizure had almost normal IMP images. The IMP images of organic lesions were a marked reduction of rCBF. IMP-SPECT may also be suitable for evaluating the underlying organic and secondary involving disorders with epilepsy. (N.K.)

  18. Childhood masturbation simulating epileptic seizures: A report of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    owner

    2013-03-01

    Mar 1, 2013 ... Childhood masturbation is re- garded as one of the paroxysmal, non-epileptic disorders in children, which incorporate several potential diagno- ses. Therefore, if not recognized, it could pose diagnos- tic difficulties, unnecessary investigative spending and considerable parental anxiety.3. There is paucity of ...

  19. [Analysis of gene mutation of early onset epileptic spasm with unknown reason].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, X; Pan, G; Li, W H; Zhang, L M; Wu, B B; Wang, H J; Zhang, P; Zhou, S Z

    2017-11-02

    Objective: To summarize the gene mutation of early onset epileptic spasm with unknown reason. Method: In this prospective study, data of patients with early onset epileptic spasm with unknown reason were collected from neurological department of Children's Hospital of Fudan University between March 2016 and December 2016. Patients with known disorders such as infection, metabolic, structural, immunological problems and known genetic mutations were excluded. Patients with genetic disease that can be diagnosed by clinical manifestations and phenotypic characteristics were also excluded. Genetic research methods included nervous system panel containing 1 427 epilepsy genes, whole exome sequencing (WES), analysis of copy number variation (CNV) and karyotype analysis of chromosome. The basic information, phenotypes, genetic results and the antiepileptic treatment of patients were analyzed. Result: Nine of the 17 cases with early onset epileptic spasm were boys and eight were girls. Patients' age at first seizure onset ranged from 1 day after birth to 8 months (median age of 3 months). The first hospital visit age ranged from 1 month to 2 years (median age of 4.5 months). The time of following-up ranged from 8 months to 3 years and 10 months. All the 17 patients had early onset epileptic spasm. Video electroencephalogram was used to monitor the spasm seizure. Five patients had Ohtahara syndrome, 10 had West syndrome, two had unclear classification. In 17 cases, 10 of them had detected pathogenic genes. Nine cases had point mutations, involving SCN2A, ARX, UNC80, KCNQ2, and GABRB3. Except one case of mutations in GABRB3 gene have been reported, all the other cases had new mutations. One patient had deletion mutation in CDKL5 gene. One CNV case had 6q 22.31 5.5MB repeats. Ten cases out of 17 were using 2-3 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and the drugs had no effect. Seven cases used adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and prednisone besides AEDs (a total course for 8 weeks

  20. Limits of 2D-TCA in detecting BOLD responses to epileptic activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khatamian, Yasha Borna; Fahoum, Firas; Gotman, Jean

    2011-05-01

    Two-dimensional temporal clustering analysis (2D-TCA) is a relatively new functional MRI (fMRI) based technique that breaks blood oxygen level dependent activity into separate components based on timing and has shown potential for localizing epileptic activity independently of electroencephalography (EEG). 2D-TCA has only been applied to detect epileptic activity in a few studies and its limits in detecting activity of various forms (i.e. activation size, amplitude, and frequency) have not been investigated. This study evaluated 2D-TCA's ability to detect various forms of both simulated epileptic activity and EEG-fMRI activity detected in patients. When applied to simulated data, 2D-TCA consistently detected activity in 6min runs containing 5 spikes/run, 10 spikes/run, and one 5s long event with hemodynamic response function amplitudes of at least 1.5%, 1.25%, and 1% above baseline respectively. When applied to patient data, while detection of interictal spikes was inconsistent, 2D-TCA consistently produced results similar to those obtained by EEG-fMRI when at least 2 prolonged interictal events (a few seconds each) occurred during the run. However, even for such cases it was determined that 2D-TCA can only be used to validate localization by other means or to create hypotheses as to where activity may occur, as it also detects changes not caused by epileptic activity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Partial mGlu₅ Negative Allosteric Modulators Attenuate Cocaine-Mediated Behaviors and Lack Psychotomimetic-Like Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gould, Robert W; Amato, Russell J; Bubser, Michael; Joffe, Max E; Nedelcovych, Michael T; Thompson, Analisa D; Nickols, Hilary H; Yuh, Johannes P; Zhan, Xiaoyan; Felts, Andrew S; Rodriguez, Alice L; Morrison, Ryan D; Byers, Frank W; Rook, Jerri M; Daniels, John S; Niswender, Colleen M; Conn, P Jeffrey; Emmitte, Kyle A; Lindsley, Craig W; Jones, Carrie K

    2016-03-01

    Cocaine abuse remains a public health concern for which pharmacotherapies are largely ineffective. Comorbidities between cocaine abuse, depression, and anxiety support the development of novel treatments targeting multiple symptom clusters. Selective negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) targeting the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) subtype are currently in clinical trials for the treatment of multiple neuropsychiatric disorders and have shown promise in preclinical models of substance abuse. However, complete blockade or inverse agonist activity by some full mGlu5 NAM chemotypes demonstrated adverse effects, including psychosis in humans and psychotomimetic-like effects in animals, suggesting a narrow therapeutic window. Development of partial mGlu5 NAMs, characterized by their submaximal but saturable levels of blockade, may represent a novel approach to broaden the therapeutic window. To understand potential therapeutic vs adverse effects in preclinical behavioral assays, we examined the partial mGlu5 NAMs, M-5MPEP and Br-5MPEPy, in comparison with the full mGlu5 NAM MTEP across models of addiction and psychotomimetic-like activity. M-5MPEP, Br-5MPEPy, and MTEP dose-dependently decreased cocaine self-administration and attenuated the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine. M-5MPEP and Br-5MPEPy also demonstrated antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like activity. Dose-dependent effects of partial and full mGlu5 NAMs in these assays corresponded with increasing in vivo mGlu5 occupancy, demonstrating an orderly occupancy-to-efficacy relationship. PCP-induced hyperlocomotion was potentiated by MTEP, but not by M-5MPEP and Br-5MPEPy. Further, MTEP, but not M-5MPEP, potentiated the discriminative-stimulus effects of PCP. The present data suggest that partial mGlu5 NAM activity is sufficient to produce therapeutic effects similar to full mGlu5 NAMs, but with a broader therapeutic index.

  2. Using bivariate signal analysis to characterize the epileptic focus: the benefit of surrogates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrzejak, R G; Chicharro, D; Lehnertz, K; Mormann, F

    2011-04-01

    The disease epilepsy is related to hypersynchronous activity of networks of neurons. While acute epileptic seizures are the most extreme manifestation of this hypersynchronous activity, an elevated level of interdependence of neuronal dynamics is thought to persist also during the seizure-free interval. In multichannel recordings from brain areas involved in the epileptic process, this interdependence can be reflected in an increased linear cross correlation but also in signal properties of higher order. Bivariate time series analysis comprises a variety of approaches, each with different degrees of sensitivity and specificity for interdependencies reflected in lower- or higher-order properties of pairs of simultaneously recorded signals. Here we investigate which approach is best suited to detect putatively elevated interdependence levels in signals recorded from brain areas involved in the epileptic process. For this purpose, we use the linear cross correlation that is sensitive to lower-order signatures of interdependence, a nonlinear interdependence measure that integrates both lower- and higher-order properties, and a surrogate-corrected nonlinear interdependence measure that aims to specifically characterize higher-order properties. We analyze intracranial electroencephalographic recordings of the seizure-free interval from 29 patients with an epileptic focus located in the medial temporal lobe. Our results show that all three approaches detect higher levels of interdependence for signals recorded from the brain hemisphere containing the epileptic focus as compared to signals recorded from the opposite hemisphere. For the linear cross correlation, however, these differences are not significant. For the nonlinear interdependence measure, results are significant but only of moderate accuracy with regard to the discriminative power for the focal and nonfocal hemispheres. The highest significance and accuracy is obtained for the surrogate-corrected nonlinear

  3. Biomarkers of epileptic seizures and epilepsy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bogdan Lorber

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to review biological markers, their importance and usefulness in the diagnosis of epileptic seizure or epilepsy. Assessed are also their prognostic value, their use in the evaluation of antiepileptic therapy effect and some other useful properties. The article reviews prolactin, neuron specific enolase, S–100 protein, creatin kinase, laminin, matrix metalloproteinase, nesfatin–1, ghrelin, obestatin and chromogranin A. The authors stress the need for further research studies in this area.

  4. Epileptic Negative Myoclonus as the First and Only Symptom in a Challenging Diagnosis of Benign Epilepsy With Centrotemporal Spikes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Chen MD

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the clinical and neurophysiological characteristics of epileptic negative myoclonus as the first and only ictal symptom of benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. Methods: Electrophysiological evaluations included polygraphic recordings with simultaneous video electroencephalogram monitoring and tests performed with patient’s upper limb outstretched in standing posture. Epileptic negative myoclonus manifestations, electrophysiological features, and responses to antiepileptic drugs were analyzed. Results: The authors report 2 patients with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, who had epileptic negative myoclonus as the first and only seizure type. Video electroencephalogram monitoring results showed that their negative myoclonus seizures were emanating from the contralateral central and the parietal regions. Epileptic negative myoclonus was controlled by administration of valproate and levetiracetam. Conclusion: Epileptic negative myoclonus can be the first and only seizure type of benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, and long-term follow-up monitoring should be the care for the recurrence and/or presence of other types of seizures.

  5. Multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis for epileptic patient in seizure and seizure free status

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, Dipak; Dutta, Srimonti; Chakraborty, Sayantan

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We analyze EEG of patients during seizure and in seizure free interval. • Data from different sections of the brain and seizure activity was analyzed. • Assessment of cross-correlation in seizure and seizure free interval using MF-DXA technique. - Abstract: This paper reports a study of EEG data of epileptic patients in terms of multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis (MF-DXA). The EEG clinical data were obtained from the EEG Database available with the Clinic of Epileptology of the University Hospital of Bonn, Germany. The data sets (C, D, and E) were taken from five epileptic patients undergoing presurgical evaluations. The data sets consist of intracranial EEG recordings during seizure-free intervals (interictal periods) from within the epileptogenic zone (D) and from the hippocampal formation of the opposite hemisphere of the epileptic patients’ brain, respectively (C). The data set (E) was recorded during seizure activity (ictal periods). MF-DXA is a very rigorous and robust tool for assessment of cross-correlation among two nonlinear time series. The study reveals the degree of cross-correlation is more among seizure and seizure free interval in epileptogenic zone. These data are very significant for diagnosis, onset and prognosis of epileptic patients

  6. [Epilepsy from a metaphysical perspective: an interpretation of the biblical story of the epileptic boy and Raphael's Transfiguration].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janz, D

    1994-01-01

    Raphael's last painting reveals, in the upper half of the picture, Christ's transfiguration on Mount Tabor and, in the lower half, the young boy's epileptic seizure at the foot of the mountain in the presence of the other disciples. Raphael depicts both events, which are told in succession in the Gospels, as if they took place at the same time. By synchronizing both scenes, Raphael demonstrated a significant correspondence between Christ and the epileptic boy which reveals the epileptic seizure as a symbolic representation of a transcendental event. This metaphysical aspect of epilepsy depicted by Raphael can also be found in the corresponding biblical passages. In the Gospels, the metamorphosis caused by the epileptic seizure is used as a simile for Christ's transfiguration through suffering, death and resurrection.

  7. The epileptic seizure and the mystery of death in Christian painting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, Michael W

    2010-02-01

    The epileptic seizure is in many cultures associated with death. Indo-European tradition perceives death not necessarily as the end but as a step, as a point the life cycle is passing through. The epileptic seizure may be seen as a transient form of death, which offers some symmetry with the biblical story of the death and resurrection of Christ. This article, originating from a case report, shows how some Christian painting alludes to renaissance after a seizure and to the parallelism between the patient with epilepsy and the destiny of Christ. Special attention is paid to Raphael's, in this respect particularly complex work, The Transfiguration. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Hyperspherical Manifold for EEG Signals of Epileptic Seizures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tahir Ahmad

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The mathematical modelling of EEG signals of epileptic seizures presents a challenge as seizure data is erratic, often with no visible trend. Limitations in existing models indicate a need for a generalized model that can be used to analyze seizures without the need for apriori information, whilst minimizing the loss of signal data due to smoothing. This paper utilizes measure theory to design a discrete probability measure that reformats EEG data without altering its geometric structure. An analysis of EEG data from three patients experiencing epileptic seizures is made using the developed measure, resulting in successful identification of increased potential difference in portions of the brain that correspond to physical symptoms demonstrated by the patients. A mapping then is devised to transport the measure data onto the surface of a high-dimensional manifold, enabling the analysis of seizures using directional statistics and manifold theory. The subset of seizure signals on the manifold is shown to be a topological space, verifying Ahmad's approach to use topological modelling.

  9. Behavioral problems of siblings of epileptic children in Enugu ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Materials and Methods: Epileptic patients who consecutively referred to the Pediatric Neurology Clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, from October 1999 to September 2000 were recruited. Demographic data were obtained, with a questionnaire administered to the parents. Information on the behavior ...

  10. Epileptic seizure, as the first symptom of hypoparathyroidism in children, does not require antiepileptic drugs

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Meng-Jia; Li, Jiu-Wei; Shi, Xiu-Yu; Hu, Lin-Yan; Zou, Li-Ping

    2016-01-01

    Objective Patients with hypoparathyroidism exhibit metabolic disorders (hypocalcemia) and brain structural abnormalities (brain calcifications). Currently, studies have determined whether antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment is required for epileptic seizures in children with hypoparathyroidism. Method This study aims to evaluate the data of two medical centers in Beijing based on the diagnosis of epileptic seizures as the first symptom of hypoparathyroidism in children. Result A total of 42 pa...

  11. Coexistence of intermittencies in the neuronal network of the epileptic brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koronovskii, Alexey A; Hramov, Alexander E; Grubov, Vadim V; Moskalenko, Olga I; Sitnikova, Evgenia; Pavlov, Alexey N

    2016-03-01

    Intermittent behavior occurs widely in nature. At present, several types of intermittencies are known and well-studied. However, consideration of intermittency has usually been limited to the analysis of cases when only one certain type of intermittency takes place. In this paper, we report on the temporal behavior of the complex neuronal network in the epileptic brain, when two types of intermittent behavior coexist and alternate with each other. We prove the presence of this phenomenon in physiological experiments with WAG/Rij rats being the model living system of absence epilepsy. In our paper, the deduced theoretical law for distributions of the lengths of laminar phases prescribing the power law with a degree of -2 agrees well with the experimental neurophysiological data.

  12. Effect Of Cognitive Stimulation On Hippocampal Ripples In Epileptic Patients

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Brázdil, M.; Cimbálník, J.; Roman, R.; Stead, M.; Daniel, P.; Halámek, Josef; Jurák, Pavel

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 54, S3 (2013), s. 268-268 ISSN 0013-9580. [International Epilepsy Congress /30./. 23.06.2013-27.06.2013, Montreal] Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : Cognitive Stimulation * Epileptic Patients Subject RIV: FH - Neurology

  13. Clinical and electroencephalographic characteristics of some forms of epileptic encephalopathies in infants: The data of the authors' follow-up observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. D. Lemeshko

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to study clinical symptoms and brain activity in new forms of infantile epilepsy, such as malignant migrating partial seizures in infancy (MMPSI and Markand-Blume-Ohtahara syndrome (MBOS and to elaborate their differential diagnostic criteria for the timely choice of treatment policy and for the prediction of the disease.Patients and methods. Thirty-eight children aged 1.5 months to 3 years with MMPSI and MBOS were examined. Their medical history and neurological examination data, electroencephalographic and neuroimaging characteristics, and the efficiency of chosen anticonvulsant therapy were investigated.Results and discussion. The investigators revealed the following characteristics of these forms: the causes of these syndromes were highly diverse and unspecific; the neurological status was characterized by a variety of symptoms with an obvious delay in psycho-prespeech development concurrent with a high rate of partial focal (in MMPSI and generalized (in MBOS status epilepticus; The EEC characteristic sign was MISF and«lafa» patterns in the children with MBOS and continuous migrating partial ictal status epilepticus patterns in those with MMPSI. These forms of epileptic encephalopathies are extremely drug-resistant and characterized by a high risk for a fatal outcome.

  14. Reports on Polysomnograph Combined with Long-term Video Electroencephalogram for Monitoring Nocturnal Sleep-breath Events in 82 Epileptic Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongliang Li

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the effects of epileptic discharges in sleep of epileptic patients on sleepbreath events. Methods: Polysomnograph (PSG and long-term video electroencephalogram (LTVEEG were used to monitor 82 adult epileptic patients. The condition of paroxysmal events in nocturnal sleep was analyzed, and the epileptiform discharge and effects of antiepileptic drugs were explored. Results: In epileptic group, latency to persistent sleep (LPS and REM sleep latency increased, the proportion of light sleep increased while that of deep sleep decreased, sleep efficiency reduced, nocturnal arousal times increased and apnea hyponea indexes (AHI improved, which demonstrated significant differences by comparison to control group. Periodic leg movements (PLM had no conspicuous differences compared with control group. There were no specific effects of epileptiform discharge and antiepileptic drugs on AHI and PLM indexes. Conclusion: Epileptic patients have sleep structure disorders and sleep-disordered breathing, and arousal, respiratory and leg movement events influence mutually. Synchronous detection of PSG combined with LTVEEG is in favor of comprehensively analyzing the relationship between sleep structures and epilepsy-breath events.

  15. Epilepsy, anti-epileptic medication use and risk of cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaae, Jeanette; Carstensen, Lisbeth; Wohlfahrt, Jan

    2014-01-01

    Whether the powerful medications used to treat epilepsy increase the risk of cancer has been debated for decades, but until now no study could disentangle the contributions of anti-epileptic medications and epilepsy itself to cancer risk. Using a cohort comprising all Danish residents ≥ 16 years ...

  16. Exfoliative Dermatitis Due To Carbamazepine In An Epileptic Patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghosh Sadhan Kr

    1995-01-01

    Full Text Available A young epileptic girl of 17 years who was being treated with carbamazepine suddenly developed exanthematous skin eruption all over the body resulting in exfoliative dermatitis within 2 days of onset. The drug was withdrawn and the patient responded well with symptomatic treatment.

  17. Characterization of Partially Purified Bacteriocin Like Substance (BLIS Produced by Probiotic Lactobacillus Strains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saeed Ismail Khanian

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: There is an increasing interest in search for antimicrobial peptides (bacteriocins and bacteriocin-like compounds produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB because of their potential to be used as antimicrobial agents for improving the safety of food products. Objectives: The main objective of study was to evaluate the antibacterial potential of locally isolated Lactic Acid bacteria (LAB and determine their bacteriocin producing ability in in-vitro conditions. Materials and Methods: The antibacterial activity of 77 isolated LAB strains was tested against a number of pathogens by well-diffusion method. The isolates demonstrating antimicrobial potential were selected and tested for the production of bacteriocin or bacteriocin like substance. The bacteriocin produced by two of the isolates were partially purified and characterized. Results: The results indicated the neutralized supernatant fluid of two of the isolates identified as L. brevis LB32 and L. pentosus LP05, were active against the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enteritidis, Shigella dysenteriae, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Additionally, L. brevis LB32 was able to inhibit the growth of Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella pneumoniae, while, S. pnuemoniae and L. monocytogenes appeared to be the most sensitive strain as apparent by highest zone of inhibition against these pathogens, respectively. The antimicrobial activity in the supernatant fluids of the mentioned strains remained unaffected after treating with enzymes catalase, lipase and lysozyme, while were strongly sensitive to the action of proteolytic enzymes, suggesting the presence of bacteriocin like inhibitory substance (BLIS in the two isolates. The inhibitory substance produced by the two isolates appeared heat resistant and tolerated 100˚C and 121˚C for 55 minutes and 20 minutes, respectively. Partial purification of the concentrated culture supernatant fluids of L. brevis LB32 and L

  18. Multidisciplinary approach to hospitalized epileptic children and their families

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela Cristina Pontes

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Epilepsy is the most frequent diagnosis in the ward;due to the high degree of complexity of its investigation andtreatment, the objective of this work was to proceed to an analysisof the interventions of the team with hospitalized epileptic childrenand their families. Methods: The data were obtained from theclinical handbooks and individual registers of the specialties.Results: There were 235 elective admissions, 88 regarding theEpilepsy. The services for specialties were distributed among those88 epileptic children: physiotherapy (34%, psychology (41% andoccupational therapy (88.6%. Conclusion: Given the severity ofthe social and biological sequelae associated with the diagnosisof epilepsy and the need for a family intervention, themultidisciplinary work focused on the child, in stimulationinterventions and promotion of his/her development, with a viewto minimize the sequelae; and providing the family with orientationand support, in order to give them more elaborate strategies forcoping with the disease and improve conditions for supplying postdischargeinfant treatment.

  19. A Penalized Semialgebraic Deflation ICA Algorithm for the Efficient Extraction of Interictal Epileptic Signals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Hanna; Albera, Laurent; Comon, Pierre; Kachenoura, Amar; Merlet, Isabelle

    2017-01-01

    As a noninvasive technique, electroencephalography (EEG) is commonly used to monitor the brain signals of patients with epilepsy such as the interictal epileptic spikes. However, the recorded data are often corrupted by artifacts originating, for example, from muscle activities, which may have much higher amplitudes than the interictal epileptic signals of interest. To remove these artifacts, a number of independent component analysis (ICA) techniques were successfully applied. In this paper, we propose a new deflation ICA algorithm, called penalized semialgebraic unitary deflation (P-SAUD) algorithm, that improves upon classical ICA methods by leading to a considerably reduced computational complexity at equivalent performance. This is achieved by employing a penalized semialgebraic extraction scheme, which permits us to identify the epileptic components of interest (interictal spikes) first and obviates the need of extracting subsequent components. The proposed method is evaluated on physiologically plausible simulated EEG data and actual measurements of three patients. The results are compared to those of several popular ICA algorithms as well as second-order blind source separation methods, demonstrating that P-SAUD extracts the epileptic spikes with the same accuracy as the best ICA methods, but reduces the computational complexity by a factor of 10 for 32-channel recordings. This superior computational efficiency is of particular interest considering the increasing use of high-resolution EEG recordings, whose analysis requires algorithms with low computational cost.

  20. Mozart k.545 mimics mozart k.448 in reducing epileptiform discharges in epileptic children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Lung-Chang; Lee, Mei-Wen; Wei, Ruey-Chang; Mok, Hin-Kiu; Wu, Hui-Chuan; Tsai, Chin-Lin; Yang, Rei-Cheng

    2012-01-01

    Mozart K.448 has been shown to improve cognitive function, leading to what is known as the Mozart Effect. Our previous work reveals positive effects of Mozart K.448 in reducing epileptiform discharges in epileptic children. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Mozart K.545 and compared the effects with those of Mozart K.448 on epileptiform discharges in children with epilepsy. Thirty-nine epileptic children with epileptiform discharges were included in the study. They received electroencephalogram examinations before, during, and after listening to Mozart K.448 and K.545, one week apart, respectively. The frequencies of epileptiform discharges were compared. There was a significant decrease in the frequency of epileptiform discharges during and right after listening to Mozart K.448 and K.545 (reduced by 35.7 ± 32.7% during Mozart K.448 and 30.3 ± 44.4% after Mozart K.448; and 34.0 ± 39.5% during Mozart K.545 and 31.8 ± 39.2% after Mozart K.545). Spectrogrammatic analysis of the two pieces of music demonstrated that both share similar spectrogrammatic characteristics. Listening to Mozart K.448 and K.545 decreased the epileptiform discharges in epileptic children. This suggests that Mozart K.448 is not the only piece of music to have beneficial effects on children with epilepsy. Other music with lower harmonics may also decrease epileptiform discharges in epileptic children.

  1. Elevated VGKC-Complex Antibodies in a Boy with Fever-Induced Refractory Epileptic Encephalopathy in School-Age Children (FIRES)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illingworth, Marjorie A.; Hanrahan, Donncha; Anderson, Claire E.; O'Kane, Kathryn; Anderson, Jennifer; Casey, Maureen; de Sousa, Carlos; Cross, J. Helen; Wright, Sukvhir; Dale, Russell C.; Vincent, Angela; Kurian, Manju A.

    2011-01-01

    Fever-induced refractory epileptic encephalopathy in school-age children (FIRES) is a clinically recognized epileptic encephalopathy of unknown aetiology. Presentation in previously healthy children is characterized by febrile status epilepticus. A pharmacoresistant epilepsy ensues, occurring in parallel with dramatic cognitive decline and…

  2. The determinants of seizure severity in Nigerian epileptics | Imam ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This assesses generalisation of seizures, falls, injuries, urinary incontinence, warning interval before loss of consciousness, automatisms and time of recovery on a graded scale. Results: The most frequent indices of seizure severity in Nigerian epileptics is the generalisation of seizures in 85.7% of subjects, incontinence of ...

  3. Sleep deprivation and spike-wave discharges in epileptic rats

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Drinkenburg, W.H.I.M.; Coenen, A.M.L.; Vossen, J.M.H.; Luijtelaar, E.L.J.M. van

    1995-01-01

    The effects of sleep deprivation were studied on the occurrence of spike-wave discharges in the electroencephalogram of rats of the epileptic WAG/Rij strain, a model for absence epilepsy. This was done before, during and after a period of 12 hours of near total sleep deprivation. A substantial

  4. Classifying epileptic EEG signals with delay permutation entropy and Multi-Scale K-means.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Guohun; Li, Yan; Wen, Peng Paul; Wang, Shuaifang

    2015-01-01

    Most epileptic EEG classification algorithms are supervised and require large training datasets, that hinder their use in real time applications. This chapter proposes an unsupervised Multi-Scale K-means (MSK-means) MSK-means algorithm to distinguish epileptic EEG signals and identify epileptic zones. The random initialization of the K-means algorithm can lead to wrong clusters. Based on the characteristics of EEGs, the MSK-means MSK-means algorithm initializes the coarse-scale centroid of a cluster with a suitable scale factor. In this chapter, the MSK-means algorithm is proved theoretically superior to the K-means algorithm on efficiency. In addition, three classifiers: the K-means, MSK-means MSK-means and support vector machine (SVM), are used to identify seizure and localize epileptogenic zone using delay permutation entropy features. The experimental results demonstrate that identifying seizure with the MSK-means algorithm and delay permutation entropy achieves 4. 7 % higher accuracy than that of K-means, and 0. 7 % higher accuracy than that of the SVM.

  5. Fertility rate oF epileptic women at Kenyatta national Hospital

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2008-07-07

    Jul 7, 2008 ... multifaceted, and both epilepsy and antiepileptic drug (aeDs) use may alter fertility and pregnancy ... Conclusion: Fertility rate in epileptic women is decreased by two thirds ..... The effect of this bias on our primary aim was.

  6. Comparative evaluation of oral hygiene status and gingival enlargement among epileptic and healthy children as related to various antiepileptic drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neelam Hasmukhbhai Joshi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Epilepsy is a gathering of neurological disorders characterized by epileptic seizures. Epileptic children, who are on active treatment with antiepileptic drugs, have a well-recognized side effect of gingival enlargement. Therefore, all efforts should be made, particularly for the population who are diagnosed or affected by the systemic disease. This study was conducted with an aim to determine oral hygiene status and gingival enlargement among epileptic and healthy children as related to various antiepileptic drugs. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the department of pedodontics and attached general hospital. A sample size of 120 participants with 60 healthy and 60 epileptic children between age 2 and 14 years were included. Oral health status of participants was examined using oral hygiene simplified index and plaque index. Gingival enlargement was assessed using Miranda–Brunet index. For statistical analysis, one-way ANOVA test, independent t-test, and Pearson's Chi-square test were used. Results: From the total participants included in the study, 49% of participants had good oral hygiene from healthy group, and 28% participants had poor oral hygiene from the epileptic group. Sodium valproate was the most common drug used and was associated with increased gingival enlargement. Conclusion: Conclusion can be drawn that epileptic children under medication had poor oral hygiene and an increased risk for gingival enlargement as compared to their healthy counterparts. It must be stressed that the epileptic patients should be given dental care without conditions and provided with best possible care to restore esthetics and functions.

  7. Gap junctions and epileptic seizures--two sides of the same coin?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladislav Volman

    Full Text Available Electrical synapses (gap junctions play a pivotal role in the synchronization of neuronal ensembles which also makes them likely agonists of pathological brain activity. Although large body of experimental data and theoretical considerations indicate that coupling neurons by electrical synapses promotes synchronous activity (and thus is potentially epileptogenic, some recent evidence questions the hypothesis of gap junctions being among purely epileptogenic factors. In particular, an expression of inter-neuronal gap junctions is often found to be higher after the experimentally induced seizures than before. Here we used a computational modeling approach to address the role of neuronal gap junctions in shaping the stability of a network to perturbations that are often associated with the onset of epileptic seizures. We show that under some circumstances, the addition of gap junctions can increase the dynamical stability of a network and thus suppress the collective electrical activity associated with seizures. This implies that the experimentally observed post-seizure additions of gap junctions could serve to prevent further escalations, suggesting furthermore that they are a consequence of an adaptive response of the neuronal network to the pathological activity. However, if the seizures are strong and persistent, our model predicts the existence of a critical tipping point after which additional gap junctions no longer suppress but strongly facilitate the escalation of epileptic seizures. Our results thus reveal a complex role of electrical coupling in relation to epileptiform events. Which dynamic scenario (seizure suppression or seizure escalation is ultimately adopted by the network depends critically on the strength and duration of seizures, in turn emphasizing the importance of temporal and causal aspects when linking gap junctions with epilepsy.

  8. Constraints on nanomaterial structure from experiment and theory: reconciling partial representations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mlinar, Vladan

    2015-01-01

    To facilitate the design and optimization of nanomaterials for a given application it is necessary to understand the relationship between structure and physical properties. For large nanomaterials, there is imprecise structural information so the full structure is only resolved at the level of partial representations. Here we show how to reconcile partial structural representations using constraints from structural characterization measurements and theory to maximally exploit the limited amount of data available from experiment. We determine a range of parameter space where predictive theory can be used to design and optimize the structure. Using an example of variation of chemical composition profile across the interface of two nanomaterials, we demonstrate how, given experimental and theoretical constraints, to find a region of structure-parameter space within which computationally explored partial representations of the full structure will have observable real-world counterparts. (paper)

  9. Uncaria rhynchophylla and rhynchophylline improved kainic acid-induced epileptic seizures via IL-1β and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Tin-Yun; Tang, Nou-Ying; Hsiang, Chien-Yun; Hsieh, Ching-Liang

    2014-05-15

    Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR) has been used for the treatment of convulsions and epilepsy in traditional Chinese medicine. This study reported the major anti-convulsive signaling pathways and effective targets of UR and rhynchophylline (RP) using genomic and immunohistochemical studies. Epileptic seizure model was established by intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (KA) in rats. Electroencephalogram and electromyogram recordings indicated that UR and RP improved KA-induced epileptic seizures. Toll-like receptor (TLR) and neurotrophin signaling pathways were regulated by UR in both cortex and hippocampus of KA-treated rats. KA upregulated the expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and brain-derived neurotrophin factor (BDNF), which were involved in TLR and neurotrophin signaling pathways, respectively. However, UR and RP downregulated the KA-induced IL-1β and BDNF gene expressions. Our findings suggested that UR and RP exhibited anti-convulsive effects in KA-induced rats via the regulation of TLR and neurotrophin signaling pathways, and the subsequent inhibition of IL-1β and BDNF gene expressions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Efficacy of fish liver oil and propolis as neuroprotective agents in pilocarpine epileptic rats treated with valproate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mannaa, Fathia; El-Shamy, Karima A; El-Shaikh, Kamal A; El-Kassaby, Mahitab

    2011-09-01

    To evaluate the action of fish liver oil and propolis in pilocarpine epileptic rats treated with the anticonvulsant drug valproate. Seven groups of rats were treated daily for six months: control; fish liver oil (0.4ml/kg b.w); propolis (50mg/kg b.w); pilocarpine-treated rats (epileptic control); epileptic rats treated with valproate (400mg/kg b.w); groups 6 and 7, epileptic rats treated with valproate plus fish liver oil or propolis. Pilocarpine administration caused a significant increase in hippocampal dopamine and serotonin levels accompanied with a significant decrease in their levels in serum. Lipid peroxidation level and LDH activity in hippocampus were significantly increased after pilocarpine treatment whereas Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity and total antioxidant capacity were significantly decreased compared to the controls. Animals treated with the combined treatments showed a significant improvement in tested parameters towards the normal values of the control. Fish liver oil and propolis when given in combination with valproate, neuroprotected against the neurophysiological disorders induced by pilocarpine epilepsy in rats. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Preictal Dynamics of EEG Complexity in Intracranially Recorded Epileptic Seizure

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bob, P.; Roman, R.; Světlák, M.; Kukleta, M.; Chládek, Jan; Brázdil, M.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 93, č. 23 (2014), el151:1-4 ISSN 0025-7974 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1212 Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : EEG * epileptic Seizure Subject RIV: FS - Medical Facilities ; Equipment Impact factor: 5.723, year: 2014

  12. Glial adenosine kinase--a neuropathological marker of the epileptic brain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aronica, Eleonora; Sandau, Ursula S.; Iyer, Anand; Boison, Detlev

    2013-01-01

    Experimental research over the past decade has supported the critical role of astrocytes activated by different types of injury and the pathophysiological processes that underlie the development of epilepsy. In both experimental and human epileptic tissues astrocytes undergo complex changes in their

  13. Causes of mortality in early infantile epileptic encephalopathy: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radaelli, Graciane; de Souza Santos, Francisco; Borelli, Wyllians Vendramini; Pisani, Leonardo; Nunes, Magda Lahorgue; Scorza, Fulvio Alexandre; da Costa, Jaderson Costa

    2018-06-12

    Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy syndrome (EIEE), also known as Ohtahara syndrome, is an age-dependent epileptic encephalopathy syndrome defined by clinical features and electroencephalographic findings. Epileptic disorders with refractory seizures beginning in the neonatal period and/or early infancy have a potential risk of premature mortality, including sudden death. We aimed to identify the causes of death in EIEE and conducted a literature survey of fatal outcomes. We performed a literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science for data from inception until September 2017. The terms "death sudden," "unexplained death," "SUDEP," "lethal," and "fatal" and the medical subject heading terms "epileptic encephalopathy," "mortality," "death," "sudden infant death syndrome," and "human" were used in the search strategy. The EIEE case report studies reporting mortality were included. The search yielded 1360 articles. After screening for titles and abstracts and removing duplicate entries, full texts of 15 articles were reviewed. After reading full texts, 11 articles met the inclusion criteria (9 articles in English and 2 in Japanese, dated from 1976 to 2015). The review comprised 38 unique cases of EIEE, 17 of which had death as an outcome. In all cases, the suppression-burst pattern on electroencephalographies (EEGs) was common. Most cases (55%) involved male infants. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age at onset of seizure was 19.6 ± 33 days. The mean (SD) age at death was 12.9 ± 14.1 months. Most infants (58.8%) survived less than one year. The cause of death was described only in eight (47%) patients; the cause was pneumonia/respiratory illness or sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The results show EIEE as a severe disease associated with a premature mortality, evidenced by a very young age at death. Increasing interest in the detection of new molecular bases of EIEE is leading us to a better understanding of this severe

  14. Mozart K.545 Mimics Mozart K.448 in Reducing Epileptiform Discharges in Epileptic Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lung-Chang Lin

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Mozart K.448 has been shown to improve cognitive function, leading to what is known as the Mozart Effect. Our previous work reveals positive effects of Mozart K.448 in reducing epileptiform discharges in epileptic children. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Mozart K.545 and compared the effects with those of Mozart K.448 on epileptiform discharges in children with epilepsy. Thirty-nine epileptic children with epileptiform discharges were included in the study. They received electroencephalogram examinations before, during, and after listening to Mozart K.448 and K.545, one week apart, respectively. The frequencies of epileptiform discharges were compared. There was a significant decrease in the frequency of epileptiform discharges during and right after listening to Mozart K.448 and K.545 (reduced by 35.7±32.7% during Mozart K.448 and 30.3±44.4% after Mozart K.448; and 34.0±39.5% during Mozart K.545 and 31.8±39.2% after Mozart K.545. Spectrogrammatic analysis of the two pieces of music demonstrated that both share similar spectrogrammatic characteristics. Listening to Mozart K.448 and K.545 decreased the epileptiform discharges in epileptic children. This suggests that Mozart K.448 is not the only piece of music to have beneficial effects on children with epilepsy. Other music with lower harmonics may also decrease epileptiform discharges in epileptic children.

  15. Partial purification of endogenous digitalis-like compound(s) in cord blood

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balzan, S.; Ghione, S.; Biver, P.; Gazzetti, P.; Montali, U. (C.N.R. Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa (Italy))

    1991-02-01

    Increasing evidence indicates the presence of endogenous digitalis-like compound(s) in human body fluids. In this preliminary report, we describe a study of the partial purification by HPLC of these compounds in the plasma of neonates (who have particularly high concentrations of this substance) and adults. Plasma samples from neonates (cord blood) and adults, lyophilized and extracted with methanol, were applied on a 300 x 3.9 mm C18 Nova Pak column and eluted with a mobile phase of acetonitrile/methanol/water (17/17/66 or 14/14/72 by vol) and, after 30 min, with 100% methanol. We assayed eluted fractions for inhibitory activity of 86Rb uptake and for digoxin-like immunoreactivity. The elution profile revealed a first peak of inhibitory activity of 86Rb uptake at the beginning of the chromatography; another peak was eluted with the 100% methanol. The two peaks also cross-reacted with antidigoxin antibodies. Because the second peak could possibly reflect the nonspecific interference of various lipophilic compounds, we focused our attention on the first peak. For these fractions dose-response curves for 86Rb uptake and for displacement of digoxin were parallel, respectively, to those of ouabain and digoxin, suggesting similarities of digoxin-like immunoreactive substance to cardiac glycosides. Similar chromatographic profiles were also obtained for plasma from adults, suggesting that the endogenous glycoside-like compound(s) in the neonate may be the same as those in the adult.

  16. Cerebellar atrophy in epileptic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taneva, N.

    1991-01-01

    52 patients with epileptic seizures of different form, frequency and duration who had received long term treatment with anticonvulsive drugs were examined on Siretom 2000, a brain scanner of II generation. 6 standard incisions were made in all patients in the area of cerebellum, side ventricules and high convexity. Additional scanning with an incision width of 5 mm was made when pathological changes were detected. There were found 3 cases of cerebellar atrophy, 3 - cerebral atrophy, 1 - combined atrophy and 4 - with other changes. It was difficult to establish any relation between the rerebellar atrophy and the type of anticonvulsant used because treatment had usually been complex. 1 fig., 1 tab., 4 refs

  17. Hidden pattern discovery on epileptic EEG with 1-D local binary patterns and epileptic seizures detection by grey relational analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaya, Yılmaz

    2015-09-01

    This paper proposes a novel approach to detect epilepsy seizures by using Electroencephalography (EEG), which is one of the most common methods for the diagnosis of epilepsy, based on 1-Dimension Local Binary Pattern (1D-LBP) and grey relational analysis (GRA) methods. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate and validate a novel approach, which is a computer-based quantitative EEG analyzing method and based on grey systems, aimed to help decision-maker. In this study, 1D-LBP, which utilizes all data points, was employed for extracting features in raw EEG signals, Fisher score (FS) was employed to select the representative features, which can also be determined as hidden patterns. Additionally, GRA is performed to classify EEG signals through these Fisher scored features. The experimental results of the proposed approach, which was employed in a public dataset for validation, showed that it has a high accuracy in identifying epileptic EEG signals. For various combinations of epileptic EEG, such as A-E, B-E, C-E, D-E, and A-D clusters, 100, 96, 100, 99.00 and 100% were achieved, respectively. Also, this work presents an attempt to develop a new general-purpose hidden pattern determination scheme, which can be utilized for different categories of time-varying signals.

  18. Initial Experience in Colombia in Patients with PET/CT-FDG Studies of the Central Nervous System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ucros, Gonzalo; Bernal, Patricia; Bermudez Sonia

    2009-01-01

    To describe the experience of patients who underwent a brain PET-CT during sixteen consecutive months. Method: 41 studies were made using flourodeoxiglucose (FDG) and registered with computed tomography. Results: These studies correspond to 5% of all PET studies performed at our institution. The age of patients ranged from 11 to 74 years. The main indications were: search for an epileptic focus (34%), cognitive disorder (32%), tumor evaluation (22%) and others (12%). Conclusion: The main applications of the brain PETCT FDG in our patients were: evaluation of untreatable epileptic patients thinking of undergoing surgery, evaluation of patients with cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's and other related dementias and finally, evaluation of patients with residual or primary brain tumors. It is among these patients in which this diagnostic modality has better diagnostic utility with abnormal findings, useful for their management.

  19. Epileptic seizure detection from EEG signals with phase-amplitude cross-frequency coupling and support vector machine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang; Wang, Jiang; Cai, Lihui; Chen, Yingyuan; Qin, Yingmei

    2018-03-01

    As a pattern of cross-frequency coupling (CFC), phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) depicts the interaction between the phase and amplitude of distinct frequency bands from the same signal, and has been proved to be closely related to the brain’s cognitive and memory activities. This work utilized PAC and support vector machine (SVM) classifier to identify the epileptic seizures from electroencephalogram (EEG) data. The entropy-based modulation index (MI) matrixes are used to express the strength of PAC, from which we extracted features as the input for classifier. Based on the Bonn database, which contains five datasets of EEG segments obtained from healthy volunteers and epileptic subjects, a 100% classification accuracy is achieved for identifying seizure ictal from healthy data, and an accuracy of 97.67% is reached in the classification of ictal EEG signals from inter-ictal EEGs. Based on the CHB-MIT database which is a group of continuously recorded epileptic EEGs by scalp electrodes, a 97.50% classification accuracy is obtained and a raising sign of MI value is found at 6s before seizure onset. The classification performance in this work is effective, and PAC can be considered as a useful tool for detecting and predicting the epileptic seizures and providing reference for clinical diagnosis.

  20. Danish epileptics given Thorotrast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olsen, J.H.; Anderson, M.; Boice, J.D. Jr.

    1989-01-01

    Cancer incidence among 8004 patients hospitalized for epilepsy between 1933 and 1962 was compared to that of the general population. Among 140 epileptics given Thorotrast during cerebral angiography, a significant excess of cancer was observed. Thorotrast exposure was linked to significant excesses of liver cancer, leukaemia and lung cancer. An excess of brain cancer occurred shortly after hospital admission, suggesting brain tumours were the cause of the seizure disorder and are not due to Thorotrast. Haemangiosarcomas of the liver appeared uniquely related to Thorotrast, as did the rare subtypes of leukaemia observed. Cholangiocarcinomas also occurred in excess. The preponderance of anaplastic lung cancer is provocative and suggests the possibility that thoron exposure from the decay of Thorotrast might be involved. The cumulative risk of developing cancer at 40 years, excluding the brain cancer risk, was 60±6%. (author)

  1. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Depressed Affect among Epileptics: Preliminary Findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Gay R.; And Others

    1984-01-01

    Evaluated a program where cognitive-behavioral methods were utilized in a structured learning format with clinically depressed epileptics (N=13). Results indicated that cognitive behavioral interventions result in significant decreases in depression and increases in related areas of psychosocial functioning that are maintained over time. (LLL)

  2. Computer-aided diagnosis of interictal 18F-FDG PET images for presurgical evaluation of epileptic foci in extratemporal lobe epilepsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imabayashi, Etsuko

    2003-01-01

    Interictal 18 F-FDG PET is beneficial to patients with epilepsy to define the epileptic foci before operation, especially to decide the laterality of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However usefulness has not been clearly established in extra TLE. We retrospectively applied Z-score analysis to interictal preoperative 18 F-FDG PET images for detection of the epileptic foci in order to achieve better performance. Seventeen epileptic patients (women/men; 8/9, age; 11-55 yrs) underwent resection of epileptic foci with good outcome (Engel's stage of I or II) even after more than a year from operation. Presurgical 18 F-FDG PET images were spatially normalized using statistical parametric mapping 99 (SPM99) with an original Japanese template for 18 F-FDG and compared with normal database constructed from 31 healthy volunteers (women/men; 14/17, age; 19-59 yrs). A software program, easy Z-score imaging system (eZIS), for analysis of patient data was developed by calculating Z-score in each voxel and visualizing the score in a standardized stereotactic space; Z-score=(normal mean-patient's value)/a standard deviation of normal data. Detectability of epileptic foci for this computer-aided analysis was compared with visual inspection of original 18 F-FDG PET images by five radiologists without any clinical information. In all cases, there was significant reduction of glucose metabolism in the operated area. The sensitivities of the detection of epileptic foci obtained from visual inspection were 47-59%. In contrast to, computer analysis by eZIS showed 71% sensitivity when we defined the highest Z-score in the cerebrum to be the focus diagnosed by eZIS. Computer-aided diagnosis with eZIS for 18 F-FDG PET study is useful for detecting epileptic foci in extra TLE. (author)

  3. Mouse neuroblastoma cell-based model and the effect of epileptic events on calcium oscillations and neural spikes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Suhwan; Jung, Unsang; Baek, Juyoung; Lee, Sangwon; Jung, Woonggyu; Kim, Jeehyun; Kang, Shinwon

    2013-01-01

    Recently, mouse neuroblastoma cells have been considered as an attractive model for the study of human neurological and prion diseases, and they have been intensively used as a model system in different areas. For example, the differentiation of neuro2a (N2A) cells, receptor-mediated ion current, and glutamate-induced physiological responses have been actively investigated with these cells. These mouse neuroblastoma N2A cells are of interest because they grow faster than other cells of neural origin and have a number of other advantages. The calcium oscillations and neural spikes of mouse neuroblastoma N2A cells in epileptic conditions are evaluated. Based on our observations of neural spikes in these cells with our proposed imaging modality, we reported that they can be an important model in epileptic activity studies. We concluded that mouse neuroblastoma N2A cells produce epileptic spikes in vitro in the same way as those produced by neurons or astrocytes. This evidence suggests that increased levels of neurotransmitter release due to the enhancement of free calcium from 4-aminopyridine causes the mouse neuroblastoma N2A cells to produce epileptic spikes and calcium oscillations.

  4. If the Airway Opens with Finger During Epileptics Attack: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyran Kilinc

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The human bites generally have been came across after the situation as fighting, aggression, murder, sports competitions and child abuse. Hands and wrists are the most common areas that human bites have seen. Our case was seen first time when 65 aged woman treating for diabetes mellitus in our endocrinology service consultated us with a neglected open wound that occurred after she put on her hands second finger%u2019s proximal phalanx to her relative%u2019s mouth to keep open duration of epileptic attack before 45 days. In this case we try to explain that the wrong intervention in epileptic attack and delaying treatment of infections of human bites can be resulted with limb missing.

  5. Aberrant salience, self-concept clarity, and interview-rated psychotic-like experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cicero, David C; Docherty, Anna R; Becker, Theresa M; Martin, Elizabeth A; Kerns, John G

    2015-02-01

    Many social-cognitive models of psychotic-like symptoms posit a role for self-concept and aberrant salience. Previous work has shown that the interaction between aberrant salience and self-concept clarity is associated with self-reported psychotic-like experiences. In the current research with two structured interviews, the interaction between aberrant salience and self-concept clarity was found to be associated with interview-rated psychotic-like experiences. The interaction was associated with psychotic-like experiences composite scores, delusional ideation, grandiosity, and perceptual anomalies. In all cases, self-concept clarity was negatively associated with psychotic-like experiences at high levels of aberrant salience, but unassociated with psychotic-like experiences at low levels of aberrant salience. The interaction was specific to positive psychotic-like experiences and not present for negative or disorganized ratings. The interaction was not mediated by self-esteem levels. These results provide further evidence that aberrant salience and self-concept clarity play an important role in the generation of psychotic-like experiences.

  6. Epilepsy Characteristics and Clinical Outcome in Patients With Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-Like Episodes (MELAS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ha Neul; Eom, Soyong; Kim, Se Hoon; Kang, Hoon-Chul; Lee, Joon Soo; Kim, Heung Dong; Lee, Young-Mock

    2016-11-01

    Epileptic seizures in patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) are heterogeneous with no pathognomonic features. We reviewed epilepsy characteristics and clinical outcome exclusively in a pediatric population. Twenty-two children and adolescents (13 males) with confirmed mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes due to mitochondrial DNA A3243G mutation and epilepsy were recruited. Clinical data including seizure semiology, treatment response, neuroimaging findings, and electroencephalography were analyzed. We also examined the effect of the age at seizure onset and initial symptoms on the clinical variables. Seizure semiology and electroencephalography abnormalities showed no syndrome-specific findings. Focal seizures occurred in 21 of 22 subjects (95.5%), whereas generalized seizures developed in seven of 22 subjects (31.8%). Twenty of 22 subjects (90.9%) achieved partial to complete reduction of clinical seizures for more than one year with a combination of more than two antiepileptic drugs. The subgroup with earlier seizure onset presented significantly earlier and showed significantly higher rates of drug-resistant epilepsy compared with the late onset group, although there were no significant differences in the initial symptoms. The subjects with severe epileptic conditions tended to have more severe clinical dysfunction and more severe organ involvement. Both focal and generalized seizures occurred in patients with MELAS. Epilepsy in this population is drug resistant, but a certain degree of clinical seizure reduction was achievable with antiepileptic drugs, with more favorable outcomes than historically expected. Close observation and active epilepsy treatment of individuals with MELAS episodes and earlier seizure onset might improve the prognosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Transfer function between EEG and BOLD signals of epileptic activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco eLeite

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Simultaneous EEG-fMRI recordings have seen growing application in the evaluation of epilepsy, namely in the characterization of brain networks related to epileptic activity. In EEG-correlated fMRI studies, epileptic events are usually described as boxcar signals based on the timing information retrieved from the EEG, and subsequently convolved with a heamodynamic response function to model the associated BOLD changes. Although more flexible approaches may allow a higher degree of complexity for the haemodynamics, the issue of how to model these dynamics based on the EEG remains an open question. In this work, a new methodology for the integration of simultaneous EEG-fMRI data in epilepsy is proposed, which incorporates a transfer function from the EEG to the BOLD signal. Independent component analysis (ICA of the EEG is performed, and a number of metrics expressing different models of the EEG-BOLD transfer function are extracted from the resulting time courses. These metrics are then used to predict the fMRI data and to identify brain areas associated with the EEG epileptic activity. The methodology was tested on both ictal and interictal EEG-fMRI recordings from one patient with a hypothalamic hamartoma. When compared to the conventional analysis approach, plausible, consistent and more significant activations were obtained. Importantly, frequency-weighted EEG metrics yielded superior results than those weighted solely on the EEG power, which comes in agreement with previous literature. Reproducibility, specificity and sensitivity should be addressed in an extended group of patients in order to further validate the proposed methodology and generalize the presented proof of concept.

  8. Pharmacological analysis of postictal refractoriness after cortical epileptic seizures in rats

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mareš, Pavel; Kubová, Hana

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 59, Suppl.1 (2007), s. 12-13 ISSN 1734-1140. [Day of neuropsychopharmacology /16./. 06.09.2007-08.09.2007, Wroclaw] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : postictal refractoriness * epileptic afterdischarges * rat Subject RIV: ED - Physiology

  9. [Epileptic seizures during childbirth in a patient with idiopathic generalised epilepsy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voermans, N.C.; Zwarts, M.J.; Renier, W.O.; Bloem, B.R.

    2005-01-01

    During her first pregnancy, a 37-year-old woman with idiopathic generalised epilepsy that was adequately controlled with lamotrigine experienced a series of epileptic seizures following an elective caesarean section. The attacks were terminated with diazepam. The following day, she developed

  10. The evaluation of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase levels in epileptic children under antiepileptic medication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keyhani doost Z

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available "n 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1":*{behavior:url(#ieooui } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} Background: Epilepsy is a common disease in the pediatric neurology. There are frequent anti-epileptic drugs which are used in management of epilepsy. Anti-epileptic drugs may have some complications on bone and vitamin-D metabolism. In this study we aimed to evaluate vitamin-D metabolism in epileptic children."n"nMethods: The study was a prospective and cross sectional one. A total 89 epileptic children who were taking anti-epileptic drugs for longer than six months with no underlying disorder in Imam Khomeini and Bahrami Hospitals in Tehran, Iran were enrolled in our study"n"nResults: Forty nine boys and 40 girls were enrolled in this study; mean age of the patients was 7.8±2.1 years. Mean duration of anti-epileptic drug therapy was 2.3 years (SD=0.4, 70 of patients were under monotherapy and 19 were under polytherapy. None of the patients had signs of rickets. Serum calcium and phosphor levels were within normal ranges. Serum alkaline phosphates levels were increased more than two times in 43%. 42% had vitamin-D deficiency (25-OH Vit D<10 ng/ml and another 33% had vitamin-D insufficiency (10<25-oh Vit D<20 ng/ml. 29 patients (32% were taking prophylactic supplemental Vit D (200-400 IU/day. There was significant difference between patients taking supplemental vitamin-D as prophylaxis and patients who did not (p=0.04. There was no significant difference in vitamin-D levels between patients according to age, gender or different drugs."n"nConclusion: Periodic

  11. Grey matter volume in healthy and epileptic beagles using voxel-based morphometry – a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa Frank

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background One of the most common chronic neurological disorders in dogs is idiopathic epilepsy (IE diagnosed as epilepsy without structural changes in the brain. In the current study the hypothesis should be proven that subtle grey matter changes occur in epileptic dogs. Therefore, magnetic resonance (MR images of one dog breed (Beagles were used to obtain an approximately uniform brain shape. Local differences in grey matter volume (GMV were compared between 5 healthy Beagles and 10 Beagles with spontaneously recurrent seizures (5 dogs with IE and 5 dogs with structural epilepsy (SE, using voxel-based morphometry (VBM. T1W images of all dogs were prepared using Amira 6.3.0 for brain extraction, FSL 4.1.8 for registration and SPM12 for realignment. After creation of tissue probability maps of cerebrospinal fluid, grey and white matter from control images to segment all extracted brains, GM templates for each group were constructed to normalize brain images for parametric statistical analysis, which was achieved using SPM12. Results Epileptic Beagles (IE and SE Beagles displayed statistically significant reduced GMV in olfactory bulb, cingulate gyrus, hippocampus and cortex, especially in temporal and occipital lobes. Beagles with IE showed statistically significant decreased GMV in olfactory bulb, cortex of parietal and temporal lobe, hippocampus and cingulate gyrus, Beagles with SE mild statistically significant GMV reduction in temporal lobe (p < 0.05; family- wise error correction. Conclusion These results suggest that, as reported in epileptic humans, focal reduction in GMV also occurs in epileptic dogs. Furthermore, the current study shows that VBM analysis represents an excellent method to detect GMV differences of the brain between a healthy dog group and dogs with epileptic syndrome, when MR images of one breed are used.

  12. Clinical utility of adjunctive retigabine in partial onset seizures in adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rejdak K

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Konrad Rejdak1, Jarogniew J Luszczki2,3, Barbara Blaszczyk4, Roman Chwedorowicz5, Stanislaw J Czuczwar2,51Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, 2Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, 3Isobolography Analysis Laboratory, Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Lublin, 4Faculty of Health Sciences, High School of Economics and Law, Kielce, 5Department of Physiopathology, Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Lublin, PolandAbstract: In ~30% of epileptic patients, full seizure control is not possible, which is why the search for novel antiepileptic drugs continues. Retigabine exhibits a mechanism of action that is not shared by the available antiepileptic drugs. This antiepileptic enhances potassium currents via Kv7.2–7.3 channels, which very likely results from destabilization of a closed conformation or stabilization of the open conformation of the channels. Generally, the pharmacokinetics of retigabine are linear and the drug undergoes glucuronidation and acetylation. Results from clinical trials indicate that, in the form of an add-on therapy, retigabine proves an effective drug in refractory epileptic patients. The major adverse effects of the add-on treatment are dizziness, somnolence, and fatigue. This epileptic drug is also considered for other conditions – neuropathic pain, affective disorders, stroke, or even Alzheimer’s disease.Keywords: antiepileptic drugs, epilepsy, seizure control

  13. Atypical presentation in Rasmussen encephalitis: delayed late-onset periodic epileptic spasms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrari, Taíssa P F; Hamad, Ana P A; Caboclo, Luís Otávio S F; Centeno, Ricardo S; Zaninotto, Ana Luiza; Scattolin, Monica; Carrete Junior, Henrique; Lancellotti, Carmem L P; Yacubian, Elza Márcia T

    2011-09-01

    A five-and-a-half-year-old girl started experiencing progressive left hemiparesis at age two and a half years. At age five years and four months she started presenting clusters of asymmetric periodic epileptic spasms with no hypsarrhythmia. The ictal EEG showed periodic, constant and stereotyped complexes. Serial brain imaging revealed progressive atrophy of the right hemisphere with increased T2 signal on MRI. She underwent a right hemispherotomy, and histological examination showed signs of inflammation and features of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). She has been seizure-free for 16 months. This case is unique in the following aspects: the presence of typical Rasmussen encephalitis features of progressive unilateral brain involvement without seizures, a delay of almost three years prior to seizure onset; an atypical seizure type presentation with periodic epileptic spasms and the presence of FCD associated with inflammatory changes. [Published with video sequences].

  14. Epileptic MEG Spike Detection Using Statistical Features and Genetic Programming with KNN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Turky N. Alotaiby

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Monitoring the brain activities and identifying the seizure source which starts with spike detection are important steps for epilepsy treatment. Magnetoencephalography (MEG is an emerging epileptic diagnostic tool with high-density sensors; this makes manual analysis a challenging task due to the vast amount of MEG data. This paper explores the use of eight statistical features and genetic programing (GP with the K-nearest neighbor (KNN for interictal spike detection. The proposed method is comprised of three stages: preprocessing, genetic programming-based feature generation, and classification. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been evaluated using real MEG data obtained from 28 epileptic patients. It has achieved a 91.75% average sensitivity and 92.99% average specificity.

  15. Mouse neuroblastoma cell based model and the effect of epileptic events on calcium oscillations and neural spikes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Suhwan; Baek, Juyeong; Jung, Unsang; Lee, Sangwon; Jung, Woonggyu; Kim, Jeehyun; Kang, Shinwon

    2013-05-01

    Recently, Mouse neuroblastoma cells are considered as an attractive model for the study of human neurological and prion diseases, and intensively used as a model system in different areas. Among those areas, differentiation of neuro2a (N2A) cells, receptor mediated ion current, and glutamate induced physiological response are actively investigated. The reason for the interest to mouse neuroblastoma N2A cells is that they have a fast growing rate than other cells in neural origin with a few another advantages. This study evaluated the calcium oscillations and neural spikes recording of mouse neuroblastoma N2A cells in an epileptic condition. Based on our observation of neural spikes in mouse N2A cell with our proposed imaging modality, we report that mouse neuroblastoma N2A cells can be an important model related to epileptic activity studies. It is concluded that the mouse neuroblastoma N2A cells produce the epileptic spikes in vitro in the same way as produced by the neurons or the astrocytes. This evidence advocates the increased and strong level of neurotransmitters release by enhancement in free calcium using the 4-aminopyridine which causes the mouse neuroblastoma N2A cells to produce the epileptic spikes and calcium oscillation.

  16. 18F-FDG PET Reveals Fronto-temporal Dysfunction in Children with Fever-Induced Refractory Epileptic Encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazzuca, M.; Dulac, O.; Chiron, C.; Jambaque, I.; Hertz-Pannier, L.; Bouilleret, V.; Archambaud, F.; Rodrigo, S.; Dulac, O.; Chiron, C.; Jambaque, I.; Hertz-Pannier, L.; Bouilleret, V.; Archambaud, F.; Rodrigo, S.; Chiron, C.; Hertz-Pannier, L.; Rodrigo, S.; Dulac, O.; Chiron, C.; Caviness, V.

    2011-01-01

    Fever-induced refractory epileptic encephalopathy in school-age children (FIRES) is a recently described epileptic entity whose etiology remains unknown. Brain abnormalities shown by MRI are usually limited to mesial-temporal structures and do not account for the catastrophic neuro-psychologic findings. Methods: We conducted FIRES studies in 8 patients, aged 6-13 y, using 18 F-FDG PET to disclose eventual neo-cortical dysfunction. Voxel-based analyses of cerebral glucose metabolism were performed using statistical parametric mapping and an age-matched control group. Results: Group analysis revealed a widespread inter-ictal hypo-metabolic network including the temporo-parietal and orbito-frontal cortices bilaterally. The individual analyses in patients identified hypo-metabolic areas corresponding to the predominant electroencephalograph foci and neuro-psychologic deficits involving language, behavior, and memory. Conclusion: Despite clinical heterogeneity, 18 F-FDG PET reveals a common network dysfunction in patients with sequelae due to fever-induced refractory epileptic encephalopathy. (authors)

  17. Classification of epileptic seizures using wavelet packet log energy and norm entropies with recurrent Elman neural network classifier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raghu, S; Sriraam, N; Kumar, G Pradeep

    2017-02-01

    Electroencephalogram shortly termed as EEG is considered as the fundamental segment for the assessment of the neural activities in the brain. In cognitive neuroscience domain, EEG-based assessment method is found to be superior due to its non-invasive ability to detect deep brain structure while exhibiting superior spatial resolutions. Especially for studying the neurodynamic behavior of epileptic seizures, EEG recordings reflect the neuronal activity of the brain and thus provide required clinical diagnostic information for the neurologist. This specific proposed study makes use of wavelet packet based log and norm entropies with a recurrent Elman neural network (REN) for the automated detection of epileptic seizures. Three conditions, normal, pre-ictal and epileptic EEG recordings were considered for the proposed study. An adaptive Weiner filter was initially applied to remove the power line noise of 50 Hz from raw EEG recordings. Raw EEGs were segmented into 1 s patterns to ensure stationarity of the signal. Then wavelet packet using Haar wavelet with a five level decomposition was introduced and two entropies, log and norm were estimated and were applied to REN classifier to perform binary classification. The non-linear Wilcoxon statistical test was applied to observe the variation in the features under these conditions. The effect of log energy entropy (without wavelets) was also studied. It was found from the simulation results that the wavelet packet log entropy with REN classifier yielded a classification accuracy of 99.70 % for normal-pre-ictal, 99.70 % for normal-epileptic and 99.85 % for pre-ictal-epileptic.

  18. Are screening instruments valid for psychotic-like experiences? A validation study of screening questions for psychotic-like experiences using in-depth clinical interview.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Kelleher, Ian

    2012-02-01

    Individuals who report psychotic-like experiences are at increased risk of future clinical psychotic disorder. They constitute a unique "high-risk" group for studying the developmental trajectory to schizophrenia and related illnesses. Previous research has used screening instruments to identify this high-risk group, but the validity of these instruments has not yet been established. We administered a screening questionnaire with 7 items designed to assess psychotic-like experiences to 334 adolescents aged 11-13 years. Detailed clinical interviews were subsequently carried out with a sample of these adolescents. We calculated sensitivity and specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for each screening question for the specific symptom it enquired about and also in relation to any psychotic-like experience. The predictive power varied substantially between items, with the question on auditory hallucinations ("Have you ever heard voices or sounds that no one else can hear?") providing the best predictive power. For interview-verified auditory hallucinations specifically, this question had a PPV of 71.4% and an NPV of 90.4%. When assessed for its predictive power for any psychotic-like experience (including, but not limited to, auditory hallucinations), it provided a PPV of 100% and an NPV of 88.4%. Two further questions-relating to visual hallucinations and paranoid thoughts-also demonstrated good predictive power for psychotic-like experiences. Our results suggest that it may be possible to screen the general adolescent population for psychotic-like experiences with a high degree of accuracy using a short self-report questionnaire.

  19. Are screening instruments valid for psychotic-like experiences? A validation study of screening questions for psychotic-like experiences using in-depth clinical interview.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Kelleher, Ian

    2011-03-01

    Individuals who report psychotic-like experiences are at increased risk of future clinical psychotic disorder. They constitute a unique "high-risk" group for studying the developmental trajectory to schizophrenia and related illnesses. Previous research has used screening instruments to identify this high-risk group, but the validity of these instruments has not yet been established. We administered a screening questionnaire with 7 items designed to assess psychotic-like experiences to 334 adolescents aged 11-13 years. Detailed clinical interviews were subsequently carried out with a sample of these adolescents. We calculated sensitivity and specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for each screening question for the specific symptom it enquired about and also in relation to any psychotic-like experience. The predictive power varied substantially between items, with the question on auditory hallucinations ("Have you ever heard voices or sounds that no one else can hear?") providing the best predictive power. For interview-verified auditory hallucinations specifically, this question had a PPV of 71.4% and an NPV of 90.4%. When assessed for its predictive power for any psychotic-like experience (including, but not limited to, auditory hallucinations), it provided a PPV of 100% and an NPV of 88.4%. Two further questions-relating to visual hallucinations and paranoid thoughts-also demonstrated good predictive power for psychotic-like experiences. Our results suggest that it may be possible to screen the general adolescent population for psychotic-like experiences with a high degree of accuracy using a short self-report questionnaire.

  20. Exchange of experience with like-minded

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Birger Boutrup; Stacey, Julia

    2001-01-01

    , and an obvious way to improve product development skills is through dialogue with like-minded in a network like the product development forum. Here you can exchange experience, talk about current problems and get inspiration and advice. An important criterion for success in the product development forum...... projects and helps to secure the relevance of future projects initiated by MAPP. Moreover it gives MAPP a possibility to disseminate and discuss theory and research results with relevant target groups....

  1. Changes of cortical epileptic afterdischarges under the influence of convulsant drugs

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Koryntová, Hana; Kubová, Hana; Tutka, P.; Mareš, Pavel

    2002-01-01

    Roč. 58, č. 1 (2002), s. 49-54 ISSN 0361-9230 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA309/00/1643 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : epileptic afterdischarges * cerebral cortex * rat Subject RIV: FH - Neurology Impact factor: 2.283, year: 2002

  2. Reorganization of Basolateral Amygdala-Subiculum Circuitry in Mouse Epilepsy Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongliang eMa

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the reorganized basolateral amygdala (BLA-subiculum pathway in a status epilepticus (SE mouse model with epileptic episodes induced by pilocarpine. We have previously observed a dramatic loss of neurons in the CA1-3 fields of the hippocampus in epileptic mice. Herein, we observed a 43-57 % reduction in the number of neurons in the BLA of epileptic mice. However, injection of an anterograde tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L into the BLA indicated 25.63 % increase in the number of PHA-L-immunopositive terminal-like structures in the ventral subiculum (v-Sub of epileptic mice as compared to control mice. These data suggest that the projections from the basal nucleus at BLA to the vSub in epileptic mice are resistant to epilepsy-induced damage. Consequently, these epileptic mice exhibit partially impairment but not total loss of context-dependent fear memory. Epileptic mice also show increased c-Fos expression in the BLA and vSub when subjected to contextual memory test, suggesting the participation of these 2 brain areas in foot shock-dependent fear conditioning. These results indicate the presence of functional neural connections between the BLA-vSub regions that participate in learning and memory in epileptic mice.

  3. Inhibiting cholesterol degradation induces neuronal sclerosis and epileptic activity in mouse hippocampus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chali, Farah; Djelti, Fathia; Eugene, Emmanuel; Valderrama, Mario; Marquer, Catherine; Aubourg, Patrick; Duykaerts, Charles; Miles, Richard; Cartier, Nathalie; Navarro, Vincent

    2015-01-01

    Elevations in neuronal cholesterol have been associated with several degenerative diseases. An enhanced excitability and synchronous firing in surviving neurons are among the sequels of neuronal death in these diseases and also in some epileptic syndromes. Here, we attempted to increase neuronal cholesterol levels, using a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to suppress expression of the enzyme CYP46A1. This protein hydroxylates cholesterol and so facilitates trans-membrane extrusion. A sh-RNA CYP46A1construction coupled to an adeno-associated virus (AAV5) was injected focally and unilaterally into mouse hippocampus. It was selectively expressed first in neurons of the CA3a region. Cytoplasmic and membrane cholesterol increased, neuronal soma volume increased and then decreased before pyramidal cells died. As CA3a pyramidal cells died, inter-ictal EEG events occurred during exploration and non-REM sleep. With time, neuronal death spread to involve pyramidal cells and interneurons of the CA1 region. CA1 neuronal death was correlated with a delayed local expression of phosphorylated tau. Astrocytes were activated throughout the hippocampus and microglial activation was specific to regions of neuronal death. CA1 neuronal death was correlated with distinct aberrant EEG activity. During exploratory behaviour and rapid eye movement sleep, EEG oscillations at 7-10 Hz (theta) could accelerate to 14-21 Hz (beta) waves. They were accompanied by low amplitude, high-frequency oscillations of peak power at ~300Hz and a range of 250-350 Hz. While episodes of EEG acceleration were not correlated with changes in exploratory behaviour, they were followed in some animals by structured seizure-like discharges. These data strengthen links between increased cholesterol, neuronal sclerosis and epileptic behavior PMID:25847620

  4. De novo mutations in HCN1 cause early infantile epileptic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nava, Caroline; Dalle, Carine; Rastetter, Agnès; Striano, Pasquale; de Kovel, Carolien G F; Nabbout, Rima; Cancès, Claude; Ville, Dorothée; Brilstra, Eva H; Gobbi, Giuseppe; Raffo, Emmanuel; Bouteiller, Delphine; Marie, Yannick; Trouillard, Oriane; Robbiano, Angela; Keren, Boris; Agher, Dahbia; Roze, Emmanuel; Lesage, Suzanne; Nicolas, Aude; Brice, Alexis; Baulac, Michel; Vogt, Cornelia; El Hajj, Nady; Schneider, Eberhard; Suls, Arvid; Weckhuysen, Sarah; Gormley, Padhraig; Lehesjoki, Anna-Elina; De Jonghe, Peter; Helbig, Ingo; Baulac, Stéphanie; Zara, Federico; Koeleman, Bobby P C; Haaf, Thomas; LeGuern, Eric; Depienne, Christel

    2014-06-01

    Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels contribute to cationic Ih current in neurons and regulate the excitability of neuronal networks. Studies in rat models have shown that the Hcn1 gene has a key role in epilepsy, but clinical evidence implicating HCN1 mutations in human epilepsy is lacking. We carried out exome sequencing for parent-offspring trios with fever-sensitive, intractable epileptic encephalopathy, leading to the discovery of two de novo missense HCN1 mutations. Screening of follow-up cohorts comprising 157 cases in total identified 4 additional amino acid substitutions. Patch-clamp recordings of Ih currents in cells expressing wild-type or mutant human HCN1 channels showed that the mutations had striking but divergent effects on homomeric channels. Individuals with mutations had clinical features resembling those of Dravet syndrome with progression toward atypical absences, intellectual disability and autistic traits. These findings provide clear evidence that de novo HCN1 point mutations cause a recognizable early-onset epileptic encephalopathy in humans.

  5. Recent research on stishovite: Hugoniot and partial release Z experiments and DFT EOS calculations.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Furnish, Michael D.; Shulenburger, Luke; Desjarlais, Michael; Fei, Yingwei

    2018-04-01

    We have conducted a series of ride-along experiments on the Z facility to ascertain the Hugoniot of silica centered in the stishovite phase over a range 0.4 - 1.0 TPa, together with partial release states produced at the interface between the sample and a fused silica window. The stishovite samples were synthesized in a large-volume multi-anvil press at 15 GPa and 1773 K, with an initial density of 4.29 gm/cc. The new Z experiments on stishovite fill in a gap between gas gun experiments and NIF experiments. The states are compared with the Hugoniots of quartz and fused silica for inferences as to EOS. They are generally consistent with Sesame 7360 predictions. Sound speed constraints from these data are discussed. The new Hugoniot data cross over the melting curve of stishovite; together with the partial-release data and predictions from density-functional theory modeling, they provide insights into the properties of solid and liquid under extreme conditions. These data are fundamentally important for understanding the interior of silicate-based super-Earths.

  6. Restriction of the spread of epileptic discharges in cats by means of Bragg peak, intracranial irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaffey, C.T.; Montoya, V.J.; Lyman, J.T.; Howard, J.

    1981-01-01

    Adult male cats with a single epileptic focus receive neon ion Bragg peak radiation at the Bevalac at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Bragg peak radiation is deposited in a thin disc of brain tissue beneath an epileptogenic focus produced with alumina cream. Paroxysmal electroencephalograms (EEGs) from the occipital cortex of cats confirm the biolectric changes in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Distant spread of seizure activity occurs when the cells in the cortical focus fire a series of relatively simultaneous spikes at high frequency with sufficient intensity to develop self-sustained discharges in remote brain areas. The development of a 'mirror focus' in the EEG records in the contralateral cortex gives a measure of the distances paroxysmal discharges spread. Interhemispheric responses (IHR) that travel from the alumina-treated cortex via the corpus callosum to the contralateral cortex are a second measure of pathways over which paroxysmal discharges spread. In cat studies Bragg peak radiation is positioned beneath the epileptic cortical focus. Various heavy ion doses are employed to test whether an absorbed dose per cat is sufficient to block the transmission of epileptic activity as a function of the post-irradiation time. The relationship between neon ion dose and the post-irradiation time for the loss of IHR is a measure of the physiological dissociation of the epileptic brain tissue from the remainder of the brain. The loss of the 'mirror focus' in EEG records agrees with the IHR findings. (author)

  7. Psychotic-like Experiences and Substance Use in College Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonseca-Pedrero, Eduardo; Ortuño-Sierra, Javier; Paino, Mercedes; Muñiz, José

    2016-03-02

    Psychotic disorders, as well as psychotic-like experiences and substance use, have been found to be associated. The main goal of the present study was to analyse the relationship between psychoticlike experiences and substance use in college students. The simple comprised a total of 660 participants (M = 20.3 years, SD = 2.6). The results showed that 96% of the sample reported some delusional experience, while 20.3% reported at least one positive psychotic-like experience. Some substance use was reported by 41.1% of the sample, differing in terms of gender. Substance users reported more psychoticlike experiences than non-users, especially in the positive dimension. Also, alcohol consumption predicted in most cases extreme scores on measures of delusional ideation and psychotic experiences. The association between these two variables showed a differentiated pattern, with a stronger relationship between substance use and cognitive-perceptual psychotic-like experiences. To some extent, these findings support the dimensional models of the psychosis phenotype and contribute a better understanding of the links between psychoticlike experiences and substance use in young adults. Future studies should further explore the role of different risk factors for psychotic disorders and include models of the gene-environment interaction.

  8. Automated Detection of Epileptic Biomarkers in Resting-State Interictal MEG Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel C. Soriano

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Certain differences between brain networks of healthy and epilectic subjects have been reported even during the interictal activity, in which no epileptic seizures occur. Here, magnetoencephalography (MEG data recorded in the resting state is used to discriminate between healthy subjects and patients with either idiopathic generalized epilepsy or frontal focal epilepsy. Signal features extracted from interictal periods without any epileptiform activity are used to train a machine learning algorithm to draw a diagnosis. This is potentially relevant to patients without frequent or easily detectable spikes. To analyze the data, we use an up-to-date machine learning algorithm and explore the benefits of including different features obtained from the MEG data as inputs to the algorithm. We find that the relative power spectral density of the MEG time-series is sufficient to distinguish between healthy and epileptic subjects with a high prediction accuracy. We also find that a combination of features such as the phase-locked value and the relative power spectral density allow to discriminate generalized and focal epilepsy, when these features are calculated over a filtered version of the signals in certain frequency bands. Machine learning algorithms are currently being applied to the analysis and classification of brain signals. It is, however, less evident to identify the proper features of these signals that are prone to be used in such machine learning algorithms. Here, we evaluate the influence of the input feature selection on a clinical scenario to distinguish between healthy and epileptic subjects. Our results indicate that such distinction is possible with a high accuracy (86%, allowing the discrimination between idiopathic generalized and frontal focal epilepsy types.

  9. Event-Associated Oxygen Consumption Rate Increases ca. Five-Fold When Interictal Activity Transforms into Seizure-Like Events In Vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karl Schoknecht

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Neuronal injury due to seizures may result from a mismatch of energy demand and adenosine triphosphate (ATP synthesis. However, ATP demand and oxygen consumption rates have not been accurately determined, yet, for different patterns of epileptic activity, such as interictal and ictal events. We studied interictal-like and seizure-like epileptiform activity induced by the GABAA antagonist bicuculline alone, and with co-application of the M-current blocker XE-991, in rat hippocampal slices. Metabolic changes were investigated based on recording partial oxygen pressure, extracellular potassium concentration, and intracellular flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD redox potential. Recorded data were used to calculate oxygen consumption and relative ATP consumption rates, cellular ATP depletion, and changes in FAD/FADH2 ratio by applying a reactive-diffusion and a two compartment metabolic model. Oxygen-consumption rates were ca. five times higher during seizure activity than interictal activity. Additionally, ATP consumption was higher during seizure activity (~94% above control than interictal activity (~15% above control. Modeling of FAD transients based on partial pressure of oxygen recordings confirmed increased energy demand during both seizure and interictal activity and predicted actual FAD autofluorescence recordings, thereby validating the model. Quantifying metabolic alterations during epileptiform activity has translational relevance as it may help to understand the contribution of energy supply and demand mismatches to seizure-induced injury.

  10. Patterns of muscle activation during generalized tonic and tonic–clonic epileptic seizures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Conradsen, Isa; Wolf, Peter; Sams, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Tonic seizures and the tonic phase of tonic–clonic epileptic seizures are defined as “sustained tonic” muscle contraction lasting a few seconds to minutes. Visual inspection of the surface electromyogram (EMG) during seizures contributed considerably to a better understanding and accurat...

  11. Avaliação pelo P300 de crianças com e sem epilepsia e rendimento escolar Assessment through P300 of epileptic and non-epileptic children and school performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JUCELEI F. VISIOLI-MELO

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available Dificuldade de aprendizagem é situação comum em crianças com epilepsia. Distúrbios da inteligência têm sido associados com epilepsia. O potencial cognitivo (P300 é um adjunto clínico para mensurar neurofisiologicamente o processo cognitivo. Foram estudadas 99 crianças com 10 anos a 11 anos e 11 meses. Do Grupo I, sem epilepsia, faziam parte 64 crianças, das quais 32 com bom rendimento e outras 32 com mau rendimento escolar. Do Grupo II, com epilepsia, faziam parte 35 crianças, sendo 21 com bom rendimento escolar e 15 com mau rendimento escolar. Não foi encontrada diferença significativa na latência do P300 entre os dois grupos. Quando foram estratificados segundo o desempenho escolar, as crianças do Grupo I, com bom rendimento escolar, apresentaram latência do P300 de 336 ms e as com mau rendimento escolar, latência de 382 ms; as crianças do Grupo II, com bom rendimento escolar, apresentaram latência do P300 de 363 ms e as com mau rendimento escolar, latência de 400 ms, com diferença significativa. Essa diferença estava localizada entre as crianças não epilépticas com bom desempenho escolar e as com mau desempenho escolar, epilépticas ou não.Learning disability is common in epileptic children. Epilepsy has been associated with disorders of intelligence. Cognitive potential (P300 is considered to be a clinical aid in the neurophysiological measurement of the cognitive process. Ninety-nine children between the ages of 10 years and 11 years and 11 months formed our sample, with good and poor school performance. Group I, non-epileptic, had 64 children of whom 32 had good and 32 poor school performance. Group II, epileptic, had 35 children, of whom 21 had good and 15 poor school performance. No significant difference in P300 latency was found between Groups I and II. When groups were stratified based on school performance, Group I children with good school performance had P300 latency of 336 ms, while the ones with poor

  12. GLYX-13, a NMDA receptor glycine-site functional partial agonist, induces antidepressant-like effects without ketamine-like side effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgdorf, Jeffrey; Zhang, Xiao-lei; Nicholson, Katherine L; Balster, Robert L; Leander, J David; Stanton, Patric K; Gross, Amanda L; Kroes, Roger A; Moskal, Joseph R

    2013-04-01

    Recent human clinical studies with the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine have revealed profound and long-lasting antidepressant effects with rapid onset in several clinical trials, but antidepressant effects were preceded by dissociative side effects. Here we show that GLYX-13, a novel NMDAR glycine-site functional partial agonist, produces an antidepressant-like effect in the Porsolt, novelty induced hypophagia, and learned helplessness tests in rats without exhibiting substance abuse-related, gating, and sedative side effects of ketamine in the drug discrimination, conditioned place preference, pre-pulse inhibition and open-field tests. Like ketamine, the GLYX-13-induced antidepressant-like effects required AMPA/kainate receptor activation, as evidenced by the ability of NBQX to abolish the antidepressant-like effect. Both GLYX-13 and ketamine persistently (24 h) enhanced the induction of long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission and the magnitude of NMDAR-NR2B conductance at rat Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses in vitro. Cell surface biotinylation studies showed that both GLYX-13 and ketamine led to increases in both NR2B and GluR1 protein levels, as measured by Western analysis, whereas no changes were seen in mRNA expression (microarray and qRT-PCR). GLYX-13, unlike ketamine, produced its antidepressant-like effect when injected directly into the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). These results suggest that GLYX-13 produces an antidepressant-like effect without the side effects seen with ketamine at least in part by directly modulating NR2B-containing NMDARs in the MPFC. Furthermore, the enhancement of 'metaplasticity' by both GLYX-13 and ketamine may help explain the long-lasting antidepressant effects of these NMDAR modulators. GLYX-13 is currently in a Phase II clinical development program for treatment-resistant depression.

  13. Constraints on the rheology of the partially molten mantle from numerical models of laboratory experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudge, J. F.; Alisic Jewell, L.; Rhebergen, S.; Katz, R. F.; Wells, G. N.

    2015-12-01

    One of the fundamental components in any dynamical model of melt transport is the rheology of partially molten rock. This rheology is poorly understood, and one way in which a better understanding can be obtained is by comparing the results of laboratory deformation experiments to numerical models. Here we present a comparison between numerical models and the laboratory setup of Qi et al. 2013 (EPSL), where a cylinder of partially molten rock containing rigid spherical inclusions was placed under torsion. We have replicated this setup in a finite element model which solves the partial differential equations describing the mechanical process of compaction. These computationally-demanding 3D simulations are only possible due to the recent development of a new preconditioning method for the equations of magma dynamics. The experiments show a distinct pattern of melt-rich and melt-depleted regions around the inclusions. In our numerical models, the pattern of melt varies with key rheological parameters, such as the ratio of bulk to shear viscosity, and the porosity- and strain-rate-dependence of the shear viscosity. These observed melt patterns therefore have the potential to constrain rheological properties. While there are many similarities between the experiments and the numerical models, there are also important differences, which highlight the need for better models of the physics of two-phase mantle/magma dynamics. In particular, the laboratory experiments display more pervasive melt-rich bands than is seen in our numerics.

  14. Long-Term Intake of Uncaria rhynchophylla Reduces S100B and RAGE Protein Levels in Kainic Acid-Induced Epileptic Seizures Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Nou-Ying; Lin, Yi-Wen; Ho, Tin-Yun; Cheng, Chin-Yi; Chen, Chao-Hsiang; Hsieh, Ching-Liang

    2017-01-01

    Epileptic seizures are crucial clinical manifestations of recurrent neuronal discharges in the brain. An imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory neuronal discharges causes brain damage and cell loss. Herbal medicines offer alternative treatment options for epilepsy because of their low cost and few side effects. We established a rat epilepsy model by injecting kainic acid (KA, 12 mg/kg, i.p.) and subsequently investigated the effect of Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR) and its underlying mechanisms. Electroencephalogram and epileptic behaviors revealed that the KA injection induced epileptic seizures. Following KA injection, S100B levels increased in the hippocampus. This phenomenon was attenuated by the oral administration of UR and valproic acid (VA, 250 mg/kg). Both drugs significantly reversed receptor potentiation for advanced glycation end product proteins. Rats with KA-induced epilepsy exhibited no increase in the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 3, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and chemokine receptor type 2, which play a role in inflammation. Our results provide novel and detailed mechanisms, explaining the role of UR in KA-induced epileptic seizures in hippocampal CA1 neurons.

  15. A method for detecting nonlinear determinism in normal and epileptic brain EEG signals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meghdadi, Amir H; Fazel-Rezai, Reza; Aghakhani, Yahya

    2007-01-01

    A robust method of detecting determinism for short time series is proposed and applied to both healthy and epileptic EEG signals. The method provides a robust measure of determinism through characterizing the trajectories of the signal components which are obtained through singular value decomposition. Robustness of the method is shown by calculating proposed index of determinism at different levels of white and colored noise added to a simulated chaotic signal. The method is shown to be able to detect determinism at considerably high levels of additive noise. The method is then applied to both intracranial and scalp EEG recordings collected in different data sets for healthy and epileptic brain signals. The results show that for all of the studied EEG data sets there is enough evidence of determinism. The determinism is more significant for intracranial EEG recordings particularly during seizure activity.

  16. Epileptic seizures, coma and EEG burst-suppression from suicidal bupropion intoxication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noda, Anna Hiro; Schu, Ulrich; Maier, Tanja; Knake, Susanne; Rosenow, Felix

    2017-03-01

    Bupropion, an amphetamine-like dual mechanism drug, is approved and increasingly used for the treatment of major depression, and its use is associated with a dose-dependent risk of epileptic seizures. Suicide attempts are frequent in major depression and often an overdose of the drugs available is ingested. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the clinical course, including EEG and neurological symptoms, as well as treatment and prognosis of bupropion intoxication. We report on the clinical and EEG course of a women who ingested 27 g of bupropion in a suicide attempt. Myoclonic seizures were followed by generalized tonic-clonic seizures and coma associated with EEG burst-suppression and brief tonic seizures. Active carbon and neuro-intensive care treatment, including respiratory support, were given. Within three days, the patient returned to a stable clinical condition with a mildly encephalopathic EEG. In conclusion, bupropion intoxication requires acute intensive care treatment and usually has a good prognosis, however, misinterpretation of the clinical and EEG presentation may lead to errors in management.

  17. Local cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism during seizure in spontaneously epileptic El mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hosokawa, Chisa; Ochi, Hironobu; Yamagami, Sakae; Kawabe, Joji; Kobashi, Toshiko; Okamura, Terue; Yamada, Ryusaku

    1995-01-01

    Local cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism were examined in spontaneously epileptic El mice using autoradiography with 125 I-IMP and 14 C-DG in the interictal phase and during seizure. El (+) mice that developed generalized tonic-clonic convulsions and El (-) mice that received no stimulation and had no history of epileptic seizures were examined. The seizure non-susceptible, maternal strain ddY mice were used as control. Uptake ratios for IMP and DG in mouse brain were calculated using the autoradiographic density. In the interictal phase, the pattern of local cerebral blood flow of El (+) mice was similar to that of ddY and El (-) mice, and glucose metabolism in the hippocampus was higher in El (+) mice than in El (-) and ddY mice, but flow and metabolism were nearly matched. During seizure, no significant changed blood flow and increased glucose metabolism in the hippocampus, the epileptic focus, and no markedly changed blood flow and depressed glucose metabolism in other brain regions were observed and considered to be flow-metabolism uncoupling. These observations have never been reported in clinical or experimental studies of epilepsy. Seizures did not cause large regional differences in cerebral blood flow. Therefore, only glucose metabolism is useful for detection of the focus of secondary generalized seizures in El mice, and appeared possibly to be related to the pathophysiology of secondary generalized epilepsy in El mice. (author)

  18. The influence of hubs in the structure of a neuronal network during an epileptic seizure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Abner Cardoso; Cerdeira, Hilda A.; Machado, Birajara Soares

    2016-02-01

    In this work, we propose changes in the structure of a neuronal network with the intention to provoke strong synchronization to simulate episodes of epileptic seizure. Starting with a network of Izhikevich neurons we slowly increase the number of connections in selected nodes in a controlled way, to produce (or not) hubs. We study how these structures alter the synchronization on the spike firings interval, on individual neurons as well as on mean values, as a function of the concentration of connections for random and non-random (hubs) distribution. We also analyze how the post-ictal signal varies for the different distributions. We conclude that a network with hubs is more appropriate to represent an epileptic state.

  19. Vulnerability to psychogenic non-epileptic seizures is linked to low neuropeptide Y levels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winterdahl, Michael; Miani, Alessandro; Vercoe, Moana

    2017-01-01

    Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) is a conversion disorder that reflects underlying psychological distress. Female patients with PNES often present with a history of prolonged stressors, especially sexual abuse. In the current study, we studied the relationship between neuropeptide Y (NPY...

  20. Homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in serum of epileptic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The mechanism of this association with epileptogenesis has not been clearly understood, although there is emerging evidence to support the unfavorable effects of some anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) on the plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations. The aim of this study was to uncover the relationship between the levels of ...

  1. Epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spike-waves during sleep: the need for transition from childhood to adulthood medical care appears to be related to etiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Saint-Martin, Anne; Rudolf, Gabrielle; Seegmuller, Caroline; Valenti-Hirsch, Maria Paola; Hirsch, Edouard

    2014-08-01

    Epileptic encephalopathy with continuous diffuse spike-waves during slow-wave sleep (ECSWS) presents clinically with infrequent nocturnal focal seizures, atypical absences related to secondary bilateral synchrony, negative myoclonia, and atonic and rare generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The unique electroencephalography (EEG) pattern found in ECSWS consists of continuous, diffuse, bilateral spike-waves during slow-wave sleep. Despite the eventual disappearance of clinical seizures and EEG abnormalities by adolescence, the prognosis is guarded in most cases because of neuropsychological and behavioral deficits. ECSWS has a heterogeneous etiology (genetic, structural, and unknown). Because epilepsy and electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities in epileptic encephalopathy with continuous diffuse spike-waves during slow-wave sleep (ECSWS) are self-limited and age related, the need for ongoing medical care and transition to adult care might be questioned. For adolescents in whom etiology remains unknown (possibly genetic) and who experience the disappearance of seizures and EEG abnormalities, there is rarely need for long-term neurologic follow-up, because often a relatively normal cognitive and social evolution follows. However, the majority of patients with structural and possibly "genetic syndromic" etiologies will have persistent cognitive deficits and will need suitable socioeducative care. Therefore, the transition process in ECSWS will depend mainly on etiology and its related features (epileptic active phase duration, and cognitive and behavioral evolution) and revolve around neuropsychological and social support rather than medical and pharmacologic follow-up. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 International League Against Epilepsy.

  2. Serum levels of zinc and copper in epileptic children during long-term therapy with anticonvulsants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talat, Mohamed A; Ahmed, Anwar; Mohammed, Lamia

    2015-10-01

    To evaluate the serum levels of zinc and copper in epileptic children during the long-term treatment of anticonvulsant drugs and correlate this with healthy subjects. A hospital-based group matched case-control study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt between November 2013 and October 2014. Ninety patients aged 7.1 ± 3.6 years were diagnosed with epilepsy by a neurologist. The control group was selected from healthy individuals and matched to the case group. Serum zinc and copper were measured by the calorimetric method using a colorimetric method kit. The mean zinc level was 60.1 ± 22.6 ug/dl in the cases, and 102.1 ± 18 ug/dl in the controls (p<0.001). The mean copper level was 180.1 ± 32.4 ug/dl in cases compared with 114.5 ± 18.5 ug/dl in controls (p<0.001). Serum zinc levels in epileptic children under drug treatment are lower compared with healthy children. Also, serum copper levels in these patients are significantly higher than in healthy people. No significant difference in the levels of serum copper and zinc was observed in using one drug or multiple drugs in the treatment of epileptic patients.

  3. Epileptic seizure detection in EEG signal with GModPCA and support vector machine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaiswal, Abeg Kumar; Banka, Haider

    2017-01-01

    Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders caused by recurrent seizures. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) record neural activity and can detect epilepsy. Visual inspection of an EEG signal for epileptic seizure detection is a time-consuming process and may lead to human error; therefore, recently, a number of automated seizure detection frameworks were proposed to replace these traditional methods. Feature extraction and classification are two important steps in these procedures. Feature extraction focuses on finding the informative features that could be used for classification and correct decision-making. Therefore, proposing effective feature extraction techniques for seizure detection is of great significance. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a dimensionality reduction technique used in different fields of pattern recognition including EEG signal classification. Global modular PCA (GModPCA) is a variation of PCA. In this paper, an effective framework with GModPCA and Support Vector Machine (SVM) is presented for epileptic seizure detection in EEG signals. The feature extraction is performed with GModPCA, whereas SVM trained with radial basis function kernel performed the classification between seizure and nonseizure EEG signals. Seven different experimental cases were conducted on the benchmark epilepsy EEG dataset. The system performance was evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation. In addition, we prove analytically that GModPCA has less time and space complexities as compared to PCA. The experimental results show that EEG signals have strong inter-sub-pattern correlations. GModPCA and SVM have been able to achieve 100% accuracy for the classification between normal and epileptic signals. Along with this, seven different experimental cases were tested. The classification results of the proposed approach were better than were compared the results of some of the existing methods proposed in literature. It is also found that the time and space

  4. Brain spect in the pre-surgical evaluation of epileptic patients preliminary results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos A. Buchpiguel

    1992-03-01

    Full Text Available Pre-surgical evaluation of epileptic patients consists of neurological examination, intensive electroencephalographic (EEG monitoring and anatomical studies (CT and MRI. Functional methods such as PET and SPECT imaging are now used more frequently. We have studied pre-operatively 15 adult epileptic patients (8 female, 7 male using a rotational scintillation camera interfaced to a dedicated computer. The tomographic images were obtained 15 minutes after intravenous injection of 99mTc_HMPAO. All had MRI scanning and intensive EEG monitoring which generally included seizure recording. Five patients had progressive lesions (3 meningiomas, 2 astrocytomas. In 10 patients, neuroradiological studies did not show the presence of progressive lesions (2 normal scans and 8 cases with inactive lesions. Two patients with meningioma showed hypoperfusion at the lesion site while the third patient had a marked hyperperfusion which might correlate with the clinical diagnosis of epilepsia partialis continua. In the astrocytoma patients SPECT scans showed hypoperfusion at the lesion site. Data obtained from the 10 patients without progressive CNS lesions showed: (a in 4, SPECT findings correlated well with the anatomical findings; (b in 5 instances, SPECT was able to disclose additional functional deficits; (c in one case, there was no SPECT correlate of a discrete anatomical lesion. In 5 of these cases with no progressive lesions (n=10 SPECT findings were useful as a complementary tool in determining the clinical or surgical management of these patients. Despite the small number and hete-rogenicity of the present sample, SPECT seems to be an useful tool as part of the clinical workup of epileptic patients who are candidates for epilepsy surgery.

  5. The Classical Pathways of Occipital Lobe Epileptic Propagation Revised in the Light of White Matter Dissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latini, Francesco; Hjortberg, Mats; Aldskogius, Håkan; Ryttlefors, Mats

    2015-01-01

    The clinical evidences of variable epileptic propagation in occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) have been demonstrated by several studies. However the exact localization of the epileptic focus sometimes represents a problem because of the rapid propagation to frontal, parietal, or temporal regions. Each white matter pathway close to the supposed initial focus can lead the propagation towards a specific direction, explaining the variable semiology of these rare epilepsy syndromes. Some new insights in occipital white matter anatomy are herein described by means of white matter dissection and compared to the classical epileptic patterns, mostly based on the central position of the primary visual cortex. The dissections showed a complex white matter architecture composed by vertical and longitudinal bundles, which are closely interconnected and segregated and are able to support specific high order functions with parallel bidirectional propagation of the electric signal. The same sublobar lesions may hyperactivate different white matter bundles reemphasizing the importance of the ictal semiology as a specific clinical demonstration of the subcortical networks recruited. Merging semiology, white matter anatomy, and electrophysiology may lead us to a better understanding of these complex syndromes and tailored therapeutic options based on individual white matter connectivity.

  6. The Classical Pathways of Occipital Lobe Epileptic Propagation Revised in the Light of White Matter Dissection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latini, Francesco; Hjortberg, Mats; Aldskogius, Håkan; Ryttlefors, Mats

    2015-01-01

    The clinical evidences of variable epileptic propagation in occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) have been demonstrated by several studies. However the exact localization of the epileptic focus sometimes represents a problem because of the rapid propagation to frontal, parietal, or temporal regions. Each white matter pathway close to the supposed initial focus can lead the propagation towards a specific direction, explaining the variable semiology of these rare epilepsy syndromes. Some new insights in occipital white matter anatomy are herein described by means of white matter dissection and compared to the classical epileptic patterns, mostly based on the central position of the primary visual cortex. The dissections showed a complex white matter architecture composed by vertical and longitudinal bundles, which are closely interconnected and segregated and are able to support specific high order functions with parallel bidirectional propagation of the electric signal. The same sublobar lesions may hyperactivate different white matter bundles reemphasizing the importance of the ictal semiology as a specific clinical demonstration of the subcortical networks recruited. Merging semiology, white matter anatomy, and electrophysiology may lead us to a better understanding of these complex syndromes and tailored therapeutic options based on individual white matter connectivity. PMID:26063964

  7. Use of peri-operative anti-epileptic drugs in patients with newly diagnosed high grade malignant glioma: a single center experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lwu, Shelly; Hamilton, Mark G; Forsyth, Peter A; Cairncross, J Gregory; Parney, Ian F

    2010-02-01

    An American Academy of Neurology practice parameter recommends that long-term prophylactic anti-epileptic drugs (AED) should not be routine in patients with newly diagnosed brain tumors. However, prospective multi-center North American data shows that most newly diagnosed glioma patients receive prophylactic AED. We examined our own peri-operative AED practice patterns in newly-diagnosed patients with malignant glioma to determine if we deviate from published guidelines. A retrospective chart review was performed in adult patients with newly diagnosed malignant gliomas undergoing surgery in southern Alberta between January 2003 and December 2005. Demographic information, AED use, seizure incidence, adverse effects, tumor size, and tumor location were recorded. Of 164 eligible patients, 54 (33%) presented with seizures and all received AED. Prophylactic AED were given to 44 patients (27%). Peri-operative seizures (within 1 week) occurred in two patients without (3%) and no patients with seizure prophylaxis. Adverse AED reactions and adverse effects attributable to seizures were both rare. Prophylactic AED were continued >1 week post-op in 30 patients (18%). Patients receiving prophylactic AED were more likely to have had tumors involving the temporal lobe than those who did not (50 vs. 20%; P < 0.01). Patients receiving peri-operative AED prophylaxis were common, had a trend to reduced peri-operative seizures, and had few adverse effects. However, most of these patients were maintained on prophylactic AED continued beyond the first peri-operative week, contradicting published guidelines. Increased awareness of practice guidelines may help modify AED prescription patterns in malignant glioma patients.

  8. Application of rare variant transmission disequilibrium tests to epileptic encephalopathy trio sequence data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Allen, Andrew S.; Berkovic, Samuel F.; Bridgers, Joshua; Cossette, Patrick; Dlugos, Dennis; Epstein, Michael P.; Glauser, Tracy; Goldstein, David B.; Heinzen, Erin L.; Jiang, Yu; Johnson, Michael R.; Kuzniecky, Ruben; Lowenstein, Daniel H.; Marson, Anthony G.; Mefford, Heather C.; O'Brien, Terence J.; Ottman, Ruth; Petrou, Steven; Petrovski, Slavé; Poduri, Annapurna; Ren, Zhong; Scheffer, Ingrid E.; Sherr, Elliott; Wang, Quanli; Balling, Rudi; Barisic, Nina; Baulac, Stéphanie; Caglayan, Hande; Craiu, Dana; De Jonghe, Peter; Depienne, Christel; Guerrini, Renzo; Helbig, Ingo; Hjalgrim, Helle; Hoffman-Zacharska, Dorota; Jähn, Johanna A.; Klein, Karl Martin; Koeleman, Bobby; Komarek, Vladimir; Krause, Roland; Leguern, Eric; Lehesjoki, Anna-Elina; Lemke, Johannes R.; Lerche, Holger; Linnankivi, Tarja; Marini, Carla; May, Patrick; Møller, Rikke S.; Muhle, Hiltrud; Pal, Deb; Palotie, Aarno; Rosenow, Felix; Selmer, Kaja; Serratosa, Jose M.; Sisodiya, Sanjay M.; Stephani, Ulrich; Sterbova, Katalin; Striano, Pasquale; Suls, Arvid; Talvik, Tiina; von Spiczak, Sarah; Weber, Yvonne G.; Weckhuysen, Sarah; Zara, Federico; Abou-Khalil, Bassel; Alldredge, Brian K.; Amrom, Dina; Andermann, Eva; Andermann, Frederick; Bautista, Jocelyn F.; Bluvstein, Judith; Cascino, Gregory D.; Consalvo, Damian; Crumrine, Patricia; Devinsky, Orrin; Fiol, Miguel E.; Fountain, Nathan B.; French, Jacqueline; Friedman, Daniel; Haas, Kevin; Haut, Sheryl R.; Hayward, Jean; Joshi, Sucheta; Kanner, Andres; Kirsch, Heidi E.; Kossoff, Eric H.; Kuperman, Rachel; McGuire, Shannon M.; Motika, Paul V.; Novotny, Edward J.; Paolicchi, Juliann M.; Parent, Jack; Park, Kristen; Shellhaas, Renée A; Sirven, Joseph; Smith, Michael C.; Sullivan, Joseph; Thio, Liu Lin; Venkat, Anu; Vining, Eileen P. G.; Von Allmen, Gretchen K.; Weisenberg, Judith L.; Widdess-Walsh, Peter; Winawer, Melodie R.

    2017-01-01

    The classic epileptic encephalopathies, including infantile spasms (IS) and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), are severe seizure disorders that usually arise sporadically. De novo variants in genes mainly encoding ion channel and synaptic proteins have been found to account for over 15% of patients

  9. False Negatives, Canter's Background Interference Procedure, the Trail Making Test, and Epileptics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinzey, Ronald K.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    Results of correlation studies of 141 adult epileptics' scores on the Background Interference Procedure (BIP) indicated that the BIP often does not agree with abnormal neurological diagnoses but often does agree with psychiatric diagnoses of Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS). Suggests that future BIP validity studies include a behavioral measure of OBS…

  10. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and psychoanalytical treatment: results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niraldo de Oliveira Santos

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: the occurrence of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES is estimated to be between 2 to 33 cases in every 100,000 inhabitants. The number of patients with PNES reaches 19% of those treated as epileptics. Patients with PNES are treated as if they had intractable epilepsy, with unsatisfactory results even after medication treatment is used to its maximum. The aim of this study is to present the effects of individual psychoanalytical treatment in patients with PNES, assessing its impact in the evolution of the clinical picture and its association with sex, time of disease, social, psychological and professional harm, as well as going through with treatment. Methods: The case base was composed of 37 patients with PNES. The diagnosis was reached with video-EEG monitoring. Psychoanalytical treatment was carried out through 12 months of weekly sessions timed for around 50-minutes each, in a total of 48 individual sessions. Results: This study found a high rate of success in the treatment of PNES patients. 29.7% (n=11 of patients had cessation or cure of symptoms and 51.4% (n=19 had a decrease in the number of episodes. There is an association between cessation or decrease in the number of episodes and sex (p<0.01, religion (p<0.01 and concluding treatment (p<0.01. Conclusion: Individual psychoanalytical treatment applied to patients with PNES is considered effective and can be an essential form of assistance for the reduction or cessation of episodes.

  11. The value of magnetoencephalography for seizure-onset zone localization in magnetic resonance imaging-negative partial epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Julien; Bouet, Romain; Delpuech, Claude; Ryvlin, Philippe; Isnard, Jean; Guenot, Marc; Bertrand, Olivier; Hammers, Alexander; Mauguière, François

    2013-10-01

    -free. As a whole, patients having focal magnetoencephalography results with volumetric imaging of epileptic spikes are good surgical candidates and the implantation strategy should incorporate volumetric imaging of epileptic spikes results. On the contrary, patients with non-focal magnetoencephalography results are less likely to have a localized seizure-onset zone and stereo electroencephalography is not advised unless clear localizing information is provided by other presurgical investigation methods.

  12. [Epilepsy and epileptic syndromes during the first year of life].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durá-Travé, T; Yoldi-Petri, M E; Hualde-Olascoaga, J; Etayo-Etayo, V

    To analyse the epidemiological characteristics and the relative distribution of the different types of epilepsy and epileptic syndromes during the first year of life. An analysis was performed of the patient records of all patients with epilepsy diagnosed during their first year of life who were submitted to a developmental check-up in the year 2007. The sample consisted of 60 patients (27 boys and 33 girls). Epidemiological and clinical data were collected, together with the findings from complementary examinations. The diagnostic criteria applied were those of the International League Against Epilepsy. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 6.3 months. The mean follow-up time was 7.6 years. The aetiology was symptomatic in 40 cases (66.7%), cryptogenic in 16 (26.7%) and idiopathic in four cases (6.7%). Neuroimaging tests detected abnormalities in 34 patients (56.7%). West's syndrome (30%), symptomatic focal epilepsies (23.3%) and epilepsies linked to specific syndromes (16.7%) were the epileptic syndromes with the highest prevalence. Learning disabilities were observed in 82.5% of the children. Most epilepsies that present during the first year of life are symptomatic and/or cryptogenic, and are accompanied by psychoneurological impairment and/or resistance to therapy, which condition cognitive disorders that are eligible for specialised psycho-pedagogical intervention.

  13. Automatic Epileptic Seizure Onset Detection Using Matching Pursuit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sorensen, Thomas Lynggaard; Olsen, Ulrich L.; Conradsen, Isa

    2010-01-01

    . The combination of Matching Pursuit and SVM for automatic seizure detection has never been tested before, making this a pilot study. Data from red different patients with 6 to 49 seizures are used to test our model. Three patients are recorded with scalp electroencephalography (sEEG) and three with intracranial...... electroencephalography (iEEG). A sensitivity of 78-100% and a detection latency of 5-18s has been achieved, while holding the false detection at 0.16-5.31/h. Our results show the potential of Matching Pursuit as a feature xtractor for detection of epileptic seizures....

  14. Long-Term Intake of Uncaria rhynchophylla Reduces S100B and RAGE Protein Levels in Kainic Acid-Induced Epileptic Seizures Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nou-Ying Tang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Epileptic seizures are crucial clinical manifestations of recurrent neuronal discharges in the brain. An imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory neuronal discharges causes brain damage and cell loss. Herbal medicines offer alternative treatment options for epilepsy because of their low cost and few side effects. We established a rat epilepsy model by injecting kainic acid (KA, 12 mg/kg, i.p. and subsequently investigated the effect of Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR and its underlying mechanisms. Electroencephalogram and epileptic behaviors revealed that the KA injection induced epileptic seizures. Following KA injection, S100B levels increased in the hippocampus. This phenomenon was attenuated by the oral administration of UR and valproic acid (VA, 250 mg/kg. Both drugs significantly reversed receptor potentiation for advanced glycation end product proteins. Rats with KA-induced epilepsy exhibited no increase in the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 3, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and chemokine receptor type 2, which play a role in inflammation. Our results provide novel and detailed mechanisms, explaining the role of UR in KA-induced epileptic seizures in hippocampal CA1 neurons.

  15. Automatic epileptic seizure detection in EEGs using MF-DFA, SVM based on cloud computing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhongnan; Wen, Tingxi; Huang, Wei; Wang, Meihong; Li, Chunfeng

    2017-01-01

    Epilepsy is a chronic disease with transient brain dysfunction that results from the sudden abnormal discharge of neurons in the brain. Since electroencephalogram (EEG) is a harmless and noninvasive detection method, it plays an important role in the detection of neurological diseases. However, the process of analyzing EEG to detect neurological diseases is often difficult because the brain electrical signals are random, non-stationary and nonlinear. In order to overcome such difficulty, this study aims to develop a new computer-aided scheme for automatic epileptic seizure detection in EEGs based on multi-fractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) and support vector machine (SVM). New scheme first extracts features from EEG by MF-DFA during the first stage. Then, the scheme applies a genetic algorithm (GA) to calculate parameters used in SVM and classify the training data according to the selected features using SVM. Finally, the trained SVM classifier is exploited to detect neurological diseases. The algorithm utilizes MLlib from library of SPARK and runs on cloud platform. Applying to a public dataset for experiment, the study results show that the new feature extraction method and scheme can detect signals with less features and the accuracy of the classification reached up to 99%. MF-DFA is a promising approach to extract features for analyzing EEG, because of its simple algorithm procedure and less parameters. The features obtained by MF-DFA can represent samples as well as traditional wavelet transform and Lyapunov exponents. GA can always find useful parameters for SVM with enough execution time. The results illustrate that the classification model can achieve comparable accuracy, which means that it is effective in epileptic seizure detection.

  16. Comparative studies of '18F-FDG PET/CT brain imaging and EEG in preoperative localization of temporal lobe epileptic focus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Ziqian; Zhao Chunlei; Liu Yao; Ni Ping; Zhong Qun; Bai Wei; Peng Dexin

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To compare the value of 18 F-FDG PET/CT brain imaging and EEG in preoperative localization of the epileptic focus at the temporal lobe. Methods: A total of 152 patients (108 males, 44 females, age ranged from 3 to 59 years old) with past history of temporal lobe epilepsy were included.All patients underwent 18 F-FDG PET/CT brain imaging and long-range or video EEG, and 29 patients underwent intracranial electrode EEG due to the failure to localize the disease focus by non-invasive methods.Histopathologic findings after operative treatment were considered the gold standard for disease localization. All patients were followed up for at least six months after the operation. The accuracy of the 18 F-FDG PET/CT brain imaging and long-range or video EEG examination were compared using χ 2 test. Results: The accuracy of locating the epileptic focus was 80.92% (123/152) for 18 F-FDG PET/CT brain imaging and 43.42% (66/152) for long-range or video EEG (χ 2 =22.72, P<0.01). The accuracy of locating the epileptic focus for the 29 cases with intracranial electrode EEG was 100%. Conclusions: Interictal 18 F-FDG PET/CT brain imaging is a sensitive and effective method to locate the temporal lobe epileptic focus and is better than long-range or video EEG. The combination of 18 F-FDG PET/CT brain imaging and intracranial electrode EEG examination can further improve the accuracy of locating the epileptic focus. (authors)

  17. Violation of a Bell-like inequality in neutron-interferometer experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, Yuji; Badurek, Gerald; Rauch, Helmut; Loidl, Rudolf; Baron, Matthias

    2003-01-01

    We report an interferometric experiment with spin-1/2 neutrons to demonstrate the violation of a Bell-like inequality. The total wave function of neutrons is described by a tensor product Hilbert space. Appropriate combinations of the direction of the spin analysis and the position of the phase shifter allow to demonstrate the violation of the Bell-like inequality. The discussions are presented on the violation of the Bell-like inequality in terms of quantum contextuality and an entanglement-induced correlation in our experiment. (author)

  18. Motor correlates of models of secondary bilateral synchrony and multiple epileptic foci

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Jiruška, Přemysl; Prokš, J.; Otáhal, Jakub; Mareš, Pavel

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 16, č. 7 (2007), s. 627-635 ISSN 1059-1311 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA309/03/0770; GA ČR GA304/05/2582 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : epileptic foci * secondary bilateral synchrony * neocortex Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.815, year: 2007

  19. The ecological executive function of epileptic children with ADHD%癫痫共患ADHD儿童的生态学执行功能

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    陈静; 周农; 刘天龙; 顾安丽; 陈晓霞

    2015-01-01

    Objective To study the characteristics of ecological executive function and influencing factors of epilep-tic children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD) . Methods By utilizing the cross-sectional survey study, 79 cases of epileptic children were evaluated according to the clinical diagnostic scale of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-IV, USA);all of the epileptic children and 52 cases of normal chil-dren with the matched age, gender and levels of education were completed with the questionnaire evaluation of Be-havior Rating Index of Executive Function ( BRIEF, Parents Version) . Results ①30 cases of ADHD were found in 79 cases of children with epilepsy, and the coincidence rate was 37. 97%. There were no statistically significant differences between epileptic children with ADHD and epileptic children without ADHD in gender, age, onset age, education level , course of diseases , control or not , family history and history of traumatic brain injuries . But there were statistically significant differences in epileptic seizure type and drug treatment or not ( P<0. 05 ) . ②The two scores of behavior management index and metacognition were higher in epileptic children with ADHD than the epi-leptic children without ADHD and the normal group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0. 05).③ The clinical characteristics of seizure type, course of disease, epileptic seizure control or not and drug treatment or not in epileptic children with ADHD were significantly correlated with BRIEF(P<0. 05). Conclusion The eco-logical executive function is comprehensively damaged in the epileptic children with ADHD, and the damage is more serious than the epileptic children without ADHD. The ecological executive function of epileptic children with ADHD is significantly influenced by epilepsy seizure type, epilepsy control or not and drug treatment or not.%目的 探讨癫痫共患注意缺陷多动障碍( ADHD

  20. Generalized Hurst exponent estimates differentiate EEG signals of healthy and epileptic patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lahmiri, Salim

    2018-01-01

    The aim of our current study is to check whether multifractal patterns of the electroencephalographic (EEG) signals of normal and epileptic patients are statistically similar or different. In this regard, the generalized Hurst exponent (GHE) method is used for robust estimation of the multifractals in each type of EEG signals, and three powerful statistical tests are performed to check existence of differences between estimated GHEs from healthy control subjects and epileptic patients. The obtained results show that multifractals exist in both types of EEG signals. Particularly, it was found that the degree of fractal is more pronounced in short variations of normal EEG signals than in short variations of EEG signals with seizure free intervals. In contrary, it is more pronounced in long variations of EEG signals with seizure free intervals than in normal EEG signals. Importantly, both parametric and nonparametric statistical tests show strong evidence that estimated GHEs of normal EEG signals are statistically and significantly different from those with seizure free intervals. Therefore, GHEs can be efficiently used to distinguish between healthy and patients suffering from epilepsy.

  1. EPILAB: a software package for studies on the prediction of epileptic seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, C A; Direito, B; Feldwisch-Drentrup, H; Valderrama, M; Costa, R P; Alvarado-Rojas, C; Nikolopoulos, S; Le Van Quyen, M; Timmer, J; Schelter, B; Dourado, A

    2011-09-15

    A Matlab®-based software package, EPILAB, was developed for supporting researchers in performing studies on the prediction of epileptic seizures. It provides an intuitive and convenient graphical user interface. Fundamental concepts that are crucial for epileptic seizure prediction studies were implemented. This includes, for example, the development and statistical validation of prediction methodologies in long-term continuous recordings. Seizure prediction is usually based on electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) signals. EPILAB is able to process both EEG and ECG data stored in different formats. More than 35 time and frequency domain measures (features) can be extracted based on univariate and multivariate data analysis. These features can be post-processed and used for prediction purposes. The predictions may be conducted based on optimized thresholds or by applying classifications methods such as artificial neural networks, cellular neuronal networks, and support vector machines. EPILAB proved to be an efficient tool for seizure prediction, and aims to be a way to communicate, evaluate, and compare results and data among the seizure prediction community. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Epileptic Seizure Forewarning by Nonlinear Techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hively, L.M.

    2001-01-01

    Nicolet Biomedical Inc. (NBI) is collaborating with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to convert ORNL's patented technology for forewarning of epileptic seizures to a clinical prototype. This technical report describes the highlights of the first year's effort. The software requirements for the clinical device were specified from which the hardware specifications were obtained. ORNL's research-class FORTRAN was converted to run under a graphical user interface (GUI) that was custom-built for this application by NBI. The resulting software package was cloned to desktop computers that are being tested in five different clinical sites. Two hundred electroencephalogram (EEG) datasets from those clinical sites were provided to ORNL for detailed analysis and improvement of the forewarning methodology. Effort under this CRADA is continuing into the second year as planned

  3. Computation of Green function of the Schroedinger-like partial differential equations by the numerical functional integration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lobanov, Yu.Yu.; Shahbagian, R.R.; Zhidkov, E.P.

    1991-01-01

    A new method for numerical solution of the boundary problem for Schroedinger-like partial differential equations in R n is elaborated. The method is based on representation of multidimensional Green function in the form of multiple functional integral and on the use of approximation formulas which are constructed for such integrals. The convergence of approximations to the exact value is proved, the remainder of the formulas is estimated. Method reduces the initial differential problem to quadratures. 16 refs.; 7 tabs

  4. Detection of Epileptic Seizures with Multi-modal Signal Processing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Conradsen, Isa

    convulsive seizures tested. Another study was performed, involving quantitative parameters in the time and frequency domain. The study showed, that there are several differences between tonic seizures and the tonic phase of GTC seizures and furthermore revealed differences of the epileptic (tonic and tonic...... phase of GTC) and simulated seizures. This was valuable information concerning a seizure detection algorithm, and the findings from this research provided evidence for a change in the definition of these seizures by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). Our final study presents a novel...

  5. Preictal dynamics of EEG complexity in intracranially recorded epileptic seizure: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bob, Petr; Roman, Robert; Svetlak, Miroslav; Kukleta, Miloslav; Chladek, Jan; Brazdil, Milan

    2014-11-01

    Recent findings suggest that neural complexity reflecting a number of independent processes in the brain may characterize typical changes during epileptic seizures and may enable to describe preictal dynamics. With respect to previously reported findings suggesting specific changes in neural complexity during preictal period, we have used measure of pointwise correlation dimension (PD2) as a sensitive indicator of nonstationary changes in complexity of the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal. Although this measure of complexity in epileptic patients was previously reported by Feucht et al (Applications of correlation dimension and pointwise dimension for non-linear topographical analysis of focal onset seizures. Med Biol Comput. 1999;37:208-217), it was not used to study changes in preictal dynamics. With this aim to study preictal changes of EEG complexity, we have examined signals from 11 multicontact depth (intracerebral) EEG electrodes located in 108 cortical and subcortical brain sites, and from 3 scalp EEG electrodes in a patient with intractable epilepsy, who underwent preoperative evaluation before epilepsy surgery. From those 108 EEG contacts, records related to 44 electrode contacts implanted into lesional structures and white matter were not included into the experimental analysis.The results show that in comparison to interictal period (at about 8-6 minutes before seizure onset), there was a statistically significant decrease in PD2 complexity in the preictal period at about 2 minutes before seizure onset in all 64 intracranial channels localized in various brain sites that were included into the analysis and in 3 scalp EEG channels as well. Presented results suggest that using PD2 in EEG analysis may have significant implications for research of preictal dynamics and prediction of epileptic seizures.

  6. Complex partial seizures and aphasia as initial manifestations of non-ketotic hyperglycemia: case report Crises parciais complexas e afasia como manifestações iniciais de hiperglicemia não cetótica: relato de caso

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARCUS SABRY AZAR BATISTA

    1998-06-01

    Full Text Available We describe a case of non-ketotic hyperglycemia (NKH, heralded by complex partial seizures and aphasia of epileptic origin, besides versive and partial motor seizures. This clinical picture was accompanied by left fronto-temporal spikes in the EEG. The seizures were controlled by carbamazepine only after the control of the diabetes. A month later, carbamazepine was discontinued. The patient remained without seizures, with normal language, using only glybenclamide. Complex partial seizures, opposed to simple partial seizures, are rarely described in association to NKH. Epileptic activity localized over language regions can manifest as aphasia.Descrevemos um caso de hiperglicemia não-cetótica (HNC cujas manifestações iniciais foram crises parciais complexas e afasia de origem epiléptica, além de crises versivas e parcias motoras. Este quadro clínico foi acompanhado por atividade epileptiforme na região fronto-temporal esquerda ao eletrencefalograma. As crises epilépticas foram controladas com carbamazepina (CBZ apenas após o controle do diabetes mellitus. Após um mês, a CBZ foi suspensa, permanecendo a paciente com linguagem normal, sem novas crises epilépticas, em uso apenas de glibenclamida. Crises parciais complexas, ao contrário de crises parciais simples, são raramente descritas como manifestação de HNC. Atividade epileptiforme nas regiões relacionadas a linguagem podem manifestar-se como afasia.

  7. Brain SPECT in the pre-surgical evaluation of epileptic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buchpiguel, C.A.; Cukiert, A.; Hironaka, F.H.; Cerri, G.G.; Magalhaes, A.E.A.; Marino Junior, R.

    1992-01-01

    Fifteen adult epileptic patients were studied pre-operatively using a rotational scintillation camera interfaced to a dedicated computer. The tomographic images were obtained 15 minutes after intravenous injection of 99 m Tc-HMPAO. All had MRI scanning and intensive EEG monitoring which generally included seizure recording. Five patients had progressive lesions (3 meningiomas, 2 astrocytomas). In 10 patients, neuroradiological studies did not show the presence of progressive lesions (2 normal scans and 8 cases with inactive lesions). Two patients with meningioma showed hypoperfusion at the lesion site while the third patient had a marked hypoperfusion which might correlate with the clinical diagnosis of epilepsia partialis continua. In the astrocytoma patients SPECT scans showed hypoperfusion at the lesion site. Data obtained from the 10 patients without progressive CNS lesions showed: in 4, SPECT findings correlated well with the anatomical findings; in 5 instances, SPECT was able to disclose additional functional deficits; in one case, there was no SPECT correlate of a discrete anatomical lesion. In 5 of these cases with no progressive lesions (n=10) SPECT findings were useful as a complementary tool in determining the clinical or surgical management of these patients. Despite the small number and heterogeneity of the present sample, SPECT seems to be an useful tool as part of the clinical workup of epileptic who are candidates for epilepsy surgery. (author)

  8. Cortical epileptic afterdischarges in immature rats are differently influenced by NMDA receptor antagonists

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Šlamberová, Romana; Mareš, Pavel

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 516, č. 1 (2005), s. 10-17 ISSN 0014-2999 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LN00B122 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : epileptic seizure * cerebral cortex * NMDA receptor antagonist Subject RIV: FH - Neuro logy Impact factor: 2.477, year: 2005

  9. Anatomy-based reconstruction of FDG-PET images with implicit partial volume correction improves detection of hypometabolic regions in patients with epilepsy due to focal cortical dysplasia diagnosed on MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goffin, Karolien; Baete, Kristof; Nuyts, Johan; Laere, Koen van [University Hospital Leuven, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging Center, Leuven (Belgium); Van Paesschen, Wim [University Hospital Leuven, Neurology Department, Leuven (Belgium); Dupont, Patrick [University Hospital Leuven, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging Center, Leuven (Belgium); University Hospital Leuven, Laboratory of Cognitive Neurology, Leuven (Belgium); Palmini, Andre [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre Epilepsy Surgery Program, Hospital Sao Lucas, Porto Alegre (Brazil)

    2010-06-15

    Detection of hypometabolic areas on interictal FDG-PET images for assessing the epileptogenic zone is hampered by partial volume effects. We evaluated the performance of an anatomy-based maximum a-posteriori (A-MAP) reconstruction algorithm which combined noise suppression with correction for the partial volume effect in the detection of hypometabolic areas in patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). FDG-PET images from 14 patients with refractory partial epilepsy were reconstructed using A-MAP and maximum likelihood (ML) reconstruction. In all patients, presurgical evaluation showed that FCD represented the epileptic lesion. Correspondence between the FCD location and regional metabolism on a predefined atlas was evaluated. An asymmetry index of FCD to normal cortex was calculated. Hypometabolism at the FCD location was detected in 9/14 patients (64%) using ML and in 10/14 patients (71%) using A-MAP reconstruction. Hypometabolic areas outside the FCD location were detected in 12/14 patients (86%) using ML and in 11/14 patients (79%) using A-MAP reconstruction. The asymmetry index was higher using A-MAP reconstruction (0.61, ML 0.49, p=0.03). The A-MAP reconstruction algorithm improved visual detection of epileptic FCD on brain FDG-PET images compared to ML reconstruction, due to higher contrast and better delineation of the lesion. This improvement failed to reach significance in our small sample. Hypometabolism outside the lesion is often present, consistent with the observation that the functional deficit zone tends to be larger than the epileptogenic zone. (orig.)

  10. Anatomy-based reconstruction of FDG-PET images with implicit partial volume correction improves detection of hypometabolic regions in patients with epilepsy due to focal cortical dysplasia diagnosed on MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goffin, Karolien; Baete, Kristof; Nuyts, Johan; Laere, Koen van; Van Paesschen, Wim; Dupont, Patrick; Palmini, Andre

    2010-01-01

    Detection of hypometabolic areas on interictal FDG-PET images for assessing the epileptogenic zone is hampered by partial volume effects. We evaluated the performance of an anatomy-based maximum a-posteriori (A-MAP) reconstruction algorithm which combined noise suppression with correction for the partial volume effect in the detection of hypometabolic areas in patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). FDG-PET images from 14 patients with refractory partial epilepsy were reconstructed using A-MAP and maximum likelihood (ML) reconstruction. In all patients, presurgical evaluation showed that FCD represented the epileptic lesion. Correspondence between the FCD location and regional metabolism on a predefined atlas was evaluated. An asymmetry index of FCD to normal cortex was calculated. Hypometabolism at the FCD location was detected in 9/14 patients (64%) using ML and in 10/14 patients (71%) using A-MAP reconstruction. Hypometabolic areas outside the FCD location were detected in 12/14 patients (86%) using ML and in 11/14 patients (79%) using A-MAP reconstruction. The asymmetry index was higher using A-MAP reconstruction (0.61, ML 0.49, p=0.03). The A-MAP reconstruction algorithm improved visual detection of epileptic FCD on brain FDG-PET images compared to ML reconstruction, due to higher contrast and better delineation of the lesion. This improvement failed to reach significance in our small sample. Hypometabolism outside the lesion is often present, consistent with the observation that the functional deficit zone tends to be larger than the epileptogenic zone. (orig.)

  11. Channel Model of Molecular Communication via Diffusion in a Vessel-like Environment Considering a Partially Covering Receiver

    OpenAIRE

    Turan, Meriç; Kuran, Mehmet Sukru; Yilmaz, H. Birkan; Demirkol, Ilker; Tugcu, Tuna

    2018-01-01

    By considering potential health problems that a fully covering receiver may cause in vessel-like environments, the implementation of a partially covering receiver is needed. To this end, distribution of hitting location of messenger molecules (MM) is analyzed within the context of molecular communication via diffusion with the aim of channel modeling. The distribution of these MMs for a fully covering receiver is analyzed in two parts: angular and radial dimensions. For the angular distributi...

  12. Rare GABRA3 variants are associated with epileptic seizures, encephalopathy and dysmorphic features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niturad, Cristina Elena; Lev, Dorit; Kalscheuer, Vera M; Charzewska, Agnieszka; Schubert, Julian; Lerman-Sagie, Tally; Kroes, Hester Y; Oegema, Renske; Traverso, Monica; Specchio, Nicola; Lassota, Maria; Chelly, Jamel; Bennett-Back, Odeya; Carmi, Nirit; Koffler-Brill, Tal; Iacomino, Michele; Trivisano, Marina; Capovilla, Giuseppe; Striano, Pasquale; Nawara, Magdalena; Rzonca, Sylwia; Fischer, Ute; Bienek, Melanie; Jensen, Corinna; Hu, Hao; Thiele, Holger; Altmüller, Janine; Krause, Roland; May, Patrick; Becker, Felicitas; Balling, Rudi; Biskup, Saskia; Haas, Stefan A; Nürnberg, Peter; van Gassen, Koen L I; Lerche, Holger; Zara, Federico; Maljevic, Snezana; Leshinsky-Silver, Esther

    2017-11-01

    Genetic epilepsies are caused by mutations in a range of different genes, many of them encoding ion channels, receptors or transporters. While the number of detected variants and genes increased dramatically in the recent years, pleiotropic effects have also been recognized, revealing that clinical syndromes with various degrees of severity arise from a single gene, a single mutation, or from different mutations showing similar functional defects. Accordingly, several genes coding for GABAA receptor subunits have been linked to a spectrum of benign to severe epileptic disorders and it was shown that a loss of function presents the major correlated pathomechanism. Here, we identified six variants in GABRA3 encoding the α3-subunit of the GABAA receptor. This gene is located on chromosome Xq28 and has not been previously associated with human disease. Five missense variants and one microduplication were detected in four families and two sporadic cases presenting with a range of epileptic seizure types, a varying degree of intellectual disability and developmental delay, sometimes with dysmorphic features or nystagmus. The variants co-segregated mostly but not completely with the phenotype in the families, indicating in some cases incomplete penetrance, involvement of other genes, or presence of phenocopies. Overall, males were more severely affected and there were three asymptomatic female mutation carriers compared to only one male without a clinical phenotype. X-chromosome inactivation studies could not explain the phenotypic variability in females. Three detected missense variants are localized in the extracellular GABA-binding NH2-terminus, one in the M2-M3 linker and one in the M4 transmembrane segment of the α3-subunit. Functional studies in Xenopus laevis oocytes revealed a variable but significant reduction of GABA-evoked anion currents for all mutants compared to wild-type receptors. The degree of current reduction correlated partially with the phenotype

  13. Update on the role of eslicarbazepine acetate in the treatment of partial-onset epilepsy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tambucci R

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Renato Tambucci,1 Claudia Basti,1 Maria Maresca,1 Giangennaro Coppola,2 Alberto Verrotti11Department of Pediatrics, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy; 2Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, University of Salerno, Salerno, ItalyAbstract: Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL is a once daily new third generation antiepileptic drug that shares the basic chemical structure of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine – a dibenzazepine nucleus with the 5-carboxamide substituent, but is structurally different at the 10,11-position. ESL is a pro-drug metabolized to its major active metabolite eslicarbazepine. Despite the fact that the exact mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated, it is thought to involve inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC. ESL inhibits sodium currents in a voltage-dependent way by an interaction predominantly with the inactivated state of the VGSC, thus selectively reducing the activity of rapidly firing (epileptic neurons. ESL reduces VGSC availability through enhancement of slow inactivation. In Phase III studies, adjunctive therapy with ESL 800 or 1,200 mg/day leads to a significant decrease in the seizure frequency in adults with refractory partial onset epilepsy. Based on these results, ESL has been approved in Europe (by the European Medicines Agency and in the United States (by the US Food and Drug Administration as add-on therapy. Data on efficacy and safety have been confirmed by 1-year extension and real life observational studies. Recently, based on results from two randomized, double-blind, historical control Phase III trials, ESL received US Food and Drug Administration approval also as a monotherapy for patients with partial onset epilepsy. In the pediatric setting, encouraging results have been obtained suggesting its potential role in the management of epileptic children. Overall ESL was generally well tolerated. The most common adverse events were dizziness, somnolence, headache, nausea

  14. Detection of focal epileptic activity using combined simultaneous electroencephalogram-functional MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Zhiqiang; Lu Guangming; Tian Lei; Sun Kanjian; Tan Qifu; Zhu Jianguo; Nie Cong; Hao Shaowei; Jiang Li; Liu Yijun

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To observe the brain activation of interictal epiletiform discharges (IEDs) and to localize the epileptogenic foci of epilepsy. Methods: The electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional MRI data of 12 focal epileptic patients were acquired using a combination of EEG and functional MRI simultaneously. The IEDs onset time detected with EEG were set as the time parameters in an event- related paradigm of functional MRI analysis. The spatial and temporal characters of IEDs activation were analyzed in detail. In order to confirm the consistency of this method, all patients were scanned repeatedly and the results were correlated with clinical evaluation. Results: Of the 12 patients, valid data from EEG- fMRI were obtained from 10 patients in a total of 18 sessions. Compared with the structural foci, the epileptic foci localization results of eleven sessions were good, five sessions were fairly good, and two sessions were poor. The results obtained from six patients in two separate sessions were concordant, respectively. Moreover, thalamic activation was detected in ten sessions, cerebellar activation was detected in all sessions, and the deactivation was found in the default mode loci in nine sessions. Conclusion: The method of performing EEG and fMRI simultaneously can potentially be a useful tool in epilepsy research. (authors)

  15. " Blaming, shaming, humiliation": Stigmatising medical interactions among people with non-epileptic seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robson, Catherine; Lian, Olaug S

    2017-01-01

    Background : People with non-epileptic seizures (NES) describe challenging relationships with health professionals, and explain negative interactions as common and expected. Despite these difficulties, little is known about how people with NES experience difficult healthcare encounters. Methods : Using a thematic discourse analysis approach, we analysed the free-text survey responses of 135 people with NES and asked: what kind of challenges do people living with this condition encounter when interacting with health professionals, and how do they experience the consequences of difficult interactions? We explore their experiences by interpreting the latent meaning of participants' texts from a social-constructionist perspective on health and illness. Results : The overarching narrative depicts a fundamental breakdown in patient-provider relationships. According to our data, the negative experiences of study participants emerge from more than practitioners' lack of awareness of NES and access to information about the condition - to the extent that it is available. In examining the challenges people with NES encounter when interacting with health professionals, their main experiences centre on blame and humiliation. When exploring their experiences, theories of stigma serve as a useful theoretical framework. Conclusions : Normative judgements arising from psychogenic understandings of NES are stigmatising and restrict professional displays of respectful (patient-centred) care. Those with the condition depict being negatively stereotyped, illegitimated and held morally culpable by health professionals. Perceived to lack medical, moral and credible status, participants describe practitioners who treat them with disrespect, and some recount conduct that defies all ethical and professional obligations and standards. These encounters can have wide-ranging adverse consequences for patients: emotionally, physically, and for their future healthcare. The quality of healthcare

  16. Genetics of Severe Early Onset Epilepsies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-08-24

    Epilepsy; Epileptic Encephalopathy; Ohtahara Syndrome; Infantile Spasms; Dravet Syndrome; Malignant Migrating Partial Epilepsy of Infancy; Early Myoclonic Epileptic Encephalopathy; PCDH19-related Epilepsy and Related Conditions

  17. Gap junction networks can generate both ripple-like and fast ripple-like oscillations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Anna; Traub, Roger D.; Vladimirov, Nikita; Jenkins, Alistair; Nicholson, Claire; Whittaker, Roger G.; Schofield, Ian; Clowry, Gavin J.; Cunningham, Mark O.; Whittington, Miles A.

    2014-01-01

    Fast ripples (FRs) are network oscillations, defined variously as having frequencies of > 150 to > 250 Hz, with a controversial mechanism. FRs appear to indicate a propensity of cortical tissue to originate seizures. Here, we demonstrate field oscillations, at up to 400 Hz, in spontaneously epileptic human cortical tissue in vitro, and present a network model that could explain FRs themselves, and their relation to ‘ordinary’ (slower) ripples. We performed network simulations with model pyramidal neurons, having axons electrically coupled. Ripples ( 250 Hz, were sustained or interrupted, and had little jitter in the firing of individual axons. The form of model FR was similar to spontaneously occurring FRs in excised human epileptic tissue. In vitro, FRs were suppressed by a gap junction blocker. Our data suggest that a given network can produce ripples, FRs, or both, via gap junctions, and that FRs are favored by clusters of axonal gap junctions. If axonal gap junctions indeed occur in epileptic tissue, and are mediated by connexin 26 (recently shown to mediate coupling between immature neocortical pyramidal cells), then this prediction is testable. PMID:24118191

  18. The Parameters Related to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Epileptic Patients Under Valproate Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilgün CENGIZ

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To investigate the parameters related to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS in epileptic patients under valproate (VPA treatment. Design: Cross-sectional clinical study. Setting: Ondokuz Mayis University Teaching Hospital. Patients: 16 patients using VPA for epileptic disorders. Intervensions: Reproductive history, measurement of height and weight, hormone analyses, pelvic ultrasonography. Main outcome measures: Menstrual regularity, body mass index (BMI, early follicular phase serum total testosterone level and LH/FSH ratio, fasting insulin level, polycystic ovaries (PCO’s at ultrasonography. RESULTS: Thirteen patients used VPA for generalized tonic-clonic seizures (81.2% and 3 patients for focal seizures (18.8%. Mean duration of treatment was 4.9±2.9 (2-13 years. 37.5% of the patients had irregular menses in the pattern of oligomenorrhea. Mean BMI was 22.4±3.0 (17.4-27.3 kg/m2 in the group. Only 2 patients had an LH/FSH ratio of ≥ 2 (12.5%, and hyperandrogenemia was detected at a ratio of 37.5%. Insulin levels of all the patients were within the normal range. PCO’s were observed at ultrasonography at a ratio of 62.5%. Seven out of our 16 patients were diagnosed as PCOS (43.8%. Correlation analyses didn’t reveal any significant relation between the BMI, LH/FSH ratios, total testosteron and insulin levels of the patients (p>0,05. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship of epilepsy – VPA treatment – and PCOS is a controversial issue. PCOS is diagnosed at quite a high ratio in our patient group, which mostly consisted of the ones with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Besides the epileptic disorder itself, this high ratio appears to be related to the VPA treatment as well

  19. Proposal for best practice in the use of video-EEG when psychogenic non-epileptic seizures are a possible diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kimberley Whitehead

    Full Text Available The gold-standard for the diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES is capturing an attack with typical semiology and lack of epileptic ictal discharges on video-EEG. Despite the importance of this diagnostic test, lack of standardisation has resulted in a wide variety of protocols and reporting practices. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of research findings on the diagnostic video-EEG procedure, in both the adult and paediatric literature. We discuss how uncertainties about the ethical use of suggestion can be resolved, and consider what constitutes best clinical practice. We stress the importance of ictal observation and assessment and consider how diagnostically useful information is best obtained. We also discuss the optimal format of video-EEG reports; and of highlighting features with high sensitivity and specificity to reduce the risk of miscommunication. We suggest that over-interpretation of the interictal EEG, and the failure to recognise differences between typical epileptic and nonepileptic seizure manifestations are the greatest pitfalls in neurophysiological assessment of patients with PNES. Meanwhile, under-recognition of semiological pointers towards frontal lobe seizures and of the absence of epileptiform ictal EEG patterns during some epileptic seizure types (especially some seizures not associated with loss of awareness, may lead to erroneous PNES diagnoses. We propose that a standardised approach to the video-EEG examination and the subsequent written report will facilitate a clear communication of its import, improving diagnostic certainty and thereby promoting appropriate patient management. Keywords: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, Nonepileptic attack disorder, Suggestion, EEG

  20. Transcriptional response of polycomb group genes to status epilepticus in mice is modified by prior exposure to epileptic preconditioning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James eReynolds

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Exposure of the brain to brief, non-harmful seizures can activate protective mechanisms that temporarily generate a damage-refractory state. This process, termed epileptic tolerance, is associated with large-scale down-regulation of gene expression. Polycomb group proteins are master controllers of gene silencing during development that are re-activated by injury to the brain. Here we explored the transcriptional response of genes associated with polycomb repressor complex (PRC 1 (Ring1A and Ring1B and Bmi1 and PRC2 (Ezh1, Ezh2 and Suz12, as well as additional transcriptional regulators Sirt1, Yy1 and Yy2, in a mouse model of status epilepticus. Findings were contrasted to changes after status epilepticus in mice previously given brief seizures to evoke tolerance. Real-time quantitative PCR showed status epilepticus prompted an early (1 h increase in expression of several genes in PRC1 and PRC2 in the hippocampus, followed by down-regulation of many of the same genes at later times points (4 , 8 and 24 h. Spatio-temporal differences were found among PRC2 genes in epileptic tolerance, including increased expression of Ezh2, Suz12 and Yy2 relative to the normal injury response to status epilepticus. In contrast, PRC1 complex genes including Ring 1B and Bmi1 displayed differential down-regulation in epileptic tolerance. The present study characterizes polycomb group gene expression following status epilepticus and shows prior seizure exposure produces select changes to PRC1 and PRC2 composition that may influence differential gene expression in epileptic tolerance.

  1. Control of epileptic seizures in WAG/Rij rats by means of brain-computer interface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makarov, Vladimir V.; Maksimenko, Vladimir A.; van Luijtelaar, Gilles; Lüttjohann, Annika; Hramov, Alexander E.

    2018-02-01

    The main issue of epileptology is the elimination of epileptic events. This can be achieved by a system that predicts the emergence of seizures in conjunction with a system that interferes with the process that leads to the onset of seizure. The prediction of seizures remains, for the present, unresolved in the absence epilepsy, due to the sudden onset of seizures. We developed an algorithm for predicting seizures in real time, evaluated it and implemented it into an online closed-loop brain stimulation system designed to prevent typical for the absence of epilepsy of spike waves (SWD) in the genetic rat model. The algorithm correctly predicts more than 85% of the seizures and the rest were successfully detected. Unlike the old beliefs that SWDs are unpredictable, current results show that they can be predicted and that the development of systems for predicting and preventing closed-loop capture is a feasible step on the way to intervention to achieve control and freedom from epileptic seizures.

  2. A placebo-controlled investigation of synaesthesia-like experiences under LSD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terhune, Devin B; Luke, David P; Kaelen, Mendel; Bolstridge, Mark; Feilding, Amanda; Nutt, David; Carhart-Harris, Robin; Ward, Jamie

    2016-07-29

    The induction of synaesthesia in non-synaesthetes has the potential to illuminate the mechanisms that contribute to the development of this condition and the shaping of its phenomenology. Previous research suggests that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) reliably induces synaesthesia-like experiences in non-synaesthetes. However, these studies suffer from a number of methodological limitations including lack of a placebo control and the absence of rigorous measures used to test established criteria for genuine synaesthesia. Here we report a pilot study that aimed to circumvent these limitations. We conducted a within-groups placebo-controlled investigation of the impact of LSD on colour experiences in response to standardized graphemes and sounds and the consistency and specificity of grapheme- and sound-colour associations. Participants reported more spontaneous synaesthesia-like experiences under LSD, relative to placebo, but did not differ across conditions in colour experiences in response to inducers, consistency of stimulus-colour associations, or in inducer specificity. Further analyses suggest that individual differences in a number of these effects were associated with the propensity to experience states of absorption in one's daily life. Although preliminary, the present study suggests that LSD-induced synaesthesia-like experiences do not exhibit consistency or inducer-specificity and thus do not meet two widely established criteria for genuine synaesthesia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Features of borderline personality disorder as a mediator of the relation between childhood traumatic experiences and psychosis-like experiences in patients with mood disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baryshnikov, Ilya; Aaltonen, Kari; Suvisaari, Jaana; Koivisto, Maaria; Heikkinen, Martti; Joffe, Grigori; Isometsä, Erkki

    2018-03-01

    Psychosis-like experiences (PEs) are common in patients with non-psychotic disorders. Several factors predict reporting of PEs in mood disorders, including mood-associated cognitive biases, anxiety and features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Childhood traumatic experiences (CEs), often reported by patients with BPD, are an important risk factor for mental disorders. We hypothesized that features of BPD may mediate the relationship between CEs and PEs. In this study, we investigated the relationships between self-reported PEs, CEs and features of BPD in patients with mood disorders. As part of the Helsinki University Psychiatric Consortium study, McLean Screening Instrument (MSI), Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE-42) and Trauma and Distress Scale (TADS) were filled in by patients with mood disorders (n = 282) in psychiatric care. Correlation coefficients between total scores of scales and their dimensions were estimated, multiple regression and mediation analyses were conducted. Total scores of MSI correlated strongly with scores of the CAPE-42 dimension "frequency of positive symptoms" (rho = 0.56; p ≤ 0.001) and moderately with scores of TADS (rho = 0.4; p ≤ 0.001). Total score of MSI and its dimension "cognitive symptoms", including identity disturbance, distrustfulness and dissociative symptoms, fully mediated the relation between TADS and CAPE-42. Each cognitive symptom showed a partial mediating role (dissociative symptoms 43% (CI = 25-74%); identity disturbance 40% (CI = 30-73%); distrustfulness 18% (CI = 12-50%)). Self-reported cognitive-perceptual symptoms of BPD fully mediate, while affective, behavioural and interpersonal symptoms only partially mediate the relationships between CEs and PEs. Recognition of co-morbid features of BPD in patients with mood disorders reporting PEs is essential. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. EEG-confirmed epileptic activity in a cat with VGKC-complex/LGI1 antibody-associated limbic encephalitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pakozdy, Akos; Glantschnigg, Ursula; Leschnik, Michael; Hechinger, Harald; Moloney, Teresa; Lang, Bethan; Halasz, Peter; Vincent, Angela

    2014-03-01

    A 5-year-old, female client-owned cat presented with acute onset of focal epileptic seizures with orofacial twitching and behavioural changes. Magnetic resonance imaging showed bilateral temporal lobe hyperintensities and the EEG was consistent with ictal epileptic seizure activity. After antiepileptic and additional corticosteroid treatment, the cat recovered and by 10 months of follow-up was seizure-free without any problem. Retrospectively, antibodies to LGI1, a component of the voltage-gated potassium channel-complex, were identified. Feline focal seizures with orofacial involvement have been increasingly recognised in client-owned cats, and autoimmune limbic encephalitis was recently suggested as a possible aetiology. This is the first report of EEG, MRI and long-term follow-up of this condition in cats which is similar to human limbic encephalitis.

  5. Reduced GABAA receptor density contralateral to a potentially epileptogenic MRI abnormality in a patient with complex partial seizures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuwert, T.; Stodieck, S.R.G.; Puskas, C.; Diehl, B.; Puskas, Z.; Schuierer, G.; Vollet, B.; Schober, O.

    1996-01-01

    Imaging cerebral GABA A receptor density (GRD) with single-photon emission tomography (SPET) and iodine-123 iomazenil is highly accurate in lateralizing epileptogenic foci in patients with complex partial seizures of temporal origin. Limited knowledge exists on how iomazenil SPET compares with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in this regard. We present a patient with complex partial seizures in whom MRI had identified an arachnoid cyst anterior to the tip of the left temporal lobe. Contralaterally to this structural abnormality, interictal electroencephalography (EEG) performed after sleep deprivation disclosed an intermittent frontotemporal dysrhythmic focus with slow and sharp waves. On iomazenil SPET images GRD was significantly reduced in the right temporal lobe and thus contralaterally to the MRI abnormality, but ipsilaterally to the pathological EEG findings. These data suggest that iomazenil SPET may significantly contribute to the presurgical evaluation of epileptic patients even when MRI identifies potentialy epileptogenic structural lesions. (orig.)

  6. Agmatine for combined treatment of epilepsy, depression and cognitive impairment in chronic epileptic animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Tanveer; Bagga, Neetu; Kaur, Anureet; Kaur, Navjot; Gawande, Dinesh Yugraj; Goel, Rajesh Kumar

    2017-08-01

    Epilepsy is fourth most common neurological disorders associated with depression and cognitive deficits. As per present scenario, none of the antiseizure drugs have been reported successful to have ameliorative effect on epilepsy associated depression and cognitive deficits. Thus, the study was envisioned to assess an ameliorative potential of agmatine on epilepsy and its efficacy and safety for management of associated depression and cognitive deficits. The animals were made epileptic employing pentylenetetrazole (35mg/kg i.p. every 48±2h) kindling model of epilepsy and subsequently were treated with vehicle, valproic acid (300mg/kg/day i.p.) and agmatine (2.5, 5, and 10mg/kg)/day/i.p. for 15days. Except naïve, all the groups were challenged with same pentylenetetrazole dose as employed during kindling on days 5, 10, and 15 to evaluate seizure severity. Two hours after seizure severity test, tail suspension test and passive shock avoidance paradigm was employed to evaluate depression and cognitive behavior respectively. Results suggested that epileptic animals were significantly associated with depression and cognitive impairment. Chronic valproate treatment significantly reduced seizure severity, but was found unable to mitigate depression and cognitive deficits. However, agmatine treatment dose dependently ameliorated seizure severity as well as associated depression and cognitive deficits. On 15th day, animals were euthanized and pertinent neurochemical estimations were carried out in cortical and hippocampal areas of the mice brain. Thus, study concluded that agmatine ameliorated seizure severity, depression and cognitive impairment in epileptic animals, possibly via restoring glutamate-GABA neurotransmission and serotonin synthesis with decreased nitrosative stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Medical management of epileptic seizures: challenges and solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarma AK

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Anand K Sarma,1 Nabil Khandker,1 Lisa Kurczewski,2 Gretchen M Brophy2 1Department of Neurology, 2Departments of Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science and Neurosurgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA Abstract: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic illnesses. This condition afflicts 2.9 million adults and children in the US, leading to an economic impact amounting to $15.5 billion. Despite the significant burden epilepsy places on the population, it is not very well understood. As this understanding continues to evolve, it is important for clinicians to stay up to date with the latest advances to provide the best care for patients. In the last 20 years, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved 15 new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs, with many more currently in development. Other advances have been achieved in terms of diagnostic modalities like electroencephalography technology, treatment devices like vagal nerve and deep-brain stimulators, novel alternate routes of drug administration, and improvement in surgical techniques. Specific patient populations, such as the pregnant, elderly, those with HIV/AIDS, and those with psychiatric illness, present their own unique challenges, with AED side effects, drug interactions, and medical–psychiatric comorbidities adding to the conundrum. The purpose of this article is to review the latest literature guiding the management of acute epileptic seizures, focusing on the current challenges across different practice settings, and it discusses studies in various patient populations, including the pregnant, geriatric, those with HIV/AIDS, comatose, psychiatric, and “pseudoseizure” patients, and offers possible evidence-based solutions or the expert opinion of the authors. Also included is information on newer AEDs, routes of administration, and significant AED-related drug-interaction tables. This review has tried to address only some of these issues that any practitioner who

  8. Targeted sequencing of 351 candidate genes for epileptic encephalopathy in a large cohort of patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Kovel, Carolien G F; Brilstra, Eva H; van Kempen, Marjan J A

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Many genes are candidates for involvement in epileptic encephalopathy (EE) because one or a few possibly pathogenic variants have been found in patients, but insufficient genetic or functional evidence exists for a definite annotation. METHODS: To increase the number of validated EE...

  9. Benign focal epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS: clinical characteristics of seizures according to age at first seizure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miziara Carmen Silvia M.G.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available BECTS is characterized by the presence of simple partial motor seizures in the face and/or oropharynx, with or without sensory symptoms and often with secondary generalization. These seizures tend to occur more often during sleep or drowsiness. According to some authors, generalized seizures prevail over other types particularly among children aged five or less. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of the first epileptic episode among children with BECTS, grouped by age as of their first epileptic seizure, as well as to analyze how such seizures change over the course of clinical evolution. A total of 61 children were examined, 16 of whom below the age of 5 and 45 above. With regard to the first and recurrent epileptic episodes, our final assessment showed that partial seizures occurred more frequently than generalized tonic-clonic seizures in both groups. Although no conclusive relation could be established between the type of partial seizure (i.e. simple versus complex and the children's age as of their first epileptic episode, it was possible to correlate the type of epileptic seizure with their clinical evolution, in which case simple partial seizures proved to be more frequent than complex partial seizures. It should be noted that the number of children under the age of five was relatively small, which evinces the need for further studies. It should also be borne in mind that the reported frequency of generalized seizures in these children's first epileptic episode may be due to their parents' lack of attention and familiarity with this pathology and their attendant difficulty in characterizing its clinical symptoms.

  10. Clinical utility of N-isopropyl-p-[123I] iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) for SPECT in epileptic children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taki, Kuniyasu; Seto, Hikaru; Futatsuya, Ryusuke; Kakishita, Masao; Seki, Hiroyasu.

    1989-01-01

    A regional cerebral perfusion study was performed in epileptic children using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I] iodoamphetamine ( 123 I-IMP). A total of 22 patients with epilepsy underwent both a 123 I-IMP brain perfusion study and X-ray CT. Eighteen had positive and four had negative perfusion study results. Of the eighteen patients with positive perfusion study results, two were positive on X-ray CT. In these two patients, the areas of perfusion defects were larger than those of low density on X-ray CT. In only four patients did the areas of perfusion defects correspond to the sites of abnormal EEG. In conclusion, 123 I-IMP perfusion study is of great clinical value in pediatric epileptic cases. (author)

  11. Subacute encephalopathy with epileptic seizures in alcoholism (SESA): case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otto, F G; Kozian, R

    2001-10-01

    The case of a 66-year-old patient is reported in view of the rarity of his condition: a case of subacute encephalopathy with seizures in alcoholics (SESA syndrome), described first in 1981 by Niedermeyer, et al. Wernicke-type aphasia, epileptic seizures (generalized tonic-clonic) and PLEDs EEG pattern dominated the neurological picture, in addition to hepatomegaly and rhabdomyolysis. This condition differs from all other known CNS complications in chronic alcoholism and is withdrawal-independent. It is prognostically favorable as far as the syndrome as such is concerned.

  12. Prevalence and correlates of epileptic seizure in substance-abusing subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattoo, Surendra K; Singh, Shubh M; Bhardwaj, Rahul; Kumar, Suresh; Basu, Debasish; Kulhara, Parmanand

    2009-08-01

    Life-time prevalence of epileptic seizures was assessed in 626 consecutive patients treated for substance abuse. Seizures were reported in 8.63% (9.2% in alcohol abusers, 12.5% in opioid abusers). A total of 64.8% of the seizures were associated with substance use. These occurred during withdrawal in the alcohol cohort and during intoxication with dextropropoxyphene and withdrawal from heroin or poppy husk in the opioid cohort. Results indicate that seizures may be more common in older patients with longer duration of dependence among those abusing alcohol.

  13. Sporadic infantile epileptic encephalopathy caused by mutations in PCDH19 resembles Dravet syndrome but mainly affects females.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christel Depienne

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Dravet syndrome (DS is a genetically determined epileptic encephalopathy mainly caused by de novo mutations in the SCN1A gene. Since 2003, we have performed molecular analyses in a large series of patients with DS, 27% of whom were negative for mutations or rearrangements in SCN1A. In order to identify new genes responsible for the disorder in the SCN1A-negative patients, 41 probands were screened for micro-rearrangements with Illumina high-density SNP microarrays. A hemizygous deletion on chromosome Xq22.1, encompassing the PCDH19 gene, was found in one male patient. To confirm that PCDH19 is responsible for a Dravet-like syndrome, we sequenced its coding region in 73 additional SCN1A-negative patients. Nine different point mutations (four missense and five truncating mutations were identified in 11 unrelated female patients. In addition, we demonstrated that the fibroblasts of our male patient were mosaic for the PCDH19 deletion. Patients with PCDH19 and SCN1A mutations had very similar clinical features including the association of early febrile and afebrile seizures, seizures occurring in clusters, developmental and language delays, behavioural disturbances, and cognitive regression. There were, however, slight but constant differences in the evolution of the patients, including fewer polymorphic seizures (in particular rare myoclonic jerks and atypical absences in those with PCDH19 mutations. These results suggest that PCDH19 plays a major role in epileptic encephalopathies, with a clinical spectrum overlapping that of DS. This disorder mainly affects females. The identification of an affected mosaic male strongly supports the hypothesis that cellular interference is the pathogenic mechanism.

  14. Decrement of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents in dentate granule cells in epileptic hippocampus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isokawa, M

    1996-05-01

    1. Inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) were studied in hippocampal dentate granule cells (DGCs) in the pilocarpine model and human temporal lobe epilepsy, with the use of the whole cell patch-clamp recording technique in slice preparations. 2. In the pilocarpine model, hippocampal slices were prepared from rats that were allowed to experience spontaneous seizures for 2 mo. Human hippocampal specimens were obtained from epileptic patients who underwent surgical treatment for medically intractable seizures. 3. IPSCs were generated by single perforant path stimulation and recorded at a membrane potential (Vm) of 0 mV near the reversal potential of glutamate excitatory postsynaptic currents in the voltage-clamp recording. IPSCs were pharmacologically identified as gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) IPSCs by 10 microM bicuculline methiodide. 4. During low-frequency stimulation, IPSCs were not different in amplitude among non-seizure-experienced rat hippocampi, human nonsclerotic hippocampi, seizure-experienced rat hippocampi, and human sclerotic hippocampi. In the last two groups of DGCs, current-clamp recordings indicated the presence of prolonged excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) mediated by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. 5. High-frequency stimulation, administered at Vm = -30 mV to activate NMDA currents, reduced GABAA IPSC amplitude specifically in seizure-experienced rat hippocampi (t = 2.5, P < 0.03) and human sclerotic hippocampi (t = 7.7, P < 0.01). This reduction was blocked by an NMDA receptor antagonist, 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) (50 microM). The time for GABAA IPSCs to recover to their original amplitude was also shortened by the application of APV. 6. I conclude that, when intensively activated, NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory transmission may interact with GABAergic synaptic inhibition in DGCs in seizure-experienced hippocampus to transiently reduce GABA(A) receptor-channel function. Such interactions may contribute to

  15. Physics of the Brain. Prevention of the Epileptic Seizures by the Multi-photon Pulsed-operated Fiber Lasers in the Ultraviolet Range of Frequencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefan, V. Alexander; IAPS Team

    The novel study of the epileptogenesis mechanisms is proposed. It is based on the pulsed-operated (amplitude modulation) multi-photon (frequency modulation) fiber-laser interaction with the brain epilepsy-topion (the epilepsy onset area), so as to prevent the excessive electrical discharge (epileptic seizure) in the brain. The repetition frequency, Ω, matches the low frequency (epileptic) phonon waves in the brain. The laser repetition frequency (5-100 pulses per second) enables the resonance-scanning of the wide range of the phonon (possible epileptic-to-be) activity in the brain. The tunable fiber laser frequencies, Δω (multi photon operation), are in the ultraviolet frequency range, thus enabling monitoring of the electrical charge imbalance (within the 10s of milliseconds), and the DNA-corruption in the epilepsy-topion, as the possible cause of the disease. Supported by Nikola Tesla Labs., Stefan University.

  16. Bio-Signal Complexity Analysis in Epileptic Seizure Monitoring: A Topic Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhenning Mei

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Complexity science has provided new perspectives and opportunities for understanding a variety of complex natural or social phenomena, including brain dysfunctions like epilepsy. By delving into the complexity in electrophysiological signals and neuroimaging, new insights have emerged. These discoveries have revealed that complexity is a fundamental aspect of physiological processes. The inherent nonlinearity and non-stationarity of physiological processes limits the methods based on simpler underlying assumptions to point out the pathway to a more comprehensive understanding of their behavior and relation with certain diseases. The perspective of complexity may benefit both the research and clinical practice through providing novel data analytics tools devoted for the understanding of and the intervention about epilepsies. This review aims to provide a sketchy overview of the methods derived from different disciplines lucubrating to the complexity of bio-signals in the field of epilepsy monitoring. Although the complexity of bio-signals is still not fully understood, bundles of new insights have been already obtained. Despite the promising results about epileptic seizure detection and prediction through offline analysis, we are still lacking robust, tried-and-true real-time applications. Multidisciplinary collaborations and more high-quality data accessible to the whole community are needed for reproducible research and the development of such applications.

  17. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: initial experience in Brazil and a review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlo Camargo Passerotti

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND PURPOSE: Partial nephrectomy has become the standard of care for renal tumors less than 4 cm in diameter. Controversy still exists, however, regarding the best surgical approach, especially when minimally invasive techniques are taken into account. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RALPN has emerged as a promising technique that helps surgeons achieve the standards of open partial nephrectomy care while offering a minimally invasive approach. The objective of the present study was to describe our initial experience with robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and extensively review the pertinent literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 2009 and February 2010, eight consecutive selected patients with contrast enhancing renal masses observed by CT were submitted to RALPN in a private institution. In addition, we collected information on the patients' demographics, preoperative tumor characteristics and detailed operative, postoperative and pathological data. In addition, a PubMed search was performed to provide an extensive review of the robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy literature. RESULTS: Seven patients had RALPN on the left or right sides with no intraoperative complications. One patient was electively converted to a robotic-assisted radical nephrectomy. The operative time ranged from 120 to 300 min, estimated blood loss (EBL ranged from 75 to 400 mL and, in five cases, the warm ischemia time (WIT ranged from 18 to 32 min. Two patients did not require any clamping. Overall, no transfusions were necessary, and there were no intraoperative complications or adverse postoperative clinical events. All margins were negative, and all patients were disease-free at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is a feasible and safe approach to small renal cortical masses.Further prospective studies are needed to compare open partial nephrectomy with

  18. The Role of Aberrant Salience and Self-Concept Clarity in Psychotic-Like Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cicero, David C.; Becker, Theresa M.; Martin, Elizabeth A.; Docherty, Anna R.; Kerns, John G.

    2013-01-01

    Most theories of psychotic-like experiences posit the involvement of social-cognitive mechanisms. The current research examined the relations between psychotic-like experiences and two social-cognitive mechanisms, high aberrant salience and low self-concept clarity. In particular, we examined whether aberrant salience, or the incorrect assignment of importance to neutral stimuli, and low self-concept clarity interacted to predict psychotic-like experiences. The current research included three large samples (n = 667, 724, 744) of participants and over-sampled for increased schizotypal personality traits. In all three studies, an interaction between aberrant salience and self-concept clarity was found such that participants with high aberrant salience and low self-concept clarity had the highest levels of psychotic-like experiences. In addition, aberrant salience and self-concept clarity interacted to predict a supplemental measure of delusions in Study 2. In Study 3, in contrast to low self-concept clarity, neuroticism did not interact with aberrant salience to predict psychotic-like experiences, suggesting that the relation between low self-concept clarity and psychosis may not be due to neuroticism. Additionally, aberrant salience and self-concept clarity did not interact to predict to other schizotypal personality disorder criteria, social anhedonia or trait paranoia, which suggests the interaction is specific to psychotic-like experiences. Overall, our results are consistent with several social-cognitive models of psychosis suggesting that aberrant salience and self-concept clarity might be important mechanisms in the occurrence of psychotic-like symptoms. PMID:22452775

  19. “ Blaming, shaming, humiliation”: Stigmatising medical interactions among people with non-epileptic seizures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robson, Catherine; Lian, Olaug S.

    2017-01-01

    Background: People with non-epileptic seizures (NES) describe challenging relationships with health professionals, and explain negative interactions as common and expected. Despite these difficulties, little is known about how people with NES experience difficult healthcare encounters. Methods: Using a thematic discourse analysis approach, we analysed the free-text survey responses of 135 people with NES and asked: what kind of challenges do people living with this condition encounter when interacting with health professionals, and how do they experience the consequences of difficult interactions? We explore their experiences by interpreting the latent meaning of participants’ texts from a social-constructionist perspective on health and illness. Results: The overarching narrative depicts a fundamental breakdown in patient-provider relationships. According to our data, the negative experiences of study participants emerge from more than practitioners’ lack of awareness of NES and access to information about the condition - to the extent that it is available. In examining the challenges people with NES encounter when interacting with health professionals, their main experiences centre on blame and humiliation. When exploring their experiences, theories of stigma serve as a useful theoretical framework. Conclusions: Normative judgements arising from psychogenic understandings of NES are stigmatising and restrict professional displays of respectful (patient-centred) care. Those with the condition depict being negatively stereotyped, illegitimated and held morally culpable by health professionals. Perceived to lack medical, moral and credible status, participants describe practitioners who treat them with disrespect, and some recount conduct that defies all ethical and professional obligations and standards. These encounters can have wide-ranging adverse consequences for patients: emotionally, physically, and for their future healthcare. The quality of healthcare

  20. A f-MRI study on memory function in normal subjects and patients with partial epilepsies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamoda, Sachiko

    2004-01-01

    To investigate cerebral regions concerning a memory function and presence of memory lateralization, activated areas and the difference between the right and left hemisphere in functional magnetic resonance imaging (f-MRI) during verbal and visual memory tasks were examined in normal subjects and, as its clinical application, in patients with partial epilepsies. Subjects were 39 normal adult subjects and 10 adult patients. Of the 39 normal subjects, 30 were right-handed and 9 were left-handed. Further, of the 10 patients, 9 were right-handed and one was left-handed, and 7, 2 and 1 had temporal lobe, frontal lobe and undetermined partial epilepsies, respectively. Following the three type of memory task were designed; verbal memory tasks consisting of covert and overt recall tests of 10 words given auditory and visual memory task of covert recall tasks of 6 figures given visually. Activated cerebral areas were imaged with f-MRI using 1.5 tesla Magnetom Vision taken repeatedly during these tasks and neutral condition. Most of the 30 right-handed normal subjects showed activated areas over the left hemisphere specifically on the anterior cingulate, superior, middle and inferior frontal gyri during the verbal memory tasks of covert recall tests. Left hemisphere dominant activated areas in the precentral gyri were added during the verbal memory tasks of overt recall tests. On the other hand, 4 of the 9 left-handed normal subjects showed the left side-dominantly activated areas in the above-mentioned regions during the verbal memory tasks of covert and overt tests, in common with the right-handed subjects. However, 3 of the 9 left-handed normal subjects had right hemisphere dominant activation during the verbal memory tasks, while none of the 30 right-handed normal subjects showed such right side-dominancy. Further, the bilateral occipital lobes were activated during visual memory tasks. The reproducibility in this activation during these verbal and visual memory tasks

  1. Uric acid and allopurinol aggravate absence epileptic activity in Wistar Albino Glaxo Rijswijk rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakatos, Renáta Krisztina; Dobolyi, Árpád; Kovács, Zsolt

    2018-05-01

    Uric acid has a role in several physiological and pathophysiological processes. For example, uric acid may facilitate seizure generalization while reducing uric acid level may evoke anticonvulsant/antiepileptic effects. Allopurinol blocks the activity of xanthine oxidase, by which allopurinol inhibits catabolism of hypoxanthine to xanthine and uric acid and, as a consequence, decreases the level of uric acid. Although the modulation of serum uric acid level is a widely used strategy in the treatment of certain diseases, our knowledge regarding the effects of uric acid on epileptic activity is far from complete. Thus, the main aim of this study was the investigation of the effect of uric acid on absence epileptic seizures (spike-wave discharges: SWDs) in a model of human absence epilepsy, the Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rat. We investigated the influence of intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected uric acid (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg), allopurinol (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg), a cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 (COX-1 and COX-2) inhibitor indomethacin (10 mg/kg) and inosine (500 mg/kg) alone and the combined application of allopurinol (50 mg/kg) with uric acid (100 mg/kg) or inosine (500 mg/kg) as well as indomethacin (10 mg/kg) with uric acid (100 mg/kg) and inosine (500 mg/kg) with uric acid (100 mg/kg) on absence epileptic activity. We demonstrated that both uric acid and allopurinol alone significantly increased the number of SWDs whereas indomethacin abolished the uric acid-evoked increase in SWD number. Our results suggest that uric acid and allopurinol have proepileptic effects in WAG/Rij rats. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Clinical usefulness of MRI and MRA in children with partial epilepsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zajac, A.; Kacinski, M.; Kubik, A.; Kroczka, S.

    2006-01-01

    Partial epilepsy is a very important problem of epileptology in childhood including clinical and therapeutic aspect especially surgery treatment. The aim of this study is to assess clinical value of neuroimagine techniques (structural MRI, MRI angiography) in partial epilepsy diagnostics in children. The relation between results of examinations with these methods and congenital and acquired risk factors related to partial epilepsy, age of its onset and clinical assessment of patients was analyzed. The study group consisted of 140 children with partial epilepsy hospitalized between 1998 and 2004 in Department of Pediatric Neurology, Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University, Krakow. The group included 70 girls and 70 boys, the age ranged from 2 months to 17 years. In study group statistical analysis included different factors as which can be related with results of neuroimaging as age, load of pregnancy and birth period, familiar epilepsy, patient's risk factors for appearance of epilepsy, acquired risk factors of epilepsy, results of neurological examination, type of epilepsy, status epilepticus, and signs according epileptic attacks which can be related with neuroimaging results. The primary method of neuroimagine in all patients was structural MRI, in 16 cases Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA). The parametric tests (t-student), nonparametric Mann-Whitney's test were used in statistical analysis. The bilateral Fisher test was used to check rate in groups. There was assessed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value; the 95% confidence interval was calculated for these parameters. Abnormalities in neurological examination in children with partial epilepsy were strongly correlated with MRI findings. The structural changes in MRI were found in younger children, whose course of epilepsy was longer than children without MRI changes. Changes in hippocampus ere the most common in children with partial epilepsy with abnormalities in

  3. Two cases of childhood narcolepsy mimicking epileptic seizures in video-EEG/EMG.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanagishita, Tomoe; Ito, Susumu; Ohtani, Yui; Eto, Kaoru; Kanbayashi, Takashi; Oguni, Hirokazu; Nagata, Satoru

    2018-06-06

    Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive sleepiness, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis, and can occur with or without cataplexy. Here, we report two children with narcolepsy presenting with cataplexy mimicking epileptic seizures as determined by long-term video-electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) monitoring. Case 1 was a 15-year-old girl presenting with recurrent episodes of "convulsions" and loss of consciousness, who was referred to our hospital with a diagnosis of epilepsy showing "convulsions" and "complex partial seizures". The long-term video-polygraph showed a clonic attack lasting for 15 s, which corresponded to 1-2 Hz with interruption of mentalis EMG discharges lasting for 70-300 ms without any EEG changes. Narcolepsy was suspected due to the attack induced by hearty laughs and the presence of sleep attacks, and confirmed by low orexin levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Case 2 was an 11-year-old girl presenting with recurrent episodes of myoclonic attacks simultaneously with dropping objects immediately after hearty laughs, in addition to sleep attacks, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. The long-term video-polygraph showed a subtle attack, characterized by dropping chopsticks from her hand, which corresponded to an interruption of ongoing deltoid EMG discharges lasting 140 ms without any EEG changes. A diagnosis of narcolepsy was confirmed by the low orexin levels in CSF. These cases demonstrate that children with narcolepsy may have attacks of cataplexy that resemble clonic or myoclonic seizures. Copyright © 2018 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. A new knee arthrometer, the GNRB: experience in ACL complete and partial tears.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert, H; Nouveau, S; Gageot, S; Gagnière, B

    2009-05-01

    Clinical diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears (Lachman test and Pivot shift test in valgus and internal rotation) is reliable in case of complete ACL tear but reveals elusive in case of partial tears. Quantitative assessment of anterior tibial translation proves to be imprecise, subjective and poorly reproducible especially with the KT-1000 arthrometer. We developed the GNRB, an alternative original anterior knee laxity measurement device. The lower limb is placed in a rigid support with the knee at 0 degrees of rotation, the restraining power being recorded. A 0-250 N thrust force is transmitted by a jack to the upper segment of the calf. This force is only applied in the absence of hamstring muscles contraction. Displacement of the anterior tibial tubercle is recorded using a sensor with a 0.1mm precision. We hypothesize that this knee laxity measurement device is more reliable and reproducible than other currently available arthrometers. During a first validation study, the GNRB was compared to the KT-1000 arthrometer, in 20 pairs of healthy knees, measurements being performed by two investigators. Variance analyses were carried out at 134 N. In a second clinical study, 21 complete ACL tears (the notch is devoid of ACL) and 24 partial ACL tears (anterior or posterior bundle tear and cicatricial ACL remnant in continuity) were tested with these arthrometers to exact a differential laxity threshold value between both knees at 250 N. Statistical analysis was subsequently performed using variance and ROC curves analysis. The GNRB arthrometer reveals to be significantly more reproducible than the KT-1000, irrespectively of the tester's experience level. Moreover, unlike the KT-1000, the achieved measurement is independent from the uninvolved side. Reproducibility of laximetry proves to be significantly better with the GNRB than with the KT-1000, wherever the examiner's experience stands and whatever the evaluated side condition could be. When

  5. Out-of-body experiences associated with seizures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruce eGreyson

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Alterations of consciousness are critical factors in the diagnosis of epileptic seizures. With these alterations in consciousness, some persons report sensations of separating from the physical body, experiences that may in rare cases resemble spontaneous out-of-body experiences. This study was designed to identify and characterize these out-of-body-like subjective experiences associated with seizure activity. 55% of the patients in this study recalled some subjective experience in association with their seizures. Among our sample of 100 patients, 7 reported out-of-body experiences associated with their seizures. We found no differentiating traits that were associated with patients’ reports of out-of-body experiences, in terms of either demographics; medical history, including age of onset and duration of seizure disorder, and seizure frequency; seizure characteristics, including localization, lateralization, etiology, and type of seizure, and epilepsy syndrome; or ability to recall any subjective experiences associated with their seizures. Reporting out-of-body experiences in association with seizures did not affect epilepsy-related quality of life. It should be noted that even in those patients who report out-of-body experiences, such sensations are extremely rare events that do not occur routinely with their seizures. Most patients who reported out-of-body experiences described one or two experiences that occurred an indeterminate number of years ago, which precludes the possibility of associating the experience with the particular characteristics of that one seizure or with medications taken or other conditions at the time.

  6. The Intricate Relationship between Psychotic-Like Experiences and Associated Subclinical Symptoms in Healthy Individuals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unterrassner, Lui; Wyss, Thomas A.; Wotruba, Diana; Haker, Helene; Rössler, Wulf

    2017-01-01

    The interplay between subclinical psychotic, negative, and affective symptoms has gained increased attention regarding the etiology of psychosis spectrum and other mental disorders. Importantly, research has tended to not differentiate between different subtypes of psychotic-like experiences (PLE) although they may not have the same significance for mental health. In order to gain information on the subclinical interplay between specific PLE and other symptoms as well as the significance of PLE for mental health, we investigated their specific associations in 206 healthy individuals (20–60 years, 73 females) using correlational and linear regression analyses. PLE were assessed with the Magical Ideation Questionnaire, the revised Exceptional Experiences Questionnaire, and subscales of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). The revised Symptom Checklist 90, the SPQ, and the Physical Anhedonia Scale were used to measure subclinical negative symptoms, affective symptoms, and other symptoms such as, emotional instability. As hypothesized, we found that (1) most affective symptoms and all other subclinical symptoms correlated positively with all PLE, whereas we found only partial associations between negative symptoms and PLE. Notably, (2) magical ideation and paranormal beliefs correlated negatively with physical anhedonia. In the regression analyses we found (3) similar patterns of specific positive associations between PLE and other subclinical symptoms: Suspiciousness was a specific predictor of negative-like symptoms, whereas ideas of reference, unusual perceptual experiences, and dissociative anomalous perceptions specifically predicted anxiety symptoms. Interestingly, (4) ideas of reference negatively predicted physical anhedonia. Similarly, paranormal beliefs were negatively associated with constricted affect. Moreover, odd beliefs were a negative predictor of depression, emotional instability, and unspecific symptoms. Our findings indicated that

  7. The Intricate Relationship between Psychotic-Like Experiences and Associated Subclinical Symptoms in Healthy Individuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lui Unterrassner

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The interplay between subclinical psychotic, negative, and affective symptoms has gained increased attention regarding the etiology of psychosis spectrum and other mental disorders. Importantly, research has tended to not differentiate between different subtypes of psychotic-like experiences (PLE although they may not have the same significance for mental health. In order to gain information on the subclinical interplay between specific PLE and other symptoms as well as the significance of PLE for mental health, we investigated their specific associations in 206 healthy individuals (20–60 years, 73 females using correlational and linear regression analyses. PLE were assessed with the Magical Ideation Questionnaire, the revised Exceptional Experiences Questionnaire, and subscales of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ. The revised Symptom Checklist 90, the SPQ, and the Physical Anhedonia Scale were used to measure subclinical negative symptoms, affective symptoms, and other symptoms such as, emotional instability. As hypothesized, we found that (1 most affective symptoms and all other subclinical symptoms correlated positively with all PLE, whereas we found only partial associations between negative symptoms and PLE. Notably, (2 magical ideation and paranormal beliefs correlated negatively with physical anhedonia. In the regression analyses we found (3 similar patterns of specific positive associations between PLE and other subclinical symptoms: Suspiciousness was a specific predictor of negative-like symptoms, whereas ideas of reference, unusual perceptual experiences, and dissociative anomalous perceptions specifically predicted anxiety symptoms. Interestingly, (4 ideas of reference negatively predicted physical anhedonia. Similarly, paranormal beliefs were negatively associated with constricted affect. Moreover, odd beliefs were a negative predictor of depression, emotional instability, and unspecific symptoms. Our findings

  8. Age-dependent suppression of hippocampal epileptic afterdischarges by metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 antagonist MTEP

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zavala-Tecuapetla, Cecília; Kubová, Hana; Otáhal, Jakub; Tsenov, Grygoriy; Mareš, Pavel

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 66, č. 5 (2014), s. 927-930 ISSN 1734-1140 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA305/09/0846; GA ČR(CZ) GBP304/12/G069 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : epileptic afterdischarge * hippocampus * rat * ontogeny * metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 Subject RIV: FH - Neurology Impact factor: 1.928, year: 2014

  9. Reduced GABA{sub A} receptor density contralateral to a potentially epileptogenic MRI abnormality in a patient with complex partial seizures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuwert, T. [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Muenster Univ. (Germany); Stodieck, S.R.G. [Dept. of Neurology, Muenster Univ. (Germany); Puskas, C. [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Muenster Univ. (Germany); Diehl, B. [Dept. of Neurology, Muenster Univ. (Germany); Puskas, Z. [Inst. of Clinical Radiology, Muenster Univ. (Germany); Schuierer, G. [Inst. of Clinical Radiology, Muenster Univ. (Germany); Vollet, B. [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Muenster Univ. (Germany); Schober, O. [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Muenster Univ. (Germany)

    1996-01-01

    Imaging cerebral GABA{sub A} receptor density (GRD) with single-photon emission tomography (SPET) and iodine-123 iomazenil is highly accurate in lateralizing epileptogenic foci in patients with complex partial seizures of temporal origin. Limited knowledge exists on how iomazenil SPET compares with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in this regard. We present a patient with complex partial seizures in whom MRI had identified an arachnoid cyst anterior to the tip of the left temporal lobe. Contralaterally to this structural abnormality, interictal electroencephalography (EEG) performed after sleep deprivation disclosed an intermittent frontotemporal dysrhythmic focus with slow and sharp waves. On iomazenil SPET images GRD was significantly reduced in the right temporal lobe and thus contralaterally to the MRI abnormality, but ipsilaterally to the pathological EEG findings. These data suggest that iomazenil SPET may significantly contribute to the presurgical evaluation of epileptic patients even when MRI identifies potentialy epileptogenic structural lesions. (orig.)

  10. Laparoscopic Partial Hepatectomy: Animal Experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haruhiro Inoue

    1995-01-01

    Full Text Available As a first step in firmly establishing laparoscopic hepatectomy, we introduce a porcine model of laparoscopic partial hepatectomy. This procedure has been successfully performed under the normal-pressure or low-pressure pneumoperitoneum condition supported by the full-thickness abdominal wall lifting technique. An ultrasonic dissector combined with electrocautery, newly developed by Olympus Optical Corporation (Japan was effectively utilized in facilitating safe and smooth incisions into the liver parenchyma. Although indications for this procedure seem to be limited only to peripheral lesions and not to central lesions, clinical application of this method may be useful for some patients in the near future.

  11. The simultaneous generation of soliton bunches and Q-switched-like pulses in a partially mode-locked fiber laser with a graphene saturable absorber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhenhong; Wang, Zhi; Liu, Yan-ge; He, Ruijing; Wang, Guangdou; Yang, Guang; Han, Simeng

    2018-05-01

    We experimentally report the coexistence of soliton bunches and Q-switched-like pulses in a partially mode-locked fiber laser with a microfiber-based graphene saturable absorber. The soliton bunches, like isolated spikes with extreme amplitude and ultrashort duration, randomly generate in the background of the Q-switched-like pulses. The soliton bunches have some pulse envelopes in which pulses operate at a fundamental repetition rate in the temporal domain. Further investigation shows that the composite pulses are highly correlated with the noise-like pulses. Our work can make a further contribution to enrich the understanding of the nonlinear dynamics in fiber lasers.

  12. The bumetanide prodrug BUM5, but not bumetanide, potentiates the antiseizure effect of phenobarbital in adult epileptic mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erker, Thomas; Brandt, Claudia; Töllner, Kathrin; Schreppel, Philipp; Twele, Friederike; Schidlitzki, Alina; Löscher, Wolfgang

    2016-05-01

    The loop diuretic bumetanide has been reported to potentiate the antiseizure activity of phenobarbital in rodent models of neonatal seizures, most likely as a result of inhibition of the chloride importer Na-K-Cl cotransporter isoform 1 (NKCC1) in the brain. In view of the intractability of neonatal seizures, the preclinical findings prompted a clinical trial in neonates on bumetanide as an add-on to phenobarbital, which, however, had to be terminated because of ototoxicity and lack of efficacy. We have recently shown that bumetanide penetrates only poorly into the brain, so that we developed lipophilic prodrugs such as BUM5, the N,N-dimethylaminoethylester of bumetanide, which penetrate more easily into the brain and are converted to bumetanide. In the present study, we used a new strategy to test whether BUM5 is more potent than bumetanide in potentiating the antiseizure effect of phenobarbital. Adult mice were made epileptic by pilocarpine, and the antiseizure effects of bumetanide, BUM5, and phenobarbital alone or in combination were determined by the maximal electroshock seizure threshold test. In nonepileptic mice, only phenobarbital exerted seizure threshold-increasing activity, and this was not potentiated by the NKCC1 inhibitors. In contrast, a marked potentiation of phenobarbital by BUM5, but not bumetanide, was determined in epileptic mice. Thus, bumetanide is not capable of potentiating phenobarbital's antiseizure effect in an adult mouse model, which, however, can be overcome by using the prodrug BUM5. These data substantiate that BUM5 is a promising tool compound for target validation and proof-of-concept studies on the role of NKCC1 in brain diseases. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

  13. Effect of an Empowerment Program on Self-Efficacy of Epileptic Child's Mothers in Psychological Adaptation, Gaining Support and Receiving Information

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Gholami

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Aims: Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent childhood neurological disorders. As the primary caregivers, the mothers of epileptic children undergo different psychological pressures. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of empowerment on the self-efficacy of the mothers of the epileptic children, concerning psychological adaptation, gaining support, and receiving information. Materials & Methods: In the controlled two-group random clinical trial with pretest and posttest steps, 100 mothers of epileptic children hospitalized in the Neurology Ward of Ghaem Hospital of Mashhad were studied in 2014. The subjects, selected via convenience sampling method, were randomly divided into two groups including experimental (n=50 and control (n=50 groups. Data was collected using the caregiver’s self-efficacy questionnaire. Only experimental group received the empowerment program, and no intervention was conducted in control group. The mothers’ self-efficacy was measured before and after the intervention in both groups. Data was analyzed by SPSS 11.5 software using independent T, paired T, Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and covariance tests. Findings: The mean scores of self-efficacy, including psychological adjustment, gain a support, and receiving information, were not significantly different between the groups before the intervention (p>0.05. Nevertheless, the groups were significantly different after the intervention (p<0.001. In addition, the mean score after the intervention in experimental group was significantly higher than the score in the same group before the intervention (p<0.001. Conclusion: The empowerment program enhances the self-efficacy of the mothers of the epileptic children in psychological adjustment, gain a support, and receiving information.

  14. Microarray profile of seizure damage-refractory hippocampal CA3 in a mouse model of epileptic preconditioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatazaki, S; Bellver-Estelles, C; Jimenez-Mateos, E M; Meller, R; Bonner, C; Murphy, N; Matsushima, S; Taki, W; Prehn, J H M; Simon, R P; Henshall, D C

    2007-12-05

    A neuroprotected state can be acquired by preconditioning brain with a stimulus that is subthreshold for damage (tolerance). Acquisition of tolerance involves coordinate, bi-directional changes to gene expression levels and the re-programmed phenotype is determined by the preconditioning stimulus. While best studied in ischemic brain there is evidence brief seizures can confer tolerance against prolonged seizures (status epilepticus). Presently, we developed a model of epileptic preconditioning in mice and used microarrays to gain insight into the transcriptional phenotype within the target hippocampus at the time tolerance had been acquired. Epileptic tolerance was induced by an episode of non-damaging seizures in adult C57Bl/6 mice using a systemic injection of kainic acid. Neuron and DNA damage-positive cell counts 24 h after status epilepticus induced by intraamygdala microinjection of kainic acid revealed preconditioning given 24 h prior reduced CA3 neuronal death by approximately 45% compared with non-tolerant seizure mice. Microarray analysis of over 39,000 transcripts (Affymetrix 430 2.0 chip) from microdissected CA3 subfields was undertaken at the point at which tolerance was acquired. Results revealed a unique profile of small numbers of equivalently up- and down-regulated genes with biological functions that included transport and localization, ubiquitin metabolism, apoptosis and cell cycle control. Select microarray findings were validated post hoc by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The present study defines a paradigm for inducing epileptic preconditioning in mice and first insight into the global transcriptome of the seizure-damage refractory brain.

  15. Novel CDKL5 Mutations in Czech Patients with Phenotypes of Atypical Rett Syndrome and Early-Onset Epileptic Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Záhoráková, D; Langová, M; Brožová, K; Laštůvková, J; Kalina, Z; Rennerová, L; Martásek, P

    2016-01-01

    The X-linked CDKL5 gene, which encodes cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 protein, has been implicated in early-onset encephalopathy and atypical Rett syndrome with early-onset seizures. The CDKL5 protein is a kinase required for neuronal development and morphogenesis, but its precise functions are still largely unexplored. Individuals with CDKL5 mutations present with severe global developmental delay, intractable epilepsy, and Rett-like features. A clear genotype-phenotype correlation has not been established due to an insufficient number of reported cases. The aim of this study was to analyse the CDKL5 gene in Czech patients with early-onset seizures and Rett-like features. We performed mutation screening in a cohort of 83 individuals using high-resolution melting analysis, DNA sequencing and multiplex ligation- dependent probe amplification. Molecular analyses revealed heterozygous pathogenic mutations in three girls with severe intellectual disability and intractable epilepsy starting at the age of two months. All three identified mutations, c.637G>A, c.902_977+29del105, and c.1757_1758delCT, are novel, thus significantly extending the growing spectrum of known pathogenic CDKL5 sequence variants. Our results support the importance of genetic testing of the CDKL5 gene in patients with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy and Rett-like features with early-onset seizures. This is the first study referring to molecular defects of CDKL5 in Czech cases.

  16. Psychosocial Functioning of Adult Epileptic and MS Patients and Adult Normal Controls on the WPSI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Siang-Yang

    1986-01-01

    Psychosocial functioning of adult epileptic outpatients as assessed by the Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory (WPSI) was compared to that of adult multiple sclerosis (MS) outpatients and normal subjects. When only valid WPSI profiles were considered, the only significant finding was that the epilepsy group and the MS group had more…

  17. Multiple Solutions for Reconfiguration to Address Partial Shading Losses in Solar Photovoltaic Arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Nikesh; Pareek, Smita; Chaturvedi, Nitin; Dahiya, Ratna

    2018-03-01

    Solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems are steadily rising and considered as the best alternatives to meet the rising demand of energy. In developing countries like India, SPV’s contribution being a clean energy is the most favourable. However, experiences have shown that produced power of these systems is usually affected due to day, night, seasonal variations, insolation, partial shading conditions etc. Among these parameters, partial shading causes a huge reduction in output power of PV systems. This results in lack of confidence for this technology among users. Thus, it is important and a major challenge in PV systems to minimize the effect of partial shading on their energy production. The work in this paper aims to propose solutions for reconfiguration of solar photovoltaic arrays in order to reduce partial shading losses and thus to enhance power generation.

  18. Monitoring of regional cerebral blood flow by single photon emission tomography of I123-N-isopropyl-iodoamphetamine in epileptics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magistretti, P.L.; Uren, R.F.; Parker, J.A.; Royal, H.D.; Front, D.; Kolodny, G.M.

    1983-01-01

    In some patients with epileptic disorders it is difficult to accurately localize the seizure focus especially in the case of deep lesions. In an attempt to provide better localization of such foci we have used single photon emission tomography (SPECT) of a new radiopharmaceutical I 123 -N-isopropyl-iodoamphetamine (IMP) to measure regional cerebral blood flow (RCBF) in the ictal and interictal phases. Eight patients were studied. The location of the seizure focus was determined by intraoperative corticography operative findings and pathology in 5 patients and by neuropsychological testing and long-term EEG monitoring in the other three. The SPECT scan accurately localized the seizure focus in all patients. This modality also allowed the functional state of the seizure focus to be assessed. In five of the thirteen studies there was increased RCBF at the seizure focus. On four of these occasions the patients reported symptoms typical of their seizures. In the asymptomatic patient the focally increased RCBF corresponded with a very active superficial epileptic focus on EEG. These preliminary results suggest that SPECT scans of RCBF, will have considerable utility in the management of epileptics. This is particularly the case as the necessary instrumentation is already available in many hospitals, thus minimizing the cost of widespread application

  19. Cerebral perfusion alterations in epileptic patients during peri-ictal and post-ictal phase: PASL vs DSC-MRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizzini, Francesca B; Farace, Paolo; Manganotti, Paolo; Zoccatelli, Giada; Bongiovanni, Luigi G; Golay, Xavier; Beltramello, Alberto; Osculati, Antonio; Bertini, Giuseppe; Fabene, Paolo F

    2013-07-01

    Non-invasive pulsed arterial spin labeling (PASL) MRI is a method to study brain perfusion that does not require the administration of a contrast agent, which makes it a valuable diagnostic tool as it reduces cost and side effects. The purpose of the present study was to establish the viability of PASL as an alternative to dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC-MRI) and other perfusion imaging methods in characterizing changes in perfusion patterns caused by seizures in epileptic patients. We evaluated 19 patients with PASL. Of these, the 9 affected by high-frequency seizures were observed during the peri-ictal period (within 5hours since the last seizure), while the 10 patients affected by low-frequency seizures were observed in the post-ictal period. For comparison, 17/19 patients were also evaluated with DSC-MRI and CBF/CBV. PASL imaging showed focal vascular changes, which allowed the classification of patients in three categories: 8 patients characterized by increased perfusion, 4 patients with normal perfusion and 7 patients with decreased perfusion. PASL perfusion imaging findings were comparable to those obtained by DSC-MRI. Since PASL is a) sensitive to vascular alterations induced by epileptic seizures, b) comparable to DSC-MRI for detecting perfusion asymmetries, c) potentially capable of detecting time-related perfusion changes, it can be recommended for repeated evaluations, to identify the epileptic focus, and in follow-up and/or therapy-response assessment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Changes of serum cytokines levels after drug therapy in epileptic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie Jianping; Li Suping; Xiong Gang

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To explore the role of the cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the neuroimmune modulation of epilepsy through measurement of the changes of the serum levels of the these cytokines after drug therapy in epileptic patients. Methods: Serum IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α levels were measured with RIA in 43 patients with epilepsy both before and after drug therapy for 3-6 months as well as 32 controls. Results: Before treatment, serum levels of these cytokines in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (p<0.001). After treatment, 18 of the 43 patients were regarded as treatment very successful, with attack numbers decreased more than 75%. Some of this group of patient had their serum cytokines levels significantly dropped down, but the mean level for the group as a whole did not change much. In the rest 25 patients with less successful result, changes were not significant with the levels increased in a few cases. Among the cytokines, levels of IL-2 were significantly positively correlated to those of IL-6 and TNF-α (r=0.47, p<0.01, r=0.55, p<0.01). Conclusion: Increased levels of the cytokines in the epileptic patients suggest an activated immune state. However, the changes of levels after therapy are not predictable and do not necessarily drop down significantly even with very successful treatment

  1. Partial molar volumes of hydrogen and deuterium in niobium and vanadium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herro, H.M.

    1979-01-01

    Lattice dilation studies and direct pressure experiments gave comparable values for the partial molar volumes of hydrogen and deuterium in niobium and vanadium. Small isotope effects in the partial molar volume of hydrogen were measured in both metals by the differential isotope method. Hydrogen had a larger partial molar volume than deuterium in niobium, but the reverse was true in vanadium. The isotope effect measured in niobium can be represented as being due to the larger amplitude of vibration of the hydrogen atom than the deuterium atom in the metal lattice. Since hydrogen has a larger mean displacement from the equilibrium position than does deuterium, the average force hydrogen exerts on the metal atoms is greater than the force deuterium exerts. The isotope effect in vanadium is likely a result of anharmonic effects in the lattice and local vibrational modes

  2. Genome-wide analysis of adolescent psychotic-like experiences shows genetic overlap with psychiatric disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pain, Oliver; Dudbridge, Frank; Cardno, Alastair G; Freeman, Daniel; Lu, Yi; Lundstrom, Sebastian; Lichtenstein, Paul; Ronald, Angelica

    2018-03-31

    This study aimed to test for overlap in genetic influences between psychotic-like experience traits shown by adolescents in the community, and clinically-recognized psychiatric disorders in adulthood, specifically schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. The full spectra of psychotic-like experience domains, both in terms of their severity and type (positive, cognitive, and negative), were assessed using self- and parent-ratings in three European community samples aged 15-19 years (Final N incl. siblings = 6,297-10,098). A mega-genome-wide association study (mega-GWAS) for each psychotic-like experience domain was performed. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-heritability of each psychotic-like experience domain was estimated using genomic-relatedness-based restricted maximum-likelihood (GREML) and linkage disequilibrium- (LD-) score regression. Genetic overlap between specific psychotic-like experience domains and schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression was assessed using polygenic risk score (PRS) and LD-score regression. GREML returned SNP-heritability estimates of 3-9% for psychotic-like experience trait domains, with higher estimates for less skewed traits (Anhedonia, Cognitive Disorganization) than for more skewed traits (Paranoia and Hallucinations, Parent-rated Negative Symptoms). Mega-GWAS analysis identified one genome-wide significant association for Anhedonia within IDO2 but which did not replicate in an independent sample. PRS analysis revealed that the schizophrenia PRS significantly predicted all adolescent psychotic-like experience trait domains (Paranoia and Hallucinations only in non-zero scorers). The major depression PRS significantly predicted Anhedonia and Parent-rated Negative Symptoms in adolescence. Psychotic-like experiences during adolescence in the community show additive genetic effects and partly share genetic influences with clinically-recognized psychiatric disorders, specifically schizophrenia and

  3. Oral Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR) reduces kainic acid-induced epileptic seizures and neuronal death accompanied by attenuating glial cell proliferation and S100B proteins in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yi-Wen; Hsieh, Ching-Liang

    2011-05-17

    Epilepsy is a common clinical syndrome with recurrent neuronal discharges in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Here we aim to determine the protective role of Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR), an herbal drug belong to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), on epileptic rats. To address this issue, we tested the effect of UR on kainic acid (KA)-induced epileptic seizures and further investigate the underlying mechanisms. Oral UR successfully decreased neuronal death and discharges in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. The population spikes (PSs) were decreased from 4.1 ± 0.4 mV to 2.1 ± 0.3 mV in KA-induced epileptic seizures and UR-treated groups, respectively. Oral UR protected animals from neuronal death induced by KA treatment (from 34 ± 4.6 to 191.7 ± 48.6 neurons/field) through attenuating glial cell proliferation and S100B protein expression but not GABAA and TRPV1 receptors. The above results provide detail mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective action of UR on KA-induced epileptic seizure in hippocampal CA1 neurons. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Affective disorders and functional (non-epileptic) seizures in persons with epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Keith A; Macfarlane, Matthew D; Looi, Jeffrey Cl

    2016-12-01

    This paper aims to describe the prevalence, assessment and management of affective disorders as well as functional (non-epileptic) seizures in people with epilepsy. This paper comprises a selective review of the literature of the common affective manifestations of epilepsy. Affective disorders are the most common psychiatric comorbidity seen in people with epilepsy and assessment and management parallels that of the general population. Additionally, people with epilepsy may experience higher rates of mood instability, irritability and euphoria, classified together as a group, interictal dysphoric disorder and resembling an unstable bipolar Type II disorder. Functional seizures present unique challenges in terms of identification of the disorder and a lack of specific management. Given their high prevalence, it is important to be able to recognise affective disorders in people with epilepsy. Management principles parallel those in the general population with specific caution exercised regarding the potential interactions between antidepressant medications and antiepileptic drugs. Functional seizures are more complex and require a coordinated approach involving neurologists, psychiatrists, general practitioners, nursing and allied health. There is very limited evidence to guide psychological and behavioural interventions for neurotic disorders in epilepsy and much more research is needed. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.

  5. Volumetric localization of epileptic activities in tuberous sclerosis using synthetic aperture magnetometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiao, Zheng [Hospital for Sick Children, Research Institute, Toronto (Canada); Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Toronto (Canada); Xiang, Jing [Hospital for Sick Children, Research Institute, Toronto (Canada); Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Toronto (Canada); Holowka, Stephanie; Chuang, Sylvester [Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Toronto (Canada); Hunjan, Amrita; Sharma, Rohit; Otsubo, Hiroshi [Hospital for Sick Children, Division of Neurology, Toronto (Canada)

    2006-01-01

    Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a novel noninvasive technique for localizing epileptic zones. Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is often associated with medically refractory epilepsy with multiple epileptic zones. Surgical treatment of TSC requires accurate localization of epileptogenic tubers. The objective of this study was to introduce a new MEG technique, synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM), to volumetrically localize irritable zones and clarify the correlations between SAM, dipole modeling and anatomical tubers. Eight pediatric patients with TSC confirmed by clinical and neuroimaging findings were retrospectively studied. MEG data were recorded using a whole-cortex CTF OMEGA system. Sleep deprivation was employed to provoke epileptiform activity. Irritable zones were localized using both dipole modeling and SAM. MRI detected 42 tubers in the eight patients. Dipole modeling localized 28 irritable zones, and 19 out of the 28 zones were near tubers (19/42, 45%). SAM found 51 irritable zones, and 31 out of the 51 zones were near tubers (31/42, 74%). Among the 51 irritable zones determined by SAM, thirty-five zones were in 1-35 Hz, nine zones were in 35-60 Hz, and seven zones were in 60-120 Hz. The new method, SAM, yielded very plausible equivalent sources for patients who showed anatomical tubers on MRI. Compared to conventional dipole modeling, SAM appeared to offer increased detection of irritable zones and beneficial volumetric and frequency descriptions. (orig.)

  6. Interictal functional connectivity of human epileptic networks assessed by intracerebral EEG and BOLD signal fluctuations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaelle Bettus

    Full Text Available In this study, we aimed to demonstrate whether spontaneous fluctuations in the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD signal derived from resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI reflect spontaneous neuronal activity in pathological brain regions as well as in regions spared by epileptiform discharges. This is a crucial issue as coherent fluctuations of fMRI signals between remote brain areas are now widely used to define functional connectivity in physiology and in pathophysiology. We quantified functional connectivity using non-linear measures of cross-correlation between signals obtained from intracerebral EEG (iEEG and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI in 5 patients suffering from intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE. Functional connectivity was quantified with both modalities in areas exhibiting different electrophysiological states (epileptic and non affected regions during the interictal period. Functional connectivity as measured from the iEEG signal was higher in regions affected by electrical epileptiform abnormalities relative to non-affected areas, whereas an opposite pattern was found for functional connectivity measured from the BOLD signal. Significant negative correlations were found between the functional connectivities of iEEG and BOLD signal when considering all pairs of signals (theta, alpha, beta and broadband and when considering pairs of signals in regions spared by epileptiform discharges (in broadband signal. This suggests differential effects of epileptic phenomena on electrophysiological and hemodynamic signals and/or an alteration of the neurovascular coupling secondary to pathological plasticity in TLE even in regions spared by epileptiform discharges. In addition, indices of directionality calculated from both modalities were consistent showing that the epileptogenic regions exert a significant influence onto the non epileptic areas during the interictal period. This study shows that functional

  7. Partial Thermalization of Correlations in pA and AA collisionss

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gavin, Sean; Moschelli, George; Zin, Christopher

    2017-09-01

    Correlations born before the onset of hydrodynamic flow can leave observable traces on the final state particles. Measurement of these correlations can yield important information on the isotropization and thermalization process. Starting with Israel-Stewart hydrodynamics and Boltzmann-like kinetic theory in the presence of dynamic Langevin noise, we derive new partial differential equations for two-particle correlation functions. To illustrate how these equations can be used, we study the effect of thermalization on long range correlations. We show quite generally that two particle correlations at early times depend on S, the average probability that a parton suffers no interactions. We extract S from transverse momentum fluctuations measured in Pb+Pb collisions and predict the degree of partial thermalization in pA experiments. NSF-PHY-1207687.

  8. Abnormal binding and disruption in large scale networks involved in human partial seizures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bartolomei Fabrice

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available There is a marked increase in the amount of electrophysiological and neuroimaging works dealing with the study of large scale brain connectivity in the epileptic brain. Our view of the epileptogenic process in the brain has largely evolved over the last twenty years from the historical concept of “epileptic focus” to a more complex description of “Epileptogenic networks” involved in the genesis and “propagation” of epileptic activities. In particular, a large number of studies have been dedicated to the analysis of intracerebral EEG signals to characterize the dynamic of interactions between brain areas during temporal lobe seizures. These studies have reported that large scale functional connectivity is dramatically altered during seizures, particularly during temporal lobe seizure genesis and development. Dramatic changes in neural synchrony provoked by epileptic rhythms are also responsible for the production of ictal symptoms or changes in patient’s behaviour such as automatisms, emotional changes or consciousness alteration. Beside these studies dedicated to seizures, large-scale network connectivity during the interictal state has also been investigated not only to define biomarkers of epileptogenicity but also to better understand the cognitive impairments observed between seizures.

  9. Ethnicity, social disadvantage and psychotic-like experiences in a healthy population based sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, C; Fisher, H; Hutchinson, G; Kirkbride, J; Craig, T K; Morgan, K; Dazzan, P; Boydell, J; Doody, G A; Jones, P B; Murray, R M; Leff, J; Fearon, P

    2009-03-01

    We sought to investigate the prevalence and social correlates of psychotic-like experiences in a general population sample of Black and White British subjects. Data were collected from randomly selected community control subjects, recruited as part of the AESOP study, a three-centre population based study of first-episode psychosis. The proportion of subjects reporting one or more psychotic-like experience was 19% (n = 72/372). These were more common in Black Caribbean (OR 2.08) and Black African subjects (OR 4.59), compared with White British. In addition, a number of indicators of childhood and adult disadvantage were associated with psychotic-like experiences. When these variables were simultaneously entered into a regression model, Black African ethnicity, concentrated adult disadvantage, and separation from parents retained a significant effect. The higher prevalence of psychotic-like experiences in the Black Caribbean, but not Black African, group was explained by high levels of social disadvantage over the life course.

  10. Nonlinear mixed effects modelling approach in investigating phenobarbital pharmacokinetic interactions in epileptic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vučićević, Katarina; Jovanović, Marija; Golubović, Bojana; Kovačević, Sandra Vezmar; Miljković, Branislava; Martinović, Žarko; Prostran, Milica

    2015-02-01

    The present study aimed to establish population pharmacokinetic model for phenobarbital (PB), examining and quantifying the magnitude of PB interactions with other antiepileptic drugs concomitantly used and to demonstrate its use for individualization of PB dosing regimen in adult epileptic patients. In total 205 PB concentrations were obtained during routine clinical monitoring of 136 adult epilepsy patients. PB steady state concentrations were measured by homogeneous enzyme immunoassay. Nonlinear mixed effects modelling (NONMEM) was applied for data analyses and evaluation of the final model. According to the final population model, significant determinant of apparent PB clearance (CL/F) was daily dose of concomitantly given valproic acid (VPA). Typical value of PB CL/F for final model was estimated at 0.314 l/h. Based on the final model, co-therapy with usual VPA dose of 1000 mg/day, resulted in PB CL/F average decrease of about 25 %, while 2000 mg/day leads to an average 50 % decrease in PB CL/F. Developed population PB model may be used in estimating individual CL/F for adult epileptic patients and could be applied for individualizing dosing regimen taking into account dose-dependent effect of concomitantly given VPA.

  11. Effects of local mass anomalies in Eoetvoes-like experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talmadge, C.; Aronson, S.H.; Fischbach, E.

    1986-01-01

    We consider in detail the effects of local mass anomalies in Eoetvoes-like experiments. It is shown that in the presence of an intermediate-range non-gravitational force, the dominant contributions to both the sign and magnitude of the Eoetvoes anomaly may come from nearby masses and not from the earth as a whole. This observation has important implications in the design and interpretation of future experiments, and in the formulation of unified theories incorporating new intermediate-range forces

  12. A gas puff experiment for partial simulation of compact toroid formation on MARAUDER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Englert, S.E.; Englert, T.J.; Degnan, J.H.; Gahl, J.M.

    1994-01-01

    Preliminary results will be reported of a single valve gas puff experiment to determine spatial and spectral distribution of a gas during the early ionization stages. This experiment has been developed as a diagnostic test-bed for partial simulation of compact toroid formation on MARAUDER. The manner in which the experimental hardware has been designed allows for a wide range of diagnostic access to evaluate early time evolution of the ionization process. This evaluation will help contribute to a clearer understanding of the initial conditions for the formation stage of the compact toroid in the MARAUDER experiment, where 60 of the same puff valves are used. For the experiment, a small slice of the MARAUDER cylindrical gas injection and expansion region geometry have been re-created but in cartesian coordinates. All of the conditions in the experiment adhere as closely as possible to the MARAUDER experiment. The timing, current rise time, capacitance, resistance and inductance are appropriate to both the simulation of one of the 60 puff valves and current delivery to the load. Both time-resolved images and spectral data have been gathered for visible light emission of the plasma. Processed images reveal characteristics of spatial distribution of the current. Spectral data provide information with respect to electron temperature and density, and entrainment of contaminants

  13. Biphasic effect of chronic postnatal caffeine treatment on cortical epileptic afterdischarges during ontogeny in rats

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tchekalarova, Jana; Kubová, Hana; Mareš, Pavel

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 1082, č. 1 (2006), s. 43-49 ISSN 0006-8993 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA304/04/0464 Grant - others:CZ-BG(CZ) Research project 2002-2004 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : caffeine * epileptic afterdischarges * sensorimotor cortex Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 2.341, year: 2006

  14. Effects of caffeine on cortical epileptic afterdischarges in adult rats are modulated by postnatal treatment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tchekalarova, Jana; Kubová, Hana; Mareš, Pavel

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 113, č. 4 (2013), s. 493-500 ISSN 0300-9009 R&D Projects: GA MZd(CZ) NR9184; GA MŠk(CZ) LH11015 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : caffeine * perinatal administration * cortical epileptic afterdischarges * adult rats Subject RIV: FH - Neurology Impact factor: 0.598, year: 2013

  15. Time-variant coherence between heart rate variability and EEG activity in epileptic patients: an advanced coupling analysis between physiological networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piper, D; Schiecke, K; Pester, B; Witte, H; Benninger, F; Feucht, M

    2014-01-01

    Time-variant coherence analysis between the heart rate variability (HRV) and the channel-related envelopes of adaptively selected EEG components was used as an indicator for the occurrence of (correlative) couplings between the central autonomic network (CAN) and the epileptic network before, during and after epileptic seizures. Two groups of patients were investigated, a group with left and a group with right hemispheric temporal lobe epilepsy. The individual EEG components were extracted by a signal-adaptive approach, the multivariate empirical mode decomposition, and the envelopes of each resulting intrinsic mode function (IMF) were computed by using Hilbert transform. Two IMFs, whose envelopes were strongly correlated with the HRV’s low-frequency oscillation (HRV-LF; ≈0.1 Hz) before and after the seizure were identified. The frequency ranges of these IMFs correspond to the EEG delta-band. The time-variant coherence was statistically quantified and tensor decomposition of the time-frequency coherence maps was applied to explore the topography-time-frequency characteristics of the coherence analysis. Results allow the hypothesis that couplings between the CAN, which controls the cardiovascular-cardiorespiratory system, and the ‘epileptic neural network’ exist. Additionally, our results confirm the hypothesis of a right hemispheric lateralization of sympathetic cardiac control of the HRV-LF. (paper)

  16. Hippocampal low-frequency stimulation inhibits afterdischarge and increases GABA (A) receptor expression in amygdala-kindled pharmacoresistant epileptic rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Guofeng; Wang, Likun; Hong, Zhen; Ren, Siying; Zhou, Feng

    2017-08-01

    The purpose of the present study was to observe the effects of hippocampal low-frequency stimulation (Hip-LFS) on amygdala afterdischarge and GABA (A) receptor expression in pharmacoresistant epileptic (PRE) rats. A total of 110 healthy adult male Wistar rats were used to generate a model of epilepsy by chronic stimulation of the amygdala. Sixteen PRE rats were selected from 70 amygdala-kindled rats by testing their response to Phenytoin and Phenobarbital, and they were randomly assigned to a pharmacoresistant stimulation group (PRS group, 8 rats) or a pharmacoresistant control group (PRC group, 8 rats). A stimulation electrode was implanted into the hippocampus of all of the rats. Hip-LFS was administered twice per day in the PRS group for two weeks. Simultaneously, amygdala stimulus-induced seizures and afterdischarge were recorded. After the hippocampal stimulation was terminated, the brain tissues were obtained to determine the GABA (A) receptors by a method of immumohistochemistry and a real-time polymerase chain reaction. The stages and duration of the amygdala stimulus-induced epileptic seizures were decreased in the PRS group. The afterdischarge threshold was increased and the duration as well as the afterdischarge frequency was decreased. Simultaneously, the GABA (A) expression was significantly increased in the PRS group. Hip-LFS may inhibit amygdala stimulus-induced epileptic seizures and up-regulate GABA (A) receptor expression in PRE rats. The antiepileptic effects of hippocampal stimulation may be partly achieved by increasing the GABA (A) receptor.

  17. Differential Effect of Neuropeptides on Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Human Epileptic Hippocampus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ledri, Marco; Sorensen, Andreas T.; Madsen, Marita G.

    2015-01-01

    therapy is an evolving innovative approach that may prove useful for clinical applications. In animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), gene therapy treatments based on viral vectors encoding NPY or galanin have been shown to effectively suppress seizures. However, how this translates to human TLE...... remains unknown. A unique possibility to validate these animal studies is provided by a surgical therapeutic approach, whereby resected epileptic tissue from temporal lobes of pharmacoresistant patients are available for neurophysiological studies in vitro. To test whether NPY and galanin have...

  18. Dianxianning improved amyloid β-induced pathological characteristics partially through DAF-2/DAF-16 insulin like pathway in transgenic C. elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhi, Dejuan; Wang, Dong; Yang, Wenqi; Duan, Ziyun; Zhu, Shuqian; Dong, Juan; Wang, Na; Wang, Ningbo; Fei, Dongqing; Zhang, Zhanxin; Wang, Xin; Wang, Meizhu; Li, Hongyu

    2017-09-12

    Dianxianning (DXN) is a traditional Chinese formula, and has been approved in China for treating epilepsy since 1996. Here anti-Alzheimer's disease activity of DXN has been reported. DXN improved AD-like symptoms of paralysis and 5-HT sensitivity of transgenic Aβ 1-42 C. elegans. In worms, DXN significantly increased Aβ monomers and decreased the toxic Aβ oligomers, thus reducing Aβ toxicity. DXN significantly suppressed the expression of hsp-16.2 induced by juglone, and up-regulated sod-3 expression. These results indicated that DXN increased stress resistance and protected C. elegans against oxidative stress. Furthermore, DXN could significantly promote DAF-16 nuclear translocation, but it did not activate SKN-1. The inhibitory effect of DXN on the Aβ toxicity was significantly reverted by daf-16 RNAi, rather than skn-1 RNAi or hsf-1 RNAi. These results indicated that DAF-16 is at least partially required for the anti-AD effect of DXN. In conclusion, DXN improved Aβ-induced pathological characteristics partially through DAF-2/DAF-16 insulin like pathway in transgenic worms. Together with our data obtained by Morris water maze test, the results showed that DXN markedly ameliorated cognitive performance impairment induced by scopolamine in mice. All the results support that DXN is a potential drug candidate to treat Alzheimer's diseases.

  19. Potential effects of valproate and oxcarbazepine on growth velocity and bone metabolism in epileptic children- a medical center experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chien-Ming; Fan, Hueng-Chuen; Chao, Tsu-Yi; Chu, Der-Ming; Lai, Chi-Chieh; Wang, Chih-Chien; Chen, Shyi-Jou

    2016-05-03

    Children with longstanding use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are susceptible to developing low bone mineral density and an increased fracture risk. However, the literature regarding the effects of AEDs on growth in epileptic children is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of valproate (VPA) and/or oxcarbazepine (OXC) therapy on growth velocity and bone metabolism. Seventy-three ambulatory children (40 boys and 33 girls) with epilepsy, aged between 1 and 18 years (mean age 9.8 ± 4.1 years), were evaluated for growth velocity before and for 1 year after VPA and/or OXC treatment. The bone resorption marker serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAcP5b) and the bone formation marker serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) were measured post-AEDs therapy for 1 year. The difference in growth velocity (ΔHt) and body weight change (ΔWt) between pre- and post-AEDs treatment were -1.0 ± 2.8 cm/year (P effect of VPA and/or OXC therapy on dysregulation of bone metabolism might play a crucial role in physical growth.

  20. First choice of treatment place in the pathways to epileptic care at the outpatient department of University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: Cross-sectional institutional based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bifftu, Berhanu Boru; Dachew, Berihun Assefa; Tiruneh, Bewket Tadesse; Alemu, Wondale Getinet

    2017-01-01

    Epilepsy treatment gap range from 87% to 98%. In spite of this, there is a gross inadequacy of the availability, accessibility and affordability of Anti-Epileptic Drugs. In countries like Ethiopia, where most populations are less aware about mental health problems, most people seek help for their illness from traditional healers. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to assess the pathways to epilepsy care and associated factors. Cross-sectional study design utilized among 409 participants selected by systematic random sampling technique. Pathways to epilepsy care were assessed by using the WHO Pathway Study tool. Multivariable logistic regression was done to identify factors associated with pathways to epileptic care. Overall, 162 (39.6%) of participants first contacted with modern treatment. Two hundred and forty seven (60.4%) of participants counted traditional healers and religious healers were the most common (47.2%). Being men, attending higher education, urban residence, short duration of illness, social support and age at the onset of illness were factors associated with first contact with modern treatment. Modern treatment was not the first place of choice for the majority of the respondents. Strengthening awareness creation program about epilepsy and its treatment is highly recommended with special emphases to urban dwellers and less educated people.

  1. First choice of treatment place in the pathways to epileptic care at the outpatient department of University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: Cross-sectional institutional based study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Berhanu Boru Bifftu

    Full Text Available Epilepsy treatment gap range from 87% to 98%. In spite of this, there is a gross inadequacy of the availability, accessibility and affordability of Anti-Epileptic Drugs. In countries like Ethiopia, where most populations are less aware about mental health problems, most people seek help for their illness from traditional healers. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to assess the pathways to epilepsy care and associated factors.Cross-sectional study design utilized among 409 participants selected by systematic random sampling technique. Pathways to epilepsy care were assessed by using the WHO Pathway Study tool. Multivariable logistic regression was done to identify factors associated with pathways to epileptic care.Overall, 162 (39.6% of participants first contacted with modern treatment. Two hundred and forty seven (60.4% of participants counted traditional healers and religious healers were the most common (47.2%. Being men, attending higher education, urban residence, short duration of illness, social support and age at the onset of illness were factors associated with first contact with modern treatment.Modern treatment was not the first place of choice for the majority of the respondents. Strengthening awareness creation program about epilepsy and its treatment is highly recommended with special emphases to urban dwellers and less educated people.

  2. Seizure characteristics and the use of anti-epileptic drugs in children and young people with brain tumours and epileptic seizures: Analysis of regional paediatric cancer service population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pilotto, Chiara; Liu, Jo-Fen; Walker, David A; Whitehouse, William P

    2018-03-21

    Epileptic seizures complicate the management of childhood brain tumours. There are no published standards for clinical practice concerning risk factors, treatment selection or strategies to withdraw treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AED). we undertook a case note review of 120 patients with newly diagnosed brain tumours, referred to a regional paediatric cancer service. data was available on 117/120 (98%) children seizures. A cortical tumour location was associated with the highest risk of seizures (OR: 7.1; CI 95% 2.9-17.3). At a median follow up of 24 months (IQR 25°-75° : 15-48), 22/35 (63%) with seizures, had a single seizure episode, 15/35 (43%) were seizure free (SF) on AEDs, 13/35 (37%) were SF off AEDs, and 7/35 (20%) experienced continuing epileptic seizures. Overall 34/35 (97%) were treated with AEDs after a seizure, of whom 12/35 (35%) withdrew from AED medication, and although 4/35 (12%) had seizure relapse, all were after further acute events. The median duration of AED before withdrawal was 11 months (IQR 25°-75° 5-14 months), and the median follow up after withdrawal was 15 months (IQR 25°-75° 5-34 months). Seizures affect about 1/3rd of children and young people presenting with and being treated for brain tumours particularly when the tumour is in the cerebral cortex. The low risk of recurrent seizures after AED treatment justifies consideration of early withdrawal of AED after seizure control. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  3. Intravenous levetiracetam terminates refractory status epilepticus in two patients with migrating partial seizures in infancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cilio, Maria Roberta; Bianchi, Roberto; Balestri, Martina; Onofri, Alfredo; Giovannini, Simona; Di Capua, Matteo; Vigevano, Federico

    2009-09-01

    To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of intravenous (IV) levetiracetam in refractory status epilepticus of migrating partial seizures in infancy (MPSI). IV levetiracetam was infused in two infants, first as a loading dose of 60mg/kg in 30min, then at 30mg/kg twice a day. Both infants were continuously monitored with video-EEG before, during and after the drug trial. Blood count, liver enzymes, serum creatinine, ammonia and lactate blood levels were performed repeatedly before and after the IV levetiracetam administration. Follow-up was of 16 and 10 months. EEG monitoring allowed the diagnosis of MPSI, showing the typical seizures pattern in both patients. IV levetiracetam was effective in stopping status epilepticus in both infants. Levetiracetam also prevented the recurrence of status epilepticus during follow-up. No adverse reactions were observed during the infusion phase or during follow-up. MPSI is a newly recognized epileptic syndrome characterized by early onset of intractable partial seizures arisingly independently and sequentially from both hemispheres, migrating from one region of the brain to another and from one hemisphere to another. We report the efficacy of intravenous levetiracetam in resolving refractory status epilepticus in two infants with this new epilepsy syndrome.

  4. International veterinary epilepsy task force recommendations for systematic sampling and processing of brains from epileptic dogs and cats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Matiasek, Kaspar; Pumarola I Batlle, Martí; Rosati, Marco

    2015-01-01

    Traditionally, histological investigations of the epileptic brain are required to identify epileptogenic brain lesions, to evaluate the impact of seizure activity, to search for mechanisms of drug-resistance and to look for comorbidities. For many instances, however, neuropathological studies fai...

  5. The new ILAE report on terminology and concepts for organization of epileptic seizures: a clinician's critical view and contribution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panayiotopoulos, Chrysostomos P

    2011-12-01

    The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) standardized classification and terminology for "epileptic seizures" of 1981 and "epilepsies and epileptic syndromes" of 1989 provide a fundamental framework for organizing and differentiating the epilepsies. However, a revision of these classifications is mandated by recent major technologic and scientific advances. Since 1997, the relevant ILAE Commissions have made significant efforts to achieve better and internationally uniform classifications as reflected in their reports of 2001, 2006, and 2010. Their initial aim to construct a "new scientific classification from application of methods used in biology that determines separate species and natural classes" proved elusive and, therefore, the last Commission in their report of 2010 confined their revisions to "new terminology and concepts" instead of "proposing a new classification (in the sense of organization) of epilepsies." It is unfortunate that most of the proposals in this report are modified interpretations and nomenclature of previous ILAE classifications; new terms are not better than the old ones, and recent advances have not been incorporated. Hence, the new ILAE report met with considerable protest from several expert epileptologists. This critical review refers mainly to the epileptic seizures, the classification of which may be an easier and less controversial task in the ILAE revisions. A revised classification should incorporate advanced knowledge of seizure pathophysiology, and clinical, interictal, and ictal manifestations. Such an attempt was made and detailed in the 2006 report of the ILAE Classification Core Group. However, these changes were largely discarded in the new ILAE report of 2010, without justification. This is inexplicable considering that the scientific advances that were available to the two Commissions were the same or had improved between 2006 and 2010. Of major concern is that "No specific classification is recommended for

  6. Partial characterization of bacitracin like inhibitory substance from bacillus subtilis BS15, a local soil isolate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alam, S.I.; Kamran, M.; Sohail, M.; Ahmad, A.; Khan, S.A.

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the production of bacteriocin/bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) from Bacillus subtilis BS15, isolated from soil. The inhibitory substance was partially purified and characterized as BLIS with a molecular-weight of 3-5 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE. Its production was observed during the late exponential phase or at the beginning of stationary-phase. It retained its activity up to 80 deg. C and over a wide range of pH i.e., 3-9. It was found active against several clinically important bacterial species such as Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhi and also against the food-spoilage causing microbes, and may be considered as future food preservative. (author)

  7. The Investigation of Insulin Resistance in Two Groups of Epileptic Patients Treated with Sodium Valproate and Carbamazepine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Reza Najafi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Valproic acid (VPA is a widely used broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug for therapy of generalized and focal epilepsies. Cross-sectional studies have suggested that valproate treatment may be associated with hyperinsulinemia. We decided to investigate hyperinsulinemia as a health-threatening side effect of VPA in Iranian epileptic patients. Materials and Methods: Body mass index (BMI, lipid profile, fasting serum insulin, fasting blood glucose (FBS, and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR were measured in 30 VPA-treated epileptic patients and 30 controls (CBZ-treated. The Chi-square test, t-test, and Pearson correlation test were used. Results: BMI was higher in VPA group than in control group (25.7 ± 3.5 > 21.7 ± 4.1 (0.000 0.05. Conclusion: Despite the majority of previous studies that are against VPA and according to our study, VPA could be prescribed safely and it may not cause IR and its complications.

  8. Does status epilepticus induced at early postnatal period change excitability after cortical epileptic afterdischarges?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mareš, Pavel; Kubová, Hana

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 57, č. 8 (2016), E183-E186 ISSN 0013-9580 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LH11015; GA ČR(CZ) GBP304/12/G069; GA ČR(CZ) GAP302/10/0971; GA ČR(CZ) GA15-16605S Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : status epilepticus * cortical stimulation * epileptic afterdischarges * ontogeny * rat Subject RIV: FH - Neurology Impact factor: 5.295, year: 2016

  9. MEG source localization of spatially extended generators of epileptic activity: comparing entropic and hierarchical bayesian approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chowdhury, Rasheda Arman; Lina, Jean Marc; Kobayashi, Eliane; Grova, Christophe

    2013-01-01

    Localizing the generators of epileptic activity in the brain using Electro-EncephaloGraphy (EEG) or Magneto-EncephaloGraphy (MEG) signals is of particular interest during the pre-surgical investigation of epilepsy. Epileptic discharges can be detectable from background brain activity, provided they are associated with spatially extended generators. Using realistic simulations of epileptic activity, this study evaluates the ability of distributed source localization methods to accurately estimate the location of the generators and their sensitivity to the spatial extent of such generators when using MEG data. Source localization methods based on two types of realistic models have been investigated: (i) brain activity may be modeled using cortical parcels and (ii) brain activity is assumed to be locally smooth within each parcel. A Data Driven Parcellization (DDP) method was used to segment the cortical surface into non-overlapping parcels and diffusion-based spatial priors were used to model local spatial smoothness within parcels. These models were implemented within the Maximum Entropy on the Mean (MEM) and the Hierarchical Bayesian (HB) source localization frameworks. We proposed new methods in this context and compared them with other standard ones using Monte Carlo simulations of realistic MEG data involving sources of several spatial extents and depths. Detection accuracy of each method was quantified using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis and localization error metrics. Our results showed that methods implemented within the MEM framework were sensitive to all spatial extents of the sources ranging from 3 cm(2) to 30 cm(2), whatever were the number and size of the parcels defining the model. To reach a similar level of accuracy within the HB framework, a model using parcels larger than the size of the sources should be considered.

  10. MEG source localization of spatially extended generators of epileptic activity: comparing entropic and hierarchical bayesian approaches.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rasheda Arman Chowdhury

    Full Text Available Localizing the generators of epileptic activity in the brain using Electro-EncephaloGraphy (EEG or Magneto-EncephaloGraphy (MEG signals is of particular interest during the pre-surgical investigation of epilepsy. Epileptic discharges can be detectable from background brain activity, provided they are associated with spatially extended generators. Using realistic simulations of epileptic activity, this study evaluates the ability of distributed source localization methods to accurately estimate the location of the generators and their sensitivity to the spatial extent of such generators when using MEG data. Source localization methods based on two types of realistic models have been investigated: (i brain activity may be modeled using cortical parcels and (ii brain activity is assumed to be locally smooth within each parcel. A Data Driven Parcellization (DDP method was used to segment the cortical surface into non-overlapping parcels and diffusion-based spatial priors were used to model local spatial smoothness within parcels. These models were implemented within the Maximum Entropy on the Mean (MEM and the Hierarchical Bayesian (HB source localization frameworks. We proposed new methods in this context and compared them with other standard ones using Monte Carlo simulations of realistic MEG data involving sources of several spatial extents and depths. Detection accuracy of each method was quantified using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC analysis and localization error metrics. Our results showed that methods implemented within the MEM framework were sensitive to all spatial extents of the sources ranging from 3 cm(2 to 30 cm(2, whatever were the number and size of the parcels defining the model. To reach a similar level of accuracy within the HB framework, a model using parcels larger than the size of the sources should be considered.

  11. Partial synchronization in networks of non-linearly coupled oscillators: The Deserter Hubs Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freitas, Celso, E-mail: cbnfreitas@gmail.com; Macau, Elbert, E-mail: elbert.macau@inpe.br [Associate Laboratory for Computing and Applied Mathematics - LAC, Brazilian National Institute for Space Research - INPE (Brazil); Pikovsky, Arkady, E-mail: pikovsky@uni-potsdam.de [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Germany and Department of Control Theory, Nizhni Novgorod State University, Gagarin Av. 23, 606950, Nizhni Novgorod (Russian Federation)

    2015-04-15

    We study the Deserter Hubs Model: a Kuramoto-like model of coupled identical phase oscillators on a network, where attractive and repulsive couplings are balanced dynamically due to nonlinearity of interactions. Under weak force, an oscillator tends to follow the phase of its neighbors, but if an oscillator is compelled to follow its peers by a sufficient large number of cohesive neighbors, then it actually starts to act in the opposite manner, i.e., in anti-phase with the majority. Analytic results yield that if the repulsion parameter is small enough in comparison with the degree of the maximum hub, then the full synchronization state is locally stable. Numerical experiments are performed to explore the model beyond this threshold, where the overall cohesion is lost. We report in detail partially synchronous dynamical regimes, like stationary phase-locking, multistability, periodic and chaotic states. Via statistical analysis of different network organizations like tree, scale-free, and random ones, we found a measure allowing one to predict relative abundance of partially synchronous stationary states in comparison to time-dependent ones.

  12. [Preditive clinical factors for epileptic seizures after ischemic stroke].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukujima, M M; Cardeal, J O; Lima, J G

    1996-06-01

    Preditive clinical factors for epileptic seizures after ischemic stroke. Clinical features of 35 patients with ischemic stroke who developed epilepsy (Group 1) were compared with those of 35 patients with ischemic stroke without epilepsy (Group 2). The age of the patients did not differ between the groups. There were more men than women and more white than other races in both groups. Diabetes melitus, hypertension, transient ischemic attack, previous stroke, migraine, Chagas disease, cerebral embolism of cardiac origin and use of oral contraceptive did not differ between the groups. Smokers and alcohol users were more frequent in Group 1 (p < 0.05). Most patients of Group 1 presented with hemiparesis; none presented cerebellar or brainstem involvement. Perhaps strokes in smokers have some different aspects, that let them more epileptogenic than in non smokers.

  13. Optimizing the molecular diagnosis of CDKL5 gene-related epileptic encephalopathy in boys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Davide; Darra, Francesca; Barba, Carmen; Marini, Carla; Fontana, Elena; Chiti, Laura; Parrini, Elena; Dalla Bernardina, Bernardo; Guerrini, Renzo

    2014-11-01

    Mutations involving the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) gene cause an early onset epileptic encephalopathy (EE) with severe neurologic impairment and a skewed 12:1 female-to-male ratio. To date, 18 mutations have been described in boys. We analyzed our cohort of boys with early onset EE to assess the diagnostic yield of our molecular approach. We studied 74 boys who presented early onset severe seizures, including infantile spasms and developmental delay, in the setting of EE, using Sanger sequencing, next-generation sequencing (NGS) and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). We identified alterations involving CDKL5 in four boys (5.4%) using NGS in one and MLPA in three. Three of four mutations were indicative of somatic mosaicism. CDKL5 gene mutations accounted for 5.4% of boys with early onset EE. Somatic mosaic mutations might be even more represented than germline mutations, probably because their less deleterious effect enhances viability of the male embryo. The molecular approach used for CDKL5 screening remarkably influences the diagnostic yield in boys. Diagnosis is optimized by Sanger sequencing combined with array-based methods or MLPA; alternatively, NGS targeted resequencing designed to also detect copy number alterations, may be performed. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 International League Against Epilepsy.

  14. Dynamic modulation of epileptic high frequency oscillations by the phase of slower cortical rhythms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim, George M; Wong, Simeon M; Anderson, Ryan A; Singh-Cadieux, Gabrielle; Akiyama, Tomoyuki; Ochi, Ayako; Otsubo, Hiroshi; Okanishi, Tohru; Valiante, Taufik A; Donner, Elizabeth; Rutka, James T; Snead, O Carter; Doesburg, Sam M

    2014-01-01

    Pathological high frequency oscillations (pHFOs) have been proposed to be robust markers of epileptic cortex. Oscillatory activity below this frequency range has been shown to be modulated by phase of lower frequency oscillations. Here, we tested the hypothesis that dynamic cross-frequency interactions involving pHFOs are concentrated within the epileptogenic cortex. Intracranial electroencephalographic recordings from 17 children with medically-intractable epilepsy secondary to focal cortical dysplasia were obtained. A time-resolved analysis was performed to determine topographic concentrations and dynamic changes in cross-frequency amplitude-to-phase coupling (CFC). CFC between pHFOs and the phase of theta and alpha rhythms was found to be significantly elevated in the seizure-onset zone compared to non-epileptic regions (pfrequency oscillations at which pHFO amplitudes were maximal was inconsistent at seizure initiation, yet consistently at the trough of the low frequency rhythm at seizure termination. Amplitudes of pHFOs were most significantly modulated by the phase of alpha-band oscillations (p<0.01). These results suggest that increased CFC between pHFO amplitude and alpha phase may constitute a marker of epileptogenic brain areas and may be relevant for understanding seizure dynamics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. 3D stereotaxis for epileptic foci through integrating MR imaging with neurological electrophysiology data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Min; Peng Chenglin; Wang Kang; Lei Wenyong; Luo Song; Wang Xiaolin; Wang Xuejian; Wu Ruoqiu; Wu Guofeng

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To improve the accuracy of the epilepsy diagnoses by integrating MR image from PACS with data from neurological electrophysiology. The integration is also very important for transmiting diagnostic information to 3D TPS of radiotherapy. Methods: The electroencephalogram was redisplayed by EEG workstation, while MR image was reconstructed by Brainvoyager software. 3D model of patient brain was built up by combining reconstructed images with electroencephalogram data in Base 2000. 30 epileptic patients (18 males and 12 females) with their age ranged from 12 to 54 years were confirmed by using the integrated MR images and the data from neurological electrophysiology and their 3D stereolocating. Results: The corresponding data in 3D model could show the real situation of patients' brain and visually locate the precise position of the focus. The suddessful rate of 3D guided operation was greatly improved, and the number of epileptic onset was markedly decreased. The epilepsy was stopped for 6 months in 8 of the 30 patients. Conclusion: The integration of MR image and information of neurological electrophysiology can improve the diagnostic level for epilepsy, and it is crucial for imp roving the successful rate of manipulations and the epilepsy analysis. (authors)

  16. Effect of a Supportive Educational Program on Self-Efficacy of Mothers with Epileptic Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sepideh Gholami

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: In the aftermath of de-institutionalisation and the move to community management of epilepsia, mothers play an increasing role in the management of the illness. Mothers often complain of being misinformed and ill equipped to aid in the treatment. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a Supportive Educational Program on self-efficacy of mothers with epileptic children. Method: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on two groups of 50 mothers with epileptic children admitted to Ghaem Hospital in the city of Mashhad in 2014. Maternal self-efficacy was measured before and 6 weeks after intervention through Steffen’s Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy as the research instrument. The Supportive Educational Program was implemented for the experimental group during five 60-minute sessions with an interval of 4 days. The control group received the routine care. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 11.5. Results: The mean age of mothers in the experimental and control groups were 32.8±6.9 and 32.8±6.8 years, respectively. The findings of the independent t-test revealed significant differences between the two control (47.4±15.06 and experimental (66.5±11.5 groups following the intervention (p

  17. Regression of nodules on cranial computerized tomography (CCT) scans in 4 focal epileptic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahk, Yong Whee; Yoon, Sei Chul; Park, Seog Hee; Huh, Choon Woong

    1983-01-01

    Epilepsy can be defined as a paroxysmal, excessive, neuronal discharge within the brain originating from either cortical or sugcortical regions. The incidence of epilepsy is increasing possibly due to the survival of persons who should have died of brain injuries or other cerebral abnormalities acquired in early life. The use of antibiotics and improvement in the medical care have saved many children who might have died of meningitis, brain abscess, encephalitis, severe head injuries, etc. CCT scan is new radiologic procedure for defining cranial and intracranial structures and also an useful procedure for evaluation and follow-up (FU) of patient with focal seizure disorder. Recently we experienced nodules which were isodense or hypodense on initial non contrasted CT (NECT) and scans became hyperdense of the enhancement in 4 cases of focal epileptic seizure. Nearly complete disappearance or regression of the epileptic foci occurred on the FU CT scans in 2 cases. Operation was performed in 2 cases. The tissue specimen obtained from the CT nodule revealed cerebral edema in one case and localized gliosis and congestion in the other. All the patients showed marked clinical improvement when the CT nodule improved. Review of literature failed to disclose any previous report on such observation

  18. First nitrogen-seeding experiments in JET with the ITER-like Wall

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oberkofler, M., E-mail: martin.oberkofler@ipp.mpg.de [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, EURATOM Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Douai, D. [CEA Centre de Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance, Cedex (France); Brezinsek, S.; Coenen, J.W. [Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-4, TEC, Association EURATOM-FZJ, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Dittmar, T. [Center for Energy Research, University of California–San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., San Diego, CA 92093-0417 (United States); Drenik, A. [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Romanelli, S.G. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Joffrin, E. [CEA Centre de Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance, Cedex (France); McCormick, K. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, EURATOM Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Brix, M. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Calabro, G. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, Via E. Fermi 45 FRASCATI-Roma (Italy); Clever, M. [Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-4, TEC, Association EURATOM-FZJ, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Giroud, C. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Kruezi, U. [Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-4, TEC, Association EURATOM-FZJ, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Lawson, K. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Linsmeier, Ch. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, EURATOM Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); and others

    2013-07-15

    In this contribution we present results from the first N{sub 2} seeding experiments in JET performed after installation of the ITER-like Wall. Gas balance measurements for seeded L-mode discharges indicate very strong N{sub 2} retention as well as a potential increase in D{sub 2} retention. The possible influence of ammonia production on this apparent retention is discussed. Plasma parameters and impurity content were monitored throughout the seeded discharges as well as during subsequent clean-up discharges. These experiments give first insight into phenomena related to the use of nitrogen as seeding gas in JET with the ITER-like Wall, such as ammonia production and nitrogen legacy.

  19. Partial Evaluation of the Euclidian Algorithm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Danvy, Olivier; Goldberg, Mayer

    1997-01-01

    -like behavior. Each of them presents a challenge for partial evaluation. The Euclidian algorithm is one of them, and in this article, we make it amenable to partial evaluation. We observe that the number of iterations in the Euclidian algorithm is bounded by a number that can be computed given either of the two...... arguments. We thus rephrase this algorithm using bounded recursion. The resulting program is better suited for automatic unfolding and thus for partial evaluation. Its specialization is efficient....

  20. The removable acrylic partial denture in primary care: the experience and satisfaction of dental surgeons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rita de Cássia SILVA

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction The guidelines of the National Politics of Oral Health have led to the inclusion of elemental prostheses in the list of Primary Care procedures. Objective This paper aimed to evaluate the performance and satisfaction of dental surgeons with the implementation of Acrylic Partial Dentures. Metodology The sample was composed by 159 dental surgeons (sample calculation, in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, selected via raffle (simple random sampling. A structured questionnaire was built with 72 questions on the daily practice of the performance of dental surgeons, using the SurveyMonkey platform. Result The results showed that for most of dental surgeons, the inclusion on the list of primary care procedures was a positive initiative and they have enjoyed the experience of using Acrylic Partial Dentures. Dental surgeons who had graduated in private institutions reported to have had more failures than those who had graduated in public institutions. The better prepared dental surgeons reported less difficulties and failures, and the more satisfied professionals with the performance of Acrylic Partial Dentures related had also experienced fewer failures. Considering the indication, the majority of participants did it according to the protocol of the institution (only for anterior teeth but many revealed the use of dentures also for premolars. Conclusion Acrylic partial dentures have been a reality in the Brazilian social context even before their inclusion in the list of Primary Care procedures. Such inclusion indicates their relevance; however, it is necessary to have their confection systematized by a protocol in public services.

  1. High-resolution gamma spectroscopy with whole-body and partial-body counters. Experience, recommendations. Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahre, P.

    1997-12-01

    The application of high-resolution gamma spectroscopy with whole-body and partial-body counters shows a steadily rising upward trend over the last few years. This induced the ''Arbeitskreis Inkorporationsueberwachung'' of the association ''Fachverband fuer Strahlenschutz e.V.'' to organise a meeting for joint elaboration of a guide on recommended applications of this measuring technique, based on a review of existing experience and results. A key item on the agenda of the meeting was the comparative evaluation of the Ge semiconductor detector and the NaI solid scintillation detector. (orig./CB) [de

  2. A1 not A2A adenosine receptors play a role in cortical epileptic afterdischarges in immature rats

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mareš, Pavel

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 121, č. 11 (2014), s. 1329-1336 ISSN 0300-9564 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LH11015 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : adenosine receptors * epileptic afterdischarges * cerebral cortex * ontogeny * rat Subject RIV: FH - Neurology Impact factor: 2.402, year: 2014

  3. Social experiences during adolescence affect anxiety-like behavior but not aggressiveness in male mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Neele; Jenikejew, Julia; Richter, S Helene; Kaiser, Sylvia; Sachser, Norbert

    2017-05-30

    Adolescence has lately been recognized as a key developmental phase during which an individual's behavior can be shaped. In a recent study with male mice varying in the expression of the serotonin transporter, escapable adverse social experiences during adolescence led to decreased anxiety-like behavior and increased exploratory and aggressive behavior compared to throughout beneficial experiences. Since in this study some behavioral tests took place with a delay of one week after the last social experiences have been made, it was not clear whether the observed effects really reflected the consequences of the experienced different social environments. To test this, the present study focused on the direct effects of beneficial and adverse social experiences on aggressiveness and anxiety-like behavior in C57BL/6J mice. In contrast to the previous study, behavioral testing took place immediately after the last social experiences had been made. Interestingly, whereas individuals from an escapable adverse environment showed significantly lower levels of anxiety-like and higher levels of exploratory behavior than animals from a beneficial environment, aggressive behavior was not affected. From this, we conclude that different social experiences during adolescence exert immediate effects on anxiety-like but not aggressive behavior in male mice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Increased odds and predictive rates of MMPI-2-RF scale elevations in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and observed sex differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Bene, Victor A; Arce Rentería, Miguel; Maiman, Moshe; Slugh, Mitch; Gazzola, Deana M; Nadkarni, Siddhartha S; Barr, William B

    2017-07-01

    The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) is a self-report instrument, previously shown to differentiate patients with epileptic seizures (ES) and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). At present, the odds of MMPI-2-RF scale elevations in PNES patients, as well as the diagnostic predictive value of such scale elevations, remain largely unexplored. This can be of clinical utility, particularly when a diagnosis is uncertain. After looking at mean group differences, we applied contingency table derived odds ratios to a sample of ES (n=92) and PNES (n=77) patients from a video EEG (vEEG) monitoring unit. We also looked at the positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV), as well as the false discovery rate (FDR) and false omission rate (FOR) for scales found to have increased odds of elevation in PNES patients. This was completed for the overall sample, as well as the sample stratified by sex. The odds of elevations related to somatic concerns, negative mood, and suicidal ideation in the PNES sample ranged from 2 to 5 times more likely. Female PNES patients had 3-6 times greater odds of such scale elevations, while male PNES patients had odds of 5-15 times more likely. PPV rates ranged from 53.66% to 84.62%, while NPV rates ranged from 47.52% to 90.91%. FDR across scales ranged from 15.38% to 50%, while the FOR ranged from 9.09% to 52.47%. Consistent with prior research, PNES patients have greater odds of MMPI-2-RF scale elevations, particularly related to somatic concerns and mood disturbance. Female PNES patients endorsed greater emotional distress, including endorsement of suicide related items. Elevations of these scales could aid in differentiating PNES from ES patients, although caution is warranted due to the possibility of both false positives and the incorrect omissions of PNES cases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Violation of a Bell-like inequality in neutron optical experiments: quantum contextuality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, Yuji; Loidl, Rudolf; Badurek, Gerald; Baron, Matthias; Rauch, Helmut

    2004-01-01

    We report on a single-neutron optical experiment to demonstrate the violation of a Bell-like inequality. Entanglement is achieved not between particles, but between the degrees of freedom; in this case, for a single particle. The spin-1/2 property of neutrons is utilized. The total wavefunction of the neutron is described in a tensor product Hilbert space. A Bell-like inequality is derived not via a non-locality but via a contextuality. Joint measurements of the spinor and the path properties lead to the violation of a Bell-like inequality. Manipulation of the wavefunction in one Hilbert space influences the result of the measurement in the other Hilbert space. A discussion is given on the quantum contextuality and an entanglement-induced correlation in our experiment

  6. Psychotic-Like Experiences at the Healthy End of the Psychosis Continuum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lui Unterrassner

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available There is increasing evidence pointing toward a continuous distribution of psychotic symptoms and accompanying factors between subclinical and clinical populations. However, for the construction of continuum models, a more detailed knowledge of different types of psychotic-like experiences (PLE and their associations with distress, functional impairment, and demographic variables is needed. We investigated PLE in a sample of healthy adults (N = 206 incorporating the recently developed revised Exceptional Experiences Questionnaire (PAGE-R. For the first time, the PAGE-R was cross validated with PLE, disorganized-, and negative-like symptoms [Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ, Physical Anhedonia Scale (PAS]. We subjected the PAGE-R to exploratory factor analyses and examined the resulting subtypes of EE for specific associations with contextual factors, valence ratings, socio-demographic variables, and general psychological burden (Revised Symptom-Checklist-90. Correlational cross-validation suggested that the PAGE-R measures facets of PLE. Importantly, we (1 identified three types of exceptional experiences (EE: Odd beliefs, dissociative anomalous perceptions, and hallucinatory anomalous perceptions. Further, the results suggested that even in healthy individuals (2 PLE and EE are indicative of reduced functioning, as reflected by increased psychological burden and lower educational achievement. Moreover, (3 similar sex-differences might exist as in psychotic patients with women reporting more positive-like symptoms and EE but less disorganized-like symptoms than men. Importantly, (4 EE might be differentially implicated in psychological functioning. We suggest that the PAGE-R holds the potential to complement the current assessment of sub-clinical psychosis. However, whereas our results might point toward a continuity of psychotic symptoms with EE and normal experiences, they require replication in larger samples as well as equivalence

  7. Performance evaluation for epileptic electroencephalogram (EEG) detection by using Neyman-Pearson criteria and a support vector machine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chun-mei; Zhang, Chong-ming; Zou, Jun-zhong; Zhang, Jian

    2012-02-01

    The diagnosis of several neurological disorders is based on the detection of typical pathological patterns in electroencephalograms (EEGs). This is a time-consuming task requiring significant training and experience. A lot of effort has been devoted to developing automatic detection techniques which might help not only in accelerating this process but also in avoiding the disagreement among readers of the same record. In this work, Neyman-Pearson criteria and a support vector machine (SVM) are applied for detecting an epileptic EEG. Decision making is performed in two stages: feature extraction by computing the wavelet coefficients and the approximate entropy (ApEn) and detection by using Neyman-Pearson criteria and an SVM. Then the detection performance of the proposed method is evaluated. Simulation results demonstrate that the wavelet coefficients and the ApEn are features that represent the EEG signals well. By comparison with Neyman-Pearson criteria, an SVM applied on these features achieved higher detection accuracies.

  8. Partial discharge patterns related to surface deterioration in voids in epoxy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holbøll, Joachim; Henriksen, Mogens

    1990-01-01

    Results are presented from an investigation of the relationship between changes in partial discharge patterns and the surface deterioration process taking place in small naturally formed spherical voids in epoxy plastic. The voids were exposed to a moderate electric stress above inception level......, where partial discharges were present for more than 1500 h. Two types of electrical tree growth were found, the bush like tree and a single channel-like tree, which led to very different partial discharge patterns. It is concluded that the formation of crystals on a void surface leads to an immediate...... and easy-to-detect increase in the partial discharge activity with subsequent severe surface deterioration (deep pit formations) in the vicinity of the crystal. However, the partial discharge signal from a specimen with a black channel-like tree structure did not give any indication of channel growth...

  9. Epileptic seizure propagation from the second somatic sensory area to the fronto-medial region, by insular redistribution. A case report and a connectome description

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balogh Attila

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. The seizure propagation phenomenon by inducing remote symptoms brings several difficulties in finding the seizure onset and delineating the epileptic network which should be taken into consideration in epilepsy surgery. By demonstrating a difficult (MRI negative epilepsy surgery case explored with invasive presurgical evaluation we highlight the importance to recognise the secondary sensory area and to explore the the parieto-opercular-insular-medial frontal network in certain cases. A further conclusion is the consideration of the redistributory role of the insula as a special structure in the cerebral connectome, having a role in epileptic network organisation.

  10. Etomidate accurately localizes the epileptic area in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pastor, Jesús; Wix, Rybel; Meilán, María Luisa; Martínez-Chacón, José Luís; de Dios, Eva; Domínguez-Gadea, Luis; Herrera-Peco, Iván; Sola, Rafael G

    2010-04-01

    A variety of drugs have been used to activate and identify the epileptogenic area in patients during presurgical evaluation. We have evaluated the safety and usefulness of etomidate in identifying the epileptic zone by measuring bioelectrical brain activity and cerebral blood flow (CBF). We studied 13 men and 9 women under presurgical evaluation for temporal lobe epilepsy. We applied etomidate (0.1 mg/kg) while patients were monitored by video-electroencephalography (VEEG) with foramen ovale electrodes. In a subset of 15 patients, we also measured CBF with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). (1) Etomidate induced seizures in 2 of 22 patients. (2) The main side-effects observed were myoclonus (14 of 20) and moderate pain (3 of 20). (3) No changes in capillary oxygen saturation, respiration, or heart rate were observed. (4) Irritative activity specifically increased in the temporal mesial and lateral areas. No spikes were observed in other areas, aside from those observed under baseline conditions. (5) Irritative activity induced by etomidate correctly lateralized the ictal onset zone in 19 of 20 patients. In addition, the two etomidate-induced seizures appeared in the same regions as spontaneous ones. (6) The kinetics of pharmacologically induced activity was higher in the region of the ictal-onset zone. (7) Etomidate increased the CBF in the basal ganglia and especially in the posterior hippocampus of the temporal mesial region contralateral to the ictal-onset zone. Etomidate activation is a safe, specific, and quick test that can be used to identify the epileptic region in patients evaluated as candidates for temporal lobe epilepsy surgery.

  11. Newer anti-epileptic drugs, vitamin status and neuropathy: A cross-sectional analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cahill, V; McCorry, D; Soryal, I; Rajabally, Y A

    Whether new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may result in neuropathy is unknown but possible given their effects on vitamin metabolism. This analysis aimed to determine frequency and correlates of neuropathy in subjects treated with new AEDs in relation to drug used, length of exposure and serum vitamin B12 and folate levels. We performed a cross-sectional study of 52 consecutive epileptic subjects. Presence of neuropathy was determined using the Utah Early Neuropathy Score (UENS). Exposure to anti-epileptic drugs was quantified. Serum vitamin B12 and folate levels were measured. Commonly used AEDs were levetiracetam (28/52), carbamazepine (20/52), lamotrigine (20/52), sodium valproate (10/52) and zonisamide (10/52). Eight of 52 (15.4%) patients had neuropathy. There was no association with any particular AED. Neuropathy correlated with age (P=0.038) and total exposure to AEDs (P=0.032). UENS correlated with age (P=0.001), total AED exposure (P=0.001) and serum vitamin B12L (P=0.018). Independent association of neuropathy was found with total AED exposure (P=0.032), but not age. UENS was independently associated with total exposure to AEDs (Pvitamin B12L (P=0.002), but not age. Serum vitamin B12 and folate levels were highly inter-correlated (Pvitamin B12 and folate metabolism. Although further research from controlled studies is needed and despite the presence of other possible confounding factors, monitoring for neuropathy and vitamin B12 and folate levels merits consideration in patients on long-term treatment with new AEDs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Effects of topiramate on language functions in newly diagnosed pediatric epileptic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sun Jun; Kim, Moon Yeon; Choi, Yoon Mi; Song, Mi Kyoung

    2014-09-01

    The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of topiramate on language functions in newly diagnosed pediatric epileptic patients. Thirty-eight newly diagnosed epileptic patients were assessed using standard language tests. Data were collected before and after beginning topiramate during which time a monotherapy treatment regimen was maintained. Language tests included the Test of Language Problem Solving Abilities, a Korean version of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. We used language tests in the Korean version because all the patients were spoken Korean exclusively in their families. All the language parameters of Test of Language Problem Solving Abilities worsened after initiation of topiramate (determine cause, 13.2 ± 4.8 to 11.2 ± 4.3; problem solving, 14.8 ± 6.0 to 12.8 ± 5.0; predicting, 9.8 ± 3.6 to 8.8 ± 4.6). Patients given topiramate exhibited a shortened mean length of utterance in words during response (determine cause, 4.8 ± 0.9 to 4.3 ± 0.7; making inference, 4.5 ± 0.8 to 4.1 ± 1.1; predicting, 5.2 ± 1.0 to 4.7 ± 0.6; P language of patients after taking topiramate (95.4 ± 20.4 to 100.8 ± 19.1). Our data suggest that topiramate may have negative effects on problem-solving abilities in children. We recommend performing language tests should be considered in children being treated with topiramate. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Cerebrospinal fluid findings after epileptic seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatzikonstantinou, Anastasios; Ebert, Anne D; Hennerici, Michael G

    2015-12-01

    We aimed to evaluate ictally-induced CSF parameter changes after seizures in adult patients without acute inflammatory diseases or infectious diseases associated with the central nervous system. In total, 151 patients were included in the study. All patients were admitted to our department of neurology following acute seizures and received an extensive work-up including EEG, cerebral imaging, and CSF examinations. CSF protein elevation was found in most patients (92; 60.9%) and was significantly associated with older age, male sex, and generalized seizures. Abnormal CSF-to-serum glucose ratio was found in only nine patients (5.9%) and did not show any significant associations. CSF lactate was elevated in 34 patients (22.5%) and showed a significant association with focal seizures with impaired consciousness, status epilepticus, the presence of EEG abnormalities in general and epileptiform potentials in particular, as well as epileptogenic lesions on cerebral imaging. Our results indicate that non-inflammatory CSF elevation of protein and lactate after epileptic seizures is relatively common, in contrast to changes in CSF-to-serum glucose ratio, and further suggest that these changes are caused by ictal activity and are related to seizure type and intensity. We found no indication that these changes may have further-reaching pathological implications besides their postictal character.

  14. International veterinary epilepsy task force recommendations for systematic sampling and processing of brains from epileptic dogs and cats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matiasek, Kaspar; Pumarola I Batlle, Martí; Rosati, Marco; Fernández-Flores, Francisco; Fischer, Andrea; Wagner, Eva; Berendt, Mette; Bhatti, Sofie F M; De Risio, Luisa; Farquhar, Robyn G; Long, Sam; Muñana, Karen; Patterson, Edward E; Pakozdy, Akos; Penderis, Jacques; Platt, Simon; Podell, Michael; Potschka, Heidrun; Rusbridge, Clare; Stein, Veronika M; Tipold, Andrea; Volk, Holger A

    2015-08-28

    Traditionally, histological investigations of the epileptic brain are required to identify epileptogenic brain lesions, to evaluate the impact of seizure activity, to search for mechanisms of drug-resistance and to look for comorbidities. For many instances, however, neuropathological studies fail to add substantial data on patients with complete clinical work-up. This may be due to sparse training in epilepsy pathology and or due to lack of neuropathological guidelines for companion animals.The protocols introduced herein shall facilitate systematic sampling and processing of epileptic brains and therefore increase the efficacy, reliability and reproducibility of morphological studies in animals suffering from seizures.Brain dissection protocols of two neuropathological centres with research focus in epilepsy have been optimised with regards to their diagnostic yield and accuracy, their practicability and their feasibility concerning clinical research requirements.The recommended guidelines allow for easy, standardised and ubiquitous collection of brain regions, relevant for seizure generation. Tissues harvested the prescribed way will increase the diagnostic efficacy and provide reliable material for scientific investigations.

  15. Partial Deconvolution with Inaccurate Blur Kernel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Dongwei; Zuo, Wangmeng; Zhang, David; Xu, Jun; Zhang, Lei

    2017-10-17

    Most non-blind deconvolution methods are developed under the error-free kernel assumption, and are not robust to inaccurate blur kernel. Unfortunately, despite the great progress in blind deconvolution, estimation error remains inevitable during blur kernel estimation. Consequently, severe artifacts such as ringing effects and distortions are likely to be introduced in the non-blind deconvolution stage. In this paper, we tackle this issue by suggesting: (i) a partial map in the Fourier domain for modeling kernel estimation error, and (ii) a partial deconvolution model for robust deblurring with inaccurate blur kernel. The partial map is constructed by detecting the reliable Fourier entries of estimated blur kernel. And partial deconvolution is applied to wavelet-based and learning-based models to suppress the adverse effect of kernel estimation error. Furthermore, an E-M algorithm is developed for estimating the partial map and recovering the latent sharp image alternatively. Experimental results show that our partial deconvolution model is effective in relieving artifacts caused by inaccurate blur kernel, and can achieve favorable deblurring quality on synthetic and real blurry images.Most non-blind deconvolution methods are developed under the error-free kernel assumption, and are not robust to inaccurate blur kernel. Unfortunately, despite the great progress in blind deconvolution, estimation error remains inevitable during blur kernel estimation. Consequently, severe artifacts such as ringing effects and distortions are likely to be introduced in the non-blind deconvolution stage. In this paper, we tackle this issue by suggesting: (i) a partial map in the Fourier domain for modeling kernel estimation error, and (ii) a partial deconvolution model for robust deblurring with inaccurate blur kernel. The partial map is constructed by detecting the reliable Fourier entries of estimated blur kernel. And partial deconvolution is applied to wavelet-based and learning

  16. Large-scale structural alteration of brain in epileptic children with SCN1A mutation

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Yun-Jeong; Yum, Mi-Sun; Kim, Min-Jee; Shim, Woo-Hyun; Yoon, Hee Mang; Yoo, Il Han; Lee, Jiwon; Lim, Byung Chan; Kim, Ki Joong; Ko, Tae-Sung

    2017-01-01

    Objective: Mutations in SCN1A gene encoding the alpha 1 subunit of the voltage gated sodium channel are associated with several epilepsy syndromes including genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) and severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI). However, in most patients with SCN1A mutation, brain imaging has reported normal or non-specific findings including cerebral or cerebellar atrophy. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in brain morphometry in epileptic chil...

  17. Partial Diversity Generates Effector Immunity Specificity of the Bac41-Like Bacteriocins of Enterococcus faecalis Clinical Strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurushima, Jun; Ike, Yasuyoshi; Tomita, Haruyoshi

    2016-09-01

    Bacteriocin 41 (Bac41) is the plasmid-encoded bacteriocin produced by the opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis Its genetic determinant consists of bacL1 (effector), bacL2 (regulator), bacA (effector), and bacI (immunity). The secreted effectors BacL1 and BacA coordinate to induce the lytic cell death of E. faecalis Meanwhile, the immunity factor BacI provides self-resistance to the Bac41 producer, E. faecalis, against the action of BacL1 and BacA. In this study, we demonstrated that more than half of the 327 clinical strains of E. faecalis screened had functional Bac41 genes. Analysis of the genetic structure of the Bac41 genes in the DNA sequences of the E. faecalis strains revealed that the Bac41-like genes consist of a relatively conserved region and a variable region located downstream from bacA Based on similarities in the variable region, the Bac41-like genes could be classified into type I, type IIa, and type IIb. Interestingly, the distinct Bac41 types had specific immunity factors for self-resistance, BacI1 or BacI2, and did not show cross-immunity to the other type of effector. We also demonstrated experimentally that the specificity of the immunity was determined by the combination of the C-terminal region of BacA and the presence of the unique BacI1 or BacI2 factor. These observations suggested that Bac41-like bacteriocin genes are extensively disseminated among E. faecalis strains in the clinical environment and can be grouped into at least three types. It was also indicated that the partial diversity results in specificity of self-resistance which may offer these strains a competitive advantage. Bacteriocins are antibacterial effectors produced by bacteria. In general, a bacteriocin-coding gene is accompanied by a cognate immunity gene that confers self-resistance on the bacteriocin-producing bacterium itself. We demonstrated that one of the bacteriocins, Bac41, is disseminated among E. faecalis clinical strains and the Bac41 subtypes with

  18. Doctoral Students’ Experiences of Feeling (or not) Like an Academic

    OpenAIRE

    Esma Emmioglu Sarikaya; Lynn McAlpine; Cheryl Amundsen

    2017-01-01

    Aim/Purpose: This paper examined the balance and meaning of two types of experiences in the day-to-day activity of doctoral students that draw them into academia and that move them away from academia: ‘feeling like an academic and belonging to an academic community;’ and ‘not feeling like an academic and feeling excluded from an academic community.’ Background: As students navigate doctoral work, they are learning what is entailed in being an academic by engaging with their peers and mor...

  19. Effect of lateralized epileptic discharges on the thought flow Efeito de descargas epilépticas lateralizadas no fluxo do pensamento

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Bueno de Mendonça

    2001-06-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: Pauses in verbal expression of thought flow in patients with partial epilepsy was studied in order to achieve a best comprehension of brain interhemispheric influences. METHOD: We studied thirty nine patients with partial epileptic seizures and twenty four volunteers (control group. Free association of ideas was used as a method to stablish the thought flow, starting with a stimulus word (subject name that must be followed by spontaneous and consecutive word-phrase. Patients were instructed to say any thought that came to their minds without any kind of censoring. Subject responses were recorded through a PC keyboard and time intervals (pauses between each word-phrase were processed by a software developed for this purpose. RESULTS: Time intervals reduction among associations in right lesional group were compared to left lesional, right non-lesional and control groups. An increase of associative time intervals was observed in the right non-lesional group compared to left non-lesional group. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest a possible inhibitory inter-hemispheric function of the right hemisphere modulating verbal expression of the thought flow. Considering the hypothesis of the inter-hemispheric inhibition by the right hemisphere on left hemisphere, we admit that in epileptic patients with right hemispheric lesion there is an attenuation of the inter-hemispheric inhibition and an increase in thought flow, whereas in patients without a lesion but a paroxysmal epileptic activity in right temporal lobe there is an exacerbation of this inhibitory function and consequent reduction in the thought flow.OBJETIVO: Foram estudadas as pausas na expressão verbal do pensamento em pacientes com epilepsia parcial a fim de estabelecer uma melhor compreensão das influências interhemisféricas cerebrais. MÉTODO: foram estudados 39 pacientes com crises epilépticas parciais e 24 voluntários (grupo controle. A associação livre de idéias foi usada como m

  20. Alpenglow. A signature for chameleons in axion-like particle search experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahlers, M.; Lindner, A.; Ringwald, A.; Schrempp, L.; Weniger, C.

    2007-10-01

    We point out that chameleon field theories might reveal themselves as an ''afterglow'' effect in axion-like particle search experiments due to chameleon-photon conversion in a magnetic field. We estimate the parameter space which is accessible by currently available technology and find that afterglow experiments could constrain this parameter space in a way complementary to gravitational and Casimir force experiments.In addition, one could reach photon-chameleon couplings which are beyond the sensitivity of common laser polarization experiments. We also sketch the idea of a Fabry-Perot cavity with chameleons which could increase the experimental sensitivity significantly. (orig.)

  1. Alpenglow. A signature for chameleons in axion-like particle search experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahlers, M.; Lindner, A.; Ringwald, A.; Schrempp, L.; Weniger, C.

    2007-10-15

    We point out that chameleon field theories might reveal themselves as an ''afterglow'' effect in axion-like particle search experiments due to chameleon-photon conversion in a magnetic field. We estimate the parameter space which is accessible by currently available technology and find that afterglow experiments could constrain this parameter space in a way complementary to gravitational and Casimir force experiments.In addition, one could reach photon-chameleon couplings which are beyond the sensitivity of common laser polarization experiments. We also sketch the idea of a Fabry-Perot cavity with chameleons which could increase the experimental sensitivity significantly. (orig.)

  2. Long-term Effectiveness of Antiepileptic Drug Monotherapy in Partial Epileptic Patients: A 7-year Study in an Epilepsy Center in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Fei; Lang, Sen-Yang; Wang, Xiang-Qing; Shi, Xiao-Bing; Ma, Yun-Feng; Zhang, Xu; Chen, Ya-Nan; Zhang, Jia-Tang

    2015-01-01

    Background: It is important to choose an appropriate antiepileptic drug (AED) to manage partial epilepsy. Traditional AEDs, such as carbamazepine (CBZ) and valproate (VPA), have been proven to have good therapeutic effects. However, in recent years, a variety of new AEDs have increasingly been used as first-line treatments for partial epilepsy. As the studies regarding the effectiveness of new drugs and comparisons between new AEDs and traditional AEDs are few, it is determined that these are areas in need of further research. Accordingly, this study investigated the long-term effectiveness of six AEDs used as monotherapy in patients with partial epilepsy. Methods: This is a retrospective, long-term observational study. Patients with partial epilepsy who received monotherapy with one of six AEDs, namely, CBZ, VPA, topiramate (TPM), oxcarbazepine (OXC), lamotrigine (LTG), or levetiracetam (LEV), were identified and followed up from May 2007 to October 2014, and time to first seizure after treatment, 12-month remission rate, retention rate, reasons for treatment discontinuation, and adverse effects were evaluated. Results: A total of 789 patients were enrolled. The median time of follow-up was 56.95 months. CBZ exhibited the best time to first seizure, with a median time to first seizure of 36.06 months (95% confidential interval: 30.64–44.07). CBZ exhibited the highest 12-month remission rate (85.55%), which was significantly higher than those of TPM (69.38%, P = 0.006), LTG (70.79%, P = 0.001), LEV (72.54%, P = 0.005), and VPA (73.33%, P = 0.002). CBZ, OXC, and LEV had the best retention rate, followed by LTG, TPM, and VPA. Overall, adverse effects occurred in 45.87% of patients, and the most common adverse effects were memory problems (8.09%), rashes (7.76%), abnormal hepatic function (6.24%), and drowsiness (6.24%). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that CBZ, OXC, and LEV are relatively effective in managing focal epilepsy as measured by time to first seizure

  3. Long-term Effectiveness of Antiepileptic Drug Monotherapy in Partial Epileptic Patients: A 7-year Study in an Epilepsy Center in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Zhu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: It is important to choose an appropriate antiepileptic drug (AED to manage partial epilepsy. Traditional AEDs, such as carbamazepine (CBZ and valproate (VPA, have been proven to have good therapeutic effects. However, in recent years, a variety of new AEDs have increasingly been used as first-line treatments for partial epilepsy. As the studies regarding the effectiveness of new drugs and comparisons between new AEDs and traditional AEDs are few, it is determined that these are areas in need of further research. Accordingly, this study investigated the long-term effectiveness of six AEDs used as monotherapy in patients with partial epilepsy. Methods: This is a retrospective, long-term observational study. Patients with partial epilepsy who received monotherapy with one of six AEDs, namely, CBZ, VPA, topiramate (TPM, oxcarbazepine (OXC, lamotrigine (LTG, or levetiracetam (LEV, were identified and followed up from May 2007 to October 2014, and time to first seizure after treatment, 12-month remission rate, retention rate, reasons for treatment discontinuation, and adverse effects were evaluated. Results: A total of 789 patients were enrolled. The median time of follow-up was 56.95 months. CBZ exhibited the best time to first seizure, with a median time to first seizure of 36.06 months (95% confidential interval: 30.64-44.07. CBZ exhibited the highest 12-month remission rate (85.55%, which was significantly higher than those of TPM (69.38%, P = 0.006, LTG (70.79%, P = 0.001, LEV (72.54%, P = 0.005, and VPA (73.33%, P = 0.002. CBZ, OXC, and LEV had the best retention rate, followed by LTG, TPM, and VPA. Overall, adverse effects occurred in 45.87% of patients, and the most common adverse effects were memory problems (8.09%, rashes (7.76%, abnormal hepatic function (6.24%, and drowsiness (6.24%. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that CBZ, OXC, and LEV are relatively effective in managing focal epilepsy as measured by time to first

  4. Ictal technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer single-photon emission tomographic findings and propagation of epileptic seizure activity in patients with extratemporal epilepsies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noachtar, S.; Arnold, S.; Werhahn, K.J.; Yousry, T.A.; Tatsch, K.

    1998-01-01

    We investigated the influence of the propagation of extratemporal epileptic seizure activity on the regional increase in cerebral blood flow, which is usually associated with epileptic seizure activity. Forty-two consecutive patients with extratemporal epilepsies were prospectively evaluated. All patients underwent ictal SPET studies with simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and video recordings of habitual seizures and imaging studies including cranial magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography with 2-[ 18 F]-fluoro-2 deoxy-d-glucose. Propagation of epilptic seizure activity (PESA) was defined as the absence of hyperperfusion on ictal ECD SPET in the lobe of seizure onset, but its presence in another ipsilateral or contralateral lobe. Observers analysing the SPET images were not informed of the other results. PESA was observed in 8 of the 42 patients (19%) and was ipsilateral to the seizure onset in five (63%) of these eight patients. The time between clinical seizure onset and injection of the ECD tracer ranged from 14 to 61 s (mean 34 s). Seven patients (88%) with PESA had parieto-occipital epilepsy and one patient had a frontal epilepsy. PESA was statistically more frequent in patients with parieto-occipital lobe epilepsies (58%) than in the remaining extratemporal epilepsy syndromes (3%) (P<0.0002). These findings indicate that ictal SPET studies require simultaneous EEG-video recordings in patients with extratemporal epilepsies. PESA should be considered when interpreting ictal SPET studies in these patients. Patients with PESA are more likely to have parieto-occipital lobe epilepsy than seizure onset in other extratemporal regions. (orig./MG) (orig.)

  5. Robotic-assisted partial Nephrectomy: initial experience in South America

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    Gustavo C. Lemos

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE:To report the initial outcomes of robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy in a tertiary center in South America. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 11/2008 to 12/2009, a total of 16 transperitoneal robotic-assisted partial nephrectomies were performed in 15 patients to treat 18 kidney tumors. One patient with bilateral tumor had two procedures, while two patients with two synchronous unilateral tumors had a single operation to remove them. Eleven (73% patients were male and the right kidney was affected in 7 (46% patients. The median patient age and tumor size were 57 years old and 30 mm, respectively. Five (28% tumors were hilar and/or centrally located. RESULTS: The median operative time, warm ischemia time and estimated blood loss was 140 min, 27 min and 120 mL, respectively. Blood transfusion was required in one patient with bilateral tumor, and one additional pyelolithotomy was performed due to a 15mm stone located in the renal pelvis. The histopathology analysis showed 15 (83% malignant tumors, which 10 (67% were clear cell carcinoma. The median hospital stay was 72 hrs and no major complication was observed. CONCLUSION: Robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy is safe and represents a valuable option to perform minimally invasive nephron-sparing surgery.

  6. Dramatic effect of levetiracetam in early-onset epileptic encephalopathy due to STXBP1 mutation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dilena, Robertino; Striano, Pasquale; Traverso, Monica; Viri, Maurizio; Cristofori, Gloria; Tadini, Laura; Barbieri, Sergio; Romeo, Antonino; Zara, Federico

    2016-01-01

    Syntaxin Binding Protein 1 (STXBP1) mutations determine a central neurotransmission dysfunction through impairment of the synaptic vesicle release, thus causing a spectrum of phenotypes varying from syndromic and non-syndromic epilepsy to intellectual disability of variable degree. Among the antiepileptic drugs, levetiracetam has a unique mechanism of action binding SV2A, a glycoprotein of the synaptic vesicle release machinery. We report a 1-month-old boy manifesting an epileptic encephalopathy with clonic seizures refractory to phenobarbital, pyridoxine and phenytoin that presented a dramatic response to levetiracetam with full epilepsy control and EEG normalization. Genetic analysis identified a novel de novo heterozygous mutation (c.[922A>T]p.[Lys308(∗)]) in the STXBP1 gene that severely affects the protein. The observation of a dramatic efficacy of levetiracetam in a case of STXBP1 epileptic encephalopathy refractory to other antiepileptic drugs and considerations regarding the specific mechanism of action of levetiracetam modulating the same system affected by STXBP1 mutations support the hypothesis that this drug may be able to reverse specifically the disease epileptogenic abnormalities. Further clinical observations and laboratory studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis and eventually lead to consider levetiracetam as the first choice treatment of patients with suspected or confirmed STXBP1-related epilepsies. Copyright © 2015 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Depression and anxiety disorder among epileptic people at Amanuel Specialized Mental Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tegegne, Minale Tareke; Mossie, Tilahun Belete; Awoke, Andargie Abate; Assaye, Ashagre Molla; Gebrie, Belete Temitm; Eshetu, Desalegn Asmare

    2015-09-02

    Although depression and anxiety disorders are very common in people with epilepsy; there are no studies that assessed the magnitude and associated factors among epileptic people in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study determined prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety disorders in people with epilepsy. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May, 2013, among 423 people with epilepsy from the outpatient department of Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess predictors of depression and anxiety. The prevalence of anxiety and depression among epileptic people were 33.5 and 32.8%, respectively. Monthly income, frequency of seizure and side effects of anti convulsants were found to be significantly associated with both depression and anxiety. Being divorced/widowed was associated with anxiety while using poly-therapy of anti convulsants, perceived stigma, and inability to read or write were associated with depression. The prevalence of co-morbid anxiety and depression was found to be high among people with epilepsy. Early identification of co-morbid depression and anxiety in people with epilepsy and managing epilepsy to become seizure free should be of great concern for health care providers.

  8. Recent research on stishovite: Hugoniot and partial release Z experiments and DFT EOS calculations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furnish, Michael; Shulenburger, Luke; Desjarlais, Michael; Fei, Yingwei

    2017-06-01

    We have conducted a series of ride-along experiments on the Z facility to ascertain the Hugoniot of silica centered in the stishovite phase over a range 0.4 - 1.0 TPa, together with partial release states produced at the interface between the sample and a fused silica window. The stishovite samples were synthesized in a large-volume multi-anvil press at 15 GPa and 1773 K, with an initial density of 4.29 gm/cc. The new Z experiments on stishovite fill in a gap between gas gun experiments and NIF experiments. The states are compared with the Hugoniots of quartz and fused silica for inferences as to EOS. They are generally consistent with Sesame 7360 predictions. Sound speed constraints from these data are discussed. The new Hugoniot data cross over the melting curve of stishovite, providing insight into the properties of solid and liquid under extreme conditions in conjunction with predictions from density-functional theory modeling. These data are fundamentally important for understanding the interior of silicate-based super-Earths. Sandia National Labs is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp., for the U.S. Dept. of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

  9. Epileptic seizures due to multiple cerebral cavernomatosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spasić Mirjana

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Cavernous angiomas are angiographically occult vascular malformations that are present in 0.4−0.9 % of people, and represent around 5% of all cerebrovascular malformations. They can be single or multiple, and sporadic or familial. The presence of multiple lesions is more frequent in familial cavernomatosis. Ten to 30 % are associated with familial clustering. Case report. We presented the case of a 43-year-old man, admitted to the Emergency Department due to unprovoked seizure during the wide awake and everyday activities. Neurological examination was with no focal signs. A 32-channel standard digital EEG was without any significant changes of normal baseline activity. After sleep deprivation EEG showed multifocal, bilateral and asymmetric polyspikes and sharpwaves activity. Hyperventilation induced generalized epileptiform discharges. MRI scan demonstrated multiple small cavernous angiomas. Neuropsychological testing demonstrated a delayed memory impairment. Neurosurgery treatment was not recommended, and the therapy with valproate 1 250 mg/day had an excellent efficacy with no singnificant adverse effects. Conclusion. This patient considered as a rare case with multiple cavernomatosis highlights the importance of neuroradiological examination in adult patients with the first epileptic seizure but with no focal neurological signs. .

  10. Do video games evoke specific types of epileptic seizures?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piccioli, Marta; Vigevano, Federico; Buttinelli, Carla; Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenité, Dorothée G A

    2005-11-01

    We determined whether epileptic clinical manifestations evoked by playing video games (VG) differ from those evoked by intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) or striped patterns (P). We exposed nine children who had TV- and VG-evoked seizures in daily life to 12 VG after standardized photic stimulation and pattern stimulation. Their EEGs were recorded continuously, analyzed, and then correlated with a video of their behavior. Similar types of clinical signs were seen during VG, P, and IPS, but the signs we observed were more subtle during the VG. Eight patients showed a clear lateralization. A new observation was the lowering of the eyelids to a state of half-closed. Our study suggests that the type of visual stimulus provoking a photoparoxysmal response or seizure is not particularly relevant. The children belonged to different epilepsy groups, and our findings add to the discussion on the boundaries of the epilepsy types.

  11. The role of driver nodes in managing epileptic seizures: Application of Kuramoto model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohseni, Ali; Gharibzadeh, Shahriar; Bakouie, Fatemeh

    2017-04-21

    Synchronization is an important global phenomenon which could be found in a wide range of complex systems such as brain or electronic devices. However, in some circumstances the synchronized states are not desirable for the system and should be suppressed. For example, excessively synchronized activities in the brain network could be the root of neuronal disorders like epileptic seizures. According to the controllability theory of the complex networks, a minimum set of driver nodes has the ability to control the entire system. In this study, we examine the role of driver nodes in suppressing the excessive synchronization in a generalized Kuramoto model, which consists of two types of oscillators: contrarian and regular ones. We used two different structural topologies: Barabási-Albert scale-free (BASF) network and Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans) neuronal network. Our results show that contrarian driver nodes have the sufficient ability to break the synchronized level of the systems. In this case, the system coherency level is not fully suppressed that is avoiding dysfunctions of normal brain functions which require the neuronal synchronized activities. Moreover, in this case, the oscillators grouped in two distinct synchronized clusters that could be an indication of chaotic behavior of the system known as resting-state activity of the brain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. An integrative view of mechanisms underlying generalized spike-and-wave epileptic seizures and its implication on optimal therapeutic treatments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boyuan Yan

    Full Text Available Many types of epileptic seizures are characterized by generalized spike-and-wave discharges. In the past, notable effort has been devoted to understanding seizure dynamics and various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the underlying mechanisms. In this paper, by taking an integrative view of the underlying mechanisms, we demonstrate that epileptic seizures can be generated by many different combinations of synaptic strengths and intrinsic membrane properties. This integrative view has important medical implications: the specific state of a patient characterized by a set of biophysical characteristics ultimately determines the optimal therapeutic treatment. Through the same view, we further demonstrate the potentiation effect of rational polypharmacy in the treatment of epilepsy and provide a new angle to resolve the debate on polypharmacy. Our results underscore the need for personalized medicine and demonstrate that computer modeling and simulation may play an important role in assisting the clinicians in selecting the optimal treatment on an individual basis.

  13. Partial fingerprint identification algorithm based on the modified generalized Hough transform on mobile device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Jin; Tang, Siqi; Han, Congying; Guo, Tiande

    2018-04-01

    Partial fingerprint identification technology which is mainly used in device with small sensor area like cellphone, U disk and computer, has taken more attention in recent years with its unique advantages. However, owing to the lack of sufficient minutiae points, the conventional method do not perform well in the above situation. We propose a new fingerprint matching technique which utilizes ridges as features to deal with partial fingerprint images and combines the modified generalized Hough transform and scoring strategy based on machine learning. The algorithm can effectively meet the real-time and space-saving requirements of the resource constrained devices. Experiments on in-house database indicate that the proposed algorithm have an excellent performance.

  14. Classifying Normal and Abnormal Status Based on Video Recordings of Epileptic Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Li

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Based on video recordings of the movement of the patients with epilepsy, this paper proposed a human action recognition scheme to detect distinct motion patterns and to distinguish the normal status from the abnormal status of epileptic patients. The scheme first extracts local features and holistic features, which are complementary to each other. Afterwards, a support vector machine is applied to classification. Based on the experimental results, this scheme obtains a satisfactory classification result and provides a fundamental analysis towards the human-robot interaction with socially assistive robots in caring the patients with epilepsy (or other patients with brain disorders in order to protect them from injury.

  15. Transient epileptic amnesia differentiated from psychogenic "fugue": neuropsychological, EEG, and PET findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopelman, M D; Panayiotopoulos, C P; Lewis, P

    1994-08-01

    A patient had repeated episodes of transient loss of memory, which had been attributed to psychogenic causes. Preservation of his sense of personal identity and the presence of repetitive questioning indicated an organic basis, however, and the multiplicity of the attacks and their brief duration suggested an epileptic aetiology. Although three standard EEGs, CT and MRI were all normal, two sleep EEGs confirmed bilateral foci in the temporal lobes. The attacks responded to an anticonvulsant. A fluoro-deoxyglucose PET scan, performed a few months after the most recent attack, was normal. The patient also had impaired anterograde memory that persisted six months after recovery from the acute attacks.

  16. Searching for Authentic Context in Designing PISA-like Mathematics Problem: From Indoor to Outdoor Field Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siswono, T. Y. E.; Kohar, A. W.; Rosyidi, A. H.; Hartono, S.; Masriyah

    2018-01-01

    Designing problem like in PISA is known as a challenging activity for teachers particularly as the use of authentic context within that type of problem. This paper aims to describe the experiences of secondary mathematics teachers in designing PISA-like problems within an innovative training program focusing on building teachers’ understanding on the concept of mathematical literacy. The teachers were engaged in a set of problem-solving and problem-posing activities using PISA-based problem within indoor and outdoor field experiences. Within indoor field experience, the teachers worked collaboratively in groups on designing PISA-like problems with a given context through problem generation and reformulation techniques. Within outdoor field experience, they worked on designing PISA-like problems with self-chosen context from the place where the outdoor field experience took place. Our analysis indicates that there were improvements on the PISA-like problems designed by teachers based on its level use of context from indoor to outdoor experience. Also, the teachers were relatively successful with creating appropriate and motivating contexts by harnessing a variety of context consisting of personal, occupational, societal, and scientific contexts. However, they still experienced difficulties in turning these contexts into an appropriate problem satisfying PISA framework such as regarding authenticity of context use, language structure, and PISA task profile.

  17. First Analysis of the Association Between CYP3A4/5, ABCB1 Genetic Polymorphisms and Oxcarbazepine Metabolism and Transport in Chinese Epileptic Patients with Oxcarbazepine Monotherapy and Bitherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ping; Yin, Tao; Ma, Hong-ying; Liu, Dan-Qi; Sheng, Yangh-ao; Zhou, Bo-Ting

    2015-01-01

    Oxcarbazepine (OXC) is widely used in anti-epileptic treatment. Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), cytochrome P450 3A5(CYP3A5), and ATP-binding cassette sub-family B member 1 (ABCB1) are potential genes involved in OXC metabolisms and transport in vivo. This study aims to examine the genetic effects of CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and ABCB1 on OXC metabolism and transport in Chinese epileptic patients using OXC as monotherapy and bitherapy with lamotrigine (LTG), levetiracetam (LEV), or valproic acid (VPA). Sixty-six Chinese epileptic patients were recruited from Xiangya Hospital Central South University, of whom 40 patients were receiving OXC monotherapy, 11 patients were placed in the OXC bitherapy group combined with one enzyme-inducing anti-epileptic drugs (LTG or LEV), and 15 patients were placed in the OXC bitherapy group combined with VPA. Oxcarbazepine and its main metabolite 10-hydrocarbazepine (MHD) plasma concentrations were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV method. In addition, eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP3A4, CYP3A5, ABCB1 gene were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-improved multiple ligase detection reaction (PCR-iMLDR). In the OXC+VPA group, ABCB1 rs2032582 and rs2032582-rs10234411-rs1045642 TAG haplotype were associated with MHD and MHD+OXC plasma concentration before permutation test. In OXC monotherapy and OXC+ LTG/LEV groups, no significant association between genetic polymorphisms in CYP3A4/5, ABCB1 gene and OXC plasma concentration parameters were observed. CYP3A4/5 and ABCB1 genetic variants might not take part in the metabolism and transport of MHD and OXC among epileptic patients using OXC monotherapy and bitherapy in combination with LEV, LTG or VPA.

  18. A Case of Habitual Neck Compression Induced Electroencephalogram Abnormalities: Differentiating from Epileptic Seizures Using a Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Hongyoon; Seo, Minseok; Lee, Hoyoung; Kim, Youngsoo; Yun, Changho; Kim, Sangeun; Park, Sungho [Seoul National Univ. Bundang Hospital, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-06-15

    Self-induced hypoxia has been reported particularly in adolescents, and it can result in neurological injury. Here, we present a case of electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities induced by habitual neck compression differentiated from epileptic seizures by Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT. A 19-year-old male was admitted for evaluation of recurrent generalized tonic-clonic seizures. No interictal EEG abnormality was detected; however, abnormal slow delta waves were found immediately after habitual right neck compression. To differentiate EEG abnormalities due to a hemodynamic deficit induced by habitual neck compression from an epileptic seizure, Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT was performed immediately after right carotid artery compression. Abnormal delta waves were triggered, and cerebral hypoperfusion in the right internal carotid artery territory was detected on Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT. The slow delta wave detected on the EEG resulted from the cerebral hypoperfusion because of the habitual neck compression.

  19. A Case of Habitual Neck Compression Induced Electroencephalogram Abnormalities: Differentiating from Epileptic Seizures Using a Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Hongyoon; Seo, Minseok; Lee, Hoyoung; Kim, Youngsoo; Yun, Changho; Kim, Sangeun; Park, Sungho

    2014-01-01

    Self-induced hypoxia has been reported particularly in adolescents, and it can result in neurological injury. Here, we present a case of electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities induced by habitual neck compression differentiated from epileptic seizures by Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT. A 19-year-old male was admitted for evaluation of recurrent generalized tonic-clonic seizures. No interictal EEG abnormality was detected; however, abnormal slow delta waves were found immediately after habitual right neck compression. To differentiate EEG abnormalities due to a hemodynamic deficit induced by habitual neck compression from an epileptic seizure, Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT was performed immediately after right carotid artery compression. Abnormal delta waves were triggered, and cerebral hypoperfusion in the right internal carotid artery territory was detected on Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT. The slow delta wave detected on the EEG resulted from the cerebral hypoperfusion because of the habitual neck compression

  20. Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE , “déjà vu” phenomenon and religious experiences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanda M. Deme

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available A lot of controversies appear regarding temporal lobe epilepsy to bridge the gap between religion and neuroscience. TLE was described in literature in 1869 by Russian writer Dostoievski (who suffered from epilepsy, in his work ”The Idiot”, when the hero Prince Myshkin described his epileptic feelings of sublime sacredness of the inner light. Neurotheology is the science trying to understand the brain activities and to find an integration in religion concepts. TLE aura or psychic crisis is defined by simple or complex hallucinations, mystic divine experience, unpleasant experience of fear and déjà vu phenomenon. Neppe and Funkhouser (2006 described the notion as already seen, but it means also already heard,met, heard or visited. The“déjà vu” phenomenon is always a subjective experience which can appear in normal subjects or in pathologic states like TLE, schizophrenia or other types of psychosis. It can also be a subjective paranormal experience. Neppe’s definition is now universally used, defined as ‘any subjectively inappropriate impression of familiarity of the present experience with an undefined past’ (Neppe, 1983. Déjà vu has an impact on neuroscience and descriptions from history and literature and the multitude of descriptions from experiences demand various scientific explanations.

  1. De novo loss- or gain-of-function mutations in KCNA2 cause epileptic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Syrbe, Steffen; Hedrich, Ulrike B S; Riesch, Erik

    2015-01-01

    disability, delayed speech development and sometimes ataxia. Functional studies of the two mutations associated with this phenotype showed almost complete loss of function with a dominant-negative effect. Two further individuals presented with a different and more severe epileptic encephalopathy phenotype....... They carried mutations inducing a drastic gain-of-function effect leading to permanently open channels. These results establish KCNA2 as a new gene involved in human neurodevelopmental disorders through two different mechanisms, predicting either hyperexcitability or electrical silencing of KV1.2-expressing...

  2. Comparisons of childhood trauma, alexithymia, and defensive styles in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures vs. epilepsy: Implications for the etiology of conversion disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Marcia J; Dwivedi, Alok K; Privitera, Michael D; Isaacs, Kelly; Hughes, Cynthia; Bowman, Michelle

    2013-08-01

    It has been theorized that conversion disorder is the result of emotion that cannot be experienced consciously as feeling states or put into words (i.e., alexithymia), but there is little confirming empirical evidence. We sought to characterize subjects with conversion disorder compared to subjects with a distinct medical illness, using the model of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) vs. epilepsy (ES), on measures of childhood traumatic experience, alexithymia and maturity of psychological defensive strategies. All subjects admitted to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center were offered self-report questionnaires (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and Response Evaluation Measure-71) at the outset of evaluation. Diagnosis of each subject was confirmed by video-EEG and we compared subjects with PNES to those with ES on these measures. 82 subjects had ES AND 96 had PNES. Those with PNES were significantly more likely to have experienced childhood trauma in all domains (p=.005 to p=.05), and were significantly more likely to have alexithymia (p=.0267). There was a significant difference in the capacity to identify feelings, and a trend towards significance in capacity to describe feelings. There were no differences in defensive styles between the two groups. PNES diagnosis was associated with female sex, higher alexithymia scores and higher rates of childhood trauma, but not with differences in defensive styles compared to ES. These findings add empirical evidence for theories regarding the cause of conversion disorder and may aid in the design of prospective treatment trials in patients with conversion disorder. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. A fast direct method for block triangular Toeplitz-like with tri-diagonal block systems from time-fractional partial differential equations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ke, Rihuan; Ng, Michael K.; Sun, Hai-Wei

    2015-12-01

    In this paper, we study the block lower triangular Toeplitz-like with tri-diagonal blocks system which arises from the time-fractional partial differential equation. Existing fast numerical solver (e.g., fast approximate inversion method) cannot handle such linear system as the main diagonal blocks are different. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a fast direct method for solving this linear system, and to illustrate that the proposed method is much faster than the classical block forward substitution method for solving this linear system. Our idea is based on the divide-and-conquer strategy and together with the fast Fourier transforms for calculating Toeplitz matrix-vector multiplication. The complexity needs O (MNlog2 ⁡ M) arithmetic operations, where M is the number of blocks (the number of time steps) in the system and N is the size (number of spatial grid points) of each block. Numerical examples from the finite difference discretization of time-fractional partial differential equations are also given to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.

  4. A double-blind, placebo-controlled interaction study between oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine, sodium valproate and phenytoin in epileptic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKee, P J; Blacklaw, J; Forrest, G; Gillham, R A; Walker, S M; Connelly, D; Brodie, M J

    1994-01-01

    1. The effect of carbamazepine (CBZ), sodium valproate (VPA) and phenytoin (PHT) on the pharmacokinetics of oxcarbazepine (OXC) was explored in three groups of 12 epileptic patients taking one of these drug as monotherapy. 2. Each patient took a single 600 mg dose of OXC followed 7 days later by 3 weeks' treatment with OXC 300 mg thrice daily and matched placebo in random order. 3. Seven untreated patients, acting as controls, were prescribed the single OXC dose and 3 weeks' active treatment only. 4. In those patients completing the study, the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) at steady-state for hydroxycarbazepine (OHCZ), the active metabolite of OXC, was significantly lower in the CBZ-treated group than in controls (P effects during treatment with OXC compared with one taking placebo (P < 0.01). 8. There were no important changes in cognitive function testing during administration of OXC compared with placebo. 9. Standard doses of OXC can be given as add-on therapy in epileptic patients receiving CBZ, VPA or PHT without producing a clinically relevant pharmacokinetic interaction. PMID:8148215

  5. MICROARRAY PROFILE OF SEIZURE DAMAGE-REFRACTORY HIPPOCAMPAL CA3 IN A MOUSE MODEL OF EPILEPTIC PRECONDITIONING

    OpenAIRE

    HATAZAKI, S.; BELLVER-ESTELLES, C.; JIMENEZ-MATEOS, E. M.; MELLER, R.; BONNER, C.; MURPHY, N.; MATSUSHIMA, S.; TAKI, W.; PREHN, J. H. M.; SIMON, R. P.; HENSHALL, D. C.

    2007-01-01

    A neuroprotected state can be acquired by preconditioning brain with a stimulus that is subthreshold for damage (tolerance). Acquisition of tolerance involves coordinate, bi-directional changes to gene expression levels and the re-programmed phenotype is determined by the preconditioning stimulus. While best studied in ischemic brain there is evidence brief seizures can confer tolerance against prolonged seizures (status epilepticus). Presently, we developed a model of epileptic preconditioni...

  6. Depression and anxiety mediate the relationship between temperament and character and psychotic-like experiences in healthy subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prochwicz, Katarzyna; Gawęda, Łukasz

    2016-12-30

    In this study we examined the hypothesis that depression and anxiety may mediate the relationship between personality traits and both positive and negative psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in healthy adults. The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) scale, Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were administered to 492 healthy individuals. Multiple stepwise regression and mediation analyses were performed to examine whether depressive and anxiety symptoms influence the relationship between the TCI dimensions and positive and negative PLEs. Self-transcendence, persistence, novelty-seeking and self-directedness significantly predicted positive PLEs; self-directedness and harm avoidance were predictable for negative PLEs. Self-transcendence, self-directedness, persistence and harm avoidance also predicted the distress caused by positive PLEs, whereas self-directedness and harm avoidance predicted distress raised by negative PLEs. Depressive symptoms and the state of anxiety partially mediated the linkage between self-directedness and positive PLEs, and between self-directedness, harm avoidance and negative PLEs. Our findings confirm that the personality pattern influences both positive and negative PLEs as well as distress caused by experiencing positive and negative PLEs, and they indicate that certain personality traits may influence the development of PLEs via the emotional pathway of heightened depression and anxiety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Anatomic partial nephrectomy: technique evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azhar, Raed A; Metcalfe, Charles; Gill, Inderbir S

    2015-03-01

    Partial nephrectomy provides equivalent long-term oncologic and superior functional outcomes as radical nephrectomy for T1a renal masses. Herein, we review the various vascular clamping techniques employed during minimally invasive partial nephrectomy, describe the evolution of our partial nephrectomy technique and provide an update on contemporary thinking about the impact of ischemia on renal function. Recently, partial nephrectomy surgical technique has shifted away from main artery clamping and towards minimizing/eliminating global renal ischemia during partial nephrectomy. Supported by high-fidelity three-dimensional imaging, novel anatomic-based partial nephrectomy techniques have recently been developed, wherein partial nephrectomy can now be performed with segmental, minimal or zero global ischemia to the renal remnant. Sequential innovations have included early unclamping, segmental clamping, super-selective clamping and now culminating in anatomic zero-ischemia surgery. By eliminating 'under-the-gun' time pressure of ischemia for the surgeon, these techniques allow an unhurried, tightly contoured tumour excision with point-specific sutured haemostasis. Recent data indicate that zero-ischemia partial nephrectomy may provide better functional outcomes by minimizing/eliminating global ischemia and preserving greater vascularized kidney volume. Contemporary partial nephrectomy includes a spectrum of surgical techniques ranging from conventional-clamped to novel zero-ischemia approaches. Technique selection should be tailored to each individual case on the basis of tumour characteristics, surgical feasibility, surgeon experience, patient demographics and baseline renal function.

  8. The partial-reinforcement extinction effect and the contingent-sampling hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hochman, Guy; Erev, Ido

    2013-12-01

    The partial-reinforcement extinction effect (PREE) implies that learning under partial reinforcements is more robust than learning under full reinforcements. While the advantages of partial reinforcements have been well-documented in laboratory studies, field research has failed to support this prediction. In the present study, we aimed to clarify this pattern. Experiment 1 showed that partial reinforcements increase the tendency to select the promoted option during extinction; however, this effect is much smaller than the negative effect of partial reinforcements on the tendency to select the promoted option during the training phase. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the overall effect of partial reinforcements varies inversely with the attractiveness of the alternative to the promoted behavior: The overall effect is negative when the alternative is relatively attractive, and positive when the alternative is relatively unattractive. These results can be captured with a contingent-sampling model assuming that people select options that provided the best payoff in similar past experiences. The best fit was obtained under the assumption that similarity is defined by the sequence of the last four outcomes.

  9. Predicting Psychotic-Like Experiences during Sensory Deprivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniel, Christina; Mason, Oliver J.

    2015-01-01

    Aims. This study aimed to establish the contribution of hallucination proneness, anxiety, suggestibility, and fantasy proneness to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) reported during brief sensory deprivation. Method. Twenty-four high and 22 low hallucination-prone participants reported on PLEs occurring during brief sensory deprivation and at baseline. State/trait anxiety, suggestibility, and fantasy proneness were also measured. Results. Both groups experienced a significant increase in PLEs in sensory deprivation. The high hallucination prone group reported more PLEs both at baseline and in sensory deprivation. They also scored significantly higher on measures of state/trait anxiety, suggestibility, and fantasy proneness, though these did not explain the effects of group or condition. Regression analysis found hallucination proneness to be the best predictor of the increase in PLEs, with state anxiety also being a significant predictor. Fantasy proneness and suggestibility were not significant predictors. Conclusion. This study suggests the increase in PLEs reported during sensory deprivation reflects a genuine aberration in perceptual experience, as opposed to increased tendency to make false reports due to suggestibility of fantasy proneness. The study provides further support for the use of sensory deprivation as a safe and effective nonpharmacological model of psychosis. PMID:25811027

  10. Predicting Psychotic-Like Experiences during Sensory Deprivation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims. This study aimed to establish the contribution of hallucination proneness, anxiety, suggestibility, and fantasy proneness to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs reported during brief sensory deprivation. Method. Twenty-four high and 22 low hallucination-prone participants reported on PLEs occurring during brief sensory deprivation and at baseline. State/trait anxiety, suggestibility, and fantasy proneness were also measured. Results. Both groups experienced a significant increase in PLEs in sensory deprivation. The high hallucination prone group reported more PLEs both at baseline and in sensory deprivation. They also scored significantly higher on measures of state/trait anxiety, suggestibility, and fantasy proneness, though these did not explain the effects of group or condition. Regression analysis found hallucination proneness to be the best predictor of the increase in PLEs, with state anxiety also being a significant predictor. Fantasy proneness and suggestibility were not significant predictors. Conclusion. This study suggests the increase in PLEs reported during sensory deprivation reflects a genuine aberration in perceptual experience, as opposed to increased tendency to make false reports due to suggestibility of fantasy proneness. The study provides further support for the use of sensory deprivation as a safe and effective nonpharmacological model of psychosis.

  11. The ketogenic diet is effective for refractory epilepsy associated with acquired structural epileptic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villaluz, Mel Michel; Lomax, Lysa Boissé; Jadhav, Trupti; Cross, J Helen; Scheffer, Ingrid E

    2018-07-01

    Ketogenic diet therapies have proven efficacy for refractory epilepsy. There are many reports of their use in the genetic developmental and epileptic encephalopathies; however, little attention has been paid as to whether the diet is also effective in individuals with an acquired structural aetiology. We observed remarkable efficacy of the diet in two patients with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. We then analysed our cases with refractory structural epilepsies of acquired origin to characterize their response to the ketogenic diet. The classical ketogenic diet was implemented with dietary ratios of 3:1 to 4.4:1. Seizure frequency at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years was ascertained. A responder was defined as greater than 50% seizure reduction compared to baseline. Seven of the nine patients were responders at 3 months. Somewhat surprisingly we found that the ketogenic diet was effective in patients with a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy due to an acquired structural aetiology. This cohort may not be routinely considered for the ketogenic diet because of their structural and acquired, rather than genetic, basis. The ketogenic diet should be considered early in the management of patients with acquired structural encephalopathies as it can improve seizure control with the potential to improve developmental outcome. The ketogenic diet was effective in children with epilepsy associated with an acquired structural aetiology. © 2018 Mac Keith Press.

  12. Cosolvent gel-like materials from partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate)s and borax.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angelova, Lora V; Terech, Pierre; Natali, Irene; Dei, Luigi; Carretti, Emiliano; Weiss, Richard G

    2011-09-20

    A gel-like, high-viscosity polymeric dispersion (HVPD) based on cross-linked borate, partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate) (xPVAc, where x is the percent hydrolysis) is described. Unlike hydro-HVPDs prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and borate, the liquid portion of these materials can be composed of up to 75% of an organic cosolvent because of the influence of residual acetate groups on the polymer backbone. The effects of the degree of hydrolysis, molecular weight, polymer and cross-linker concentrations, and type and amount of organic cosolvent on the rheological and structural properties of the materials are investigated. The stability of the systems is explored through rheological and melting-range studies. (11)B NMR and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) are used to probe the structure of the dispersions. The addition of an organic liquid to the xPVAc-borate HVPDs results in a drastic increase in the number of cross-linked borate species as well as the agglomeration of the polymer into bundles. These effects result in an increase in the relaxation time and thermal stability of the networks. The ability to make xPVAc-borate HVPDs with very large amounts of and rather different organic liquids, with very different rheological properties that can be controlled easily, opens new possibilities for applications of PVAc-based dispersions. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  13. Anti Epileptic Activity of Morinda citrifolia Linn Fruit Extract

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Muralidharan

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Fruit extract of Morinda citrifolia (Noni, a medicinal plant used in many neuro protective ayurvedic preparations was evaluated for its protective effect against seizures induced by Maximal Electro Shock (MES method in rats. A daily dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract was administered to the animals for 15 days, after which seizures were induced by maximum electro shock method and the duration of various phases of epileptic attacks were recorded and compared with the control animals. A significant (P<0.01 and P<0.001 reduction in the time taken for righting reflex (recovery was noted in the experimental animals. The levels of biogenic amines such as dopamine, serotonin and nor-adrenaline in the forebrain region were also estimated and a significant level of restoration was opserved in the extract treated animals. Significant results were opserved in the estimated parameters thereby justifying the use of this medicinal plant in the treatment of epilepsy.

  14. Analysis of mutations in 7 genes associated with neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in a cohort of children with non-syndromic infantile epileptic encephalopathy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Ka-Yee Kwong

    Full Text Available Epileptic Encephalopathy (EE is a heterogeneous condition in which cognitive, sensory and/or motor functions deteriorate as a consequence of epileptic activity, which consists of frequent seizures and/or major interictal paroxysmal activity. There are various causes of EE and they may occur at any age in early childhood. Genetic mutations have been identified to contribute to an increasing number of children with early onset EE which had been previously considered as cryptogenic. We identified 26 patients with Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy (IEE of unknown etiology despite extensive workup and without any specific epilepsy syndromic phenotypes. We performed genetic analysis on a panel of 7 genes (ARX, CDKL5, KCNQ2, PCDH19, SCN1A, SCN2A, STXBP1 and identified 10 point mutations [ARX (1, CDKL5 (3, KCNQ2 (2, PCDH19 (1, SCN1A (1, STXBP1 (2] as well as one microdeletion involving both SCN1A and SCN2A. The high rate (42% of mutations suggested that genetic testing of this IEE panel of genes is recommended for cryptogenic IEE with no etiology identified. These 7 genes are associated with channelopathies or synaptic transmission and we recommend early genetic testing if possible to guide the treatment strategy.

  15. Collective excitability in a mesoscopic neuronal model of epileptic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jedynak, Maciej; Pons, Antonio J.; Garcia-Ojalvo, Jordi

    2018-01-01

    At the mesoscopic scale, the brain can be understood as a collection of interacting neuronal oscillators, but the extent to which its sustained activity is due to coupling among brain areas is still unclear. Here we address this issue in a simplified situation by examining the effect of coupling between two cortical columns described via Jansen-Rit neural mass models. Our results show that coupling between the two neuronal populations gives rise to stochastic initiations of sustained collective activity, which can be interpreted as epileptic events. For large enough coupling strengths, termination of these events results mainly from the emergence of synchronization between the columns, and thus it is controlled by coupling instead of noise. Stochastic triggering and noise-independent durations are characteristic of excitable dynamics, and thus we interpret our results in terms of collective excitability.

  16. Does arousal interfere with operant conditioning of spike-wave discharges in genetic epileptic rats?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osterhagen, Lasse; Breteler, Marinus; van Luijtelaar, Gilles

    2010-06-01

    One of the ways in which brain computer interfaces can be used is neurofeedback (NF). Subjects use their brain activation to control an external device, and with this technique it is also possible to learn to control aspects of the brain activity by operant conditioning. Beneficial effects of NF training on seizure occurrence have been described in epileptic patients. Little research has been done about differentiating NF effectiveness by type of epilepsy, particularly, whether idiopathic generalized seizures are susceptible to NF. In this experiment, seizures that manifest themselves as spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in the EEG were reinforced during 10 sessions in 6 rats of the WAG/Rij strain, an animal model for absence epilepsy. EEG's were recorded before and after the training sessions. Reinforcing SWDs let to decreased SWD occurrences during training; however, the changes during training were not persistent in the post-training sessions. Because behavioural states are known to have an influence on the occurrence of SWDs, it is proposed that the reinforcement situation increased arousal which resulted in fewer SWDs. Additional tests supported this hypothesis. The outcomes have implications for the possibility to train SWDs with operant learning techniques. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Linear algebraic theory of partial coherence: discrete fields and measures of partial coherence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozaktas, Haldun M; Yüksel, Serdar; Kutay, M Alper

    2002-08-01

    A linear algebraic theory of partial coherence is presented that allows precise mathematical definitions of concepts such as coherence and incoherence. This not only provides new perspectives and insights but also allows us to employ the conceptual and algebraic tools of linear algebra in applications. We define several scalar measures of the degree of partial coherence of an optical field that are zero for full incoherence and unity for full coherence. The mathematical definitions are related to our physical understanding of the corresponding concepts by considering them in the context of Young's experiment.

  18. Estimating the monetary value of willingness to pay for E-book reader's attributes using partially confounded factorial conjoint choice experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yong, Chin-Khian

    2013-09-01

    A partially confounded factorial conjoint choice experiments design was used to examine the monetary value of the willingness to pay for E-book Reader's attributes. Conjoint analysis is an efficient, cost-effective, and most widely used quantitative method in marketing research to understand consumer preferences and value trade-off. Value can be interpreted by customer or consumer as the received of multiple benefits from a price that was paid. The monetary value of willingness to pay for battery life, internal memory, external memory, screen size, text to Speech, touch screen, and converting handwriting to digital text of E-book reader were estimated in this study. Due to the significant interaction effect of the attributes with the price, the monetary values for the seven attributes were found to be different at different values of odds of purchasing versus not purchasing. The significant interactions effects were one of the main contribution of the partially confounded factorial conjoint choice experiment.

  19. Experimental determination of dissolved CO2 content in nominally anhydrous andesitic melts at graphite/diamond saturation - Remobilization of deeply subducted reduced carbon via partial melts of MORB-like eclogite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eguchi, J.; Dasgupta, R.

    2015-12-01

    Experimental phase relations of carbonated lithologies [1] and geochemistry of deep diamonds [2] suggest that deep recycling of carbon has likely been efficient for a significant portion of Earth's history. Both carbonates and organic carbon subduct into the mantle, but with gradual decrease of fO2 with depth [3] most carbon in deep mantle rocks including eclogite could be diamond/graphite [4]. Previous studies investigated the transfer of CO2 from subducted eclogite to the ambient mantle by partial melting in the presence of carbonates, i.e., by generation of carbonate-rich melts [5]. However, the transfer of carbon from subducted eclogite to the mantle can also happen, perhaps more commonly, by extraction of silicate partial melt in the presence of reduced carbon; yet, CO2 solubility in eclogite-derived andesitic melt at graphite/diamond saturation remains unconstrained. CO2content of eclogite melts is also critical as geochemistry of many ocean island basalts suggest the presence of C and eclogite in their source regions [6]. In the present study we determine CO2 concentration in a model andesitic melt [7] at graphite/diamond saturation at conditions relevant for partial melting of eclogite in the convecting upper mantle. Piston cylinder and multi anvil experiments were conducted at 1-6 GPa and 1375-1550 °C using Pt/Gr double capsules. Oxygen fugacity was monitored with Pt-Fe sensors in the starting mix. Completed experiments at 1-3 GPa show that CO2 concentration increases with increasing P, T, and fO2 up to ~0.3 wt%. Results were used to develop empirical and thermodynamic models to predict CO2 concentration in partial melts of graphite saturated eclogite. This allowed us to quantify the extent to which CO2 can mobilize from eclogitic heterogeneities at graphite/diamond saturated conditions. With estimates of eclogite contribution to erupted basaltic lavas, the models developed here allow us to put constraints on the flux of CO2 to mantle source regions

  20. Fluctuating partially native-like topologies in the acid denatured ensemble of autolysis resistant HIV-1 protease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rout, Manoj Kumar; Hosur, Ramakrishna V

    2009-02-01

    Folding, in-vivo, starts from a denatured state and thus the nature of the denatured state would play an important role in directing the folding of a protein. We report here NMR characterization of the acid-denatured state of a mutant of HIV-1 protease, designed to prevent autolysis (Q7K, L33I, L63I) and to prevent cysteine oxidation (C67A and C95A). Secondary chemical shifts, TALOS analysis of chemical shifts and (15)N relaxation data (R(1), R(2), NOE) coupled with AABUF and hydrophobicity calculations, suggest formation of hydrophobic clusters and possibility of some partially native-like topologies in the acid denatured state of the protease. The structural and dynamics characteristics of the acid denatured PR seem to be considerably different from those of the guanidine or urea denatured states of some variants of PR. These would have implications for the folding and auto-processing of the enzyme in-vivo.

  1. A signature for chameleons in axion-like particle search experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weniger, Christoph [DESY Hamburg (Germany)

    2008-07-01

    Scalar-Tensor theories are well known and viable generalizations of General Relativity. In recent publications, it was shown that these theories can satisfy all astronomical bounds even if the scalar field couples to matter much stronger than gravity. This is due to the fact that the effective mass of the scalar field strongly depends on the density of the ambient matter. We point out that these strongly coupled fields, which were dubbed chameleons, might reveal themselves as an aefterglow'' effect in axion-like particle search experiments due to chameleon photon conversion in a magnetic field. We estimate the parameter space which is accessible by currently available technology and find that afterglow experiments could constrain this parameter space in a way complementary to gravitational and Casimir force experiments.

  2. CDKL5 Gene-Related Epileptic Encephalopathy in Estonia: Four Cases, One Novel Mutation Causing Severe Phenotype in a Boy, and Overview of the Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lilles, Stella; Talvik, Inga; Noormets, Klari; Vaher, Ulvi; Õunap, Katrin; Reimand, Tiia; Sander, Valentin; Ilves, Pilvi; Talvik, Tiina

    2016-12-01

    Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 ( CDKL5 ) gene mutations have mainly been found in females with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE), severe intellectual disability, and Rett-like features. To date, only 22 boys have been reported, presenting with far more severe phenotypic features. We report the first cases of CDKL5 gene-related EIEE in Estonia diagnosed using panels of epilepsy-associated genes and describe the phenotype-genotype correlations in three male and one female patient. One of the mutations, identified in a male patient, was a novel de novo hemizygous frameshift mutation (NM_003159.2:c.2225_2228del (p.Glu742Afs*41)) in exon 15 of CDKL5. All boys have a more severe phenotype than the female patient. In boys with early onset of seizures and poor development with absent or poor eye contact, CDKL5 gene-related EIEE can be suspected and epilepsy-associated genes should be analyzed for early etiological diagnosis. Early genetic diagnosis would be the cornerstone in personalized treatment in the future. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  3. Does status epilepticus modify the effect of ifenprodil on cortical epileptic afterdischarges in immature rats?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Abbasova, Kenul; Kubová, Hana; Mareš, Pavel

    2018-01-01

    Roč. 70, č. 1 (2018), s. 126-132 ISSN 1734-1140 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP302/10/0971; GA ČR(CZ) GBP304/12/G069; GA ČR(CZ) GA15-16605S; GA MŠk(CZ) LC554; GA MŠk(CZ) LH15032 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : status epilepticus * immature rats * ifenprodil * cortical stimulation * epileptic afterdischarges Subject RIV: FH - Neurology OBOR OECD: Neurosciences (including psychophysiology Impact factor: 2.587, year: 2016

  4. Fragility in dynamic networks: application to neural networks in the epileptic cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sritharan, Duluxan; Sarma, Sridevi V

    2014-10-01

    Epilepsy is a network phenomenon characterized by atypical activity at the neuronal and population levels during seizures, including tonic spiking, increased heterogeneity in spiking rates, and synchronization. The etiology of epilepsy is unclear, but a common theme among proposed mechanisms is that structural connectivity between neurons is altered. It is hypothesized that epilepsy arises not from random changes in connectivity, but from specific structural changes to the most fragile nodes or neurons in the network. In this letter, the minimum energy perturbation on functional connectivity required to destabilize linear networks is derived. Perturbation results are then applied to a probabilistic nonlinear neural network model that operates at a stable fixed point. That is, if a small stimulus is applied to the network, the activation probabilities of each neuron respond transiently but eventually recover to their baseline values. When the perturbed network is destabilized, the activation probabilities shift to larger or smaller values or oscillate when a small stimulus is applied. Finally, the structural modifications to the neural network that achieve the functional perturbation are derived. Simulations of the unperturbed and perturbed networks qualitatively reflect neuronal activity observed in epilepsy patients, suggesting that the changes in network dynamics due to destabilizing perturbations, including the emergence of an unstable manifold or a stable limit cycle, may be indicative of neuronal or population dynamics during seizure. That is, the epileptic cortex is always on the brink of instability and minute changes in the synaptic weights associated with the most fragile node can suddenly destabilize the network to cause seizures. Finally, the theory developed here and its interpretation of epileptic networks enables the design of a straightforward feedback controller that first detects when the network has destabilized and then applies linear state

  5. Automatic identification of epileptic seizures from EEG signals using linear programming boosting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Ahnaf Rashik; Subasi, Abdulhamit

    2016-11-01

    Computerized epileptic seizure detection is essential for expediting epilepsy diagnosis and research and for assisting medical professionals. Moreover, the implementation of an epilepsy monitoring device that has low power and is portable requires a reliable and successful seizure detection scheme. In this work, the problem of automated epilepsy seizure detection using singe-channel EEG signals has been addressed. At first, segments of EEG signals are decomposed using a newly proposed signal processing scheme, namely complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN). Six spectral moments are extracted from the CEEMDAN mode functions and train and test matrices are formed afterward. These matrices are fed into the classifier to identify epileptic seizures from EEG signal segments. In this work, we implement an ensemble learning based machine learning algorithm, namely linear programming boosting (LPBoost) to perform classification. The efficacy of spectral features in the CEEMDAN domain is validated by graphical and statistical analyses. The performance of CEEMDAN is compared to those of its predecessors to further inspect its suitability. The effectiveness and the appropriateness of LPBoost are demonstrated as opposed to the commonly used classification models. Resubstitution and 10 fold cross-validation error analyses confirm the superior algorithm performance of the proposed scheme. The algorithmic performance of our epilepsy seizure identification scheme is also evaluated against state-of-the-art works in the literature. Experimental outcomes manifest that the proposed seizure detection scheme performs better than the existing works in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and Cohen's Kappa coefficient. It can be anticipated that owing to its use of only one channel of EEG signal, the proposed method will be suitable for device implementation, eliminate the onus of clinicians for analyzing a large bulk of data manually, and

  6. Testing the incentive-sensitization theory with at-risk drinkers: wanting, liking, and alcohol consumption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostafin, Brian D; Marlatt, G Alan; Troop-Gordon, Wendy

    2010-03-01

    Motivational models of addiction typically propose that alcohol and drugs are desired because of their hedonic effects (i.e., increasing pleasure or reducing distress). In contrast, the incentive-sensitization theory proposes that wanting motivation and liking motivation are separable and that after repeated substance use, motivation shifts from liking to wanting. Using a sample of 85 at-risk drinkers (as defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism), in the current study we examined the separability of liking motivation and wanting motivation for alcohol and whether years of drinking experience was associated with an increased role for wanting motivation and a decreased role for liking motivation. Consumption was measured with a free-drinking task. Wanting motivation was assessed immediately before drinking, and liking was assessed immediately after drinking had begun. The results indicated that (a) wanting motivation predicted variance of consumption unique from that accounted for by liking motivation, (b) longer drinking experience was associated with a decreased relation between liking motivation and consumption, and (c) longer drinking experience was not associated with an increased relation between wanting motivation and consumption. The results provide partial support for the incentive-sensitization theory.

  7. A novel CLCN5 mutation in a boy with Bartter-like syndrome and partial growth hormone deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogdanović, Radovan; Draaken, Markus; Toromanović, Alma; Dordević, Maja; Stajić, Natasa; Ludwig, Michael

    2010-11-01

    Dent disease is an X-linked recessive disorder affecting the proximal tubule and is characterized by low-molecular-weight proteinuria (LMWP), hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis/nephrolithiasis with a variable number of features of Fanconi syndrome. It is most often associated with mutations in CLCN5, which encodes the endosomal electrogenic chloride/proton exchanger ClC-5. Renal acidification abnormalities are only rarely seen in Dent disease, whereas the hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis associated with hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronism (Bartter-like syndrome) has been reported in only one patient so far. We report on a 5-year-old boy with Dent disease caused by mutation in CLCN5 gene, c.1073G>A, who presented with hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis and hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronism persisting over the entire follow-up. No mutations were found in NKCC2, ROMK, NCCT, or ClC-Kb genes. In addition, the patient exhibited growth failure associated with partial growth hormone (GH) deficiency. Coexistence of Bartter-like syndrome features with LMWP should prompt a clinician to search for Dent disease. The Bartter syndrome phenotype seen in Dent disease patients may represent a distinct form of Bartter syndrome, the exact mechanism of which has yet to be fully elucidated. Growth delay that persists in spite of appropriate therapy should raise suspicion of other causes, such as GH deficiency.

  8. Development of Partial Discharging Simulation Test Equipment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kai, Xue; Genghua, Liu; Yan, Jia; Ziqi, Chai; Jian, Lu

    2017-12-01

    In the case of partial discharge training for recruits who lack of on-site work experience, the risk of physical shock and damage of the test equipment may be due to the limited skill level and improper operation by new recruits. Partial discharge simulation tester is the use of simulation technology to achieve partial discharge test process simulation, relatively true reproduction of the local discharge process and results, so that the operator in the classroom will be able to get familiar with and understand the use of the test process and equipment.The teacher sets up the instrument to display different partial discharge waveforms so that the trainees can analyze the test results of different partial discharge types.

  9. Oxcabazepine (®Trileptal in Anti-Epileptic Polytherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peder Klosterskov Jensen

    1990-01-01

    Full Text Available The anti-epileptic activity of oxcarbazepine (OXC was compared with that of carbamazepine (CBZ and the primary active metabolite of OXC, a monohydroxy derivative (MHD. Altogether 255 patients receiving either OXC or MHD (192 and 63 patients respectively were included in the analysis of efficacy. Out of these 255 patients a total of 40 were children. The duration of treatment varied between 8 and 24weeks. The daily dose of OXC or MHD varied between 600 and 5400 mg (in children 600–2400 mg. Out of five studies two were double-blind controlled studies (including a total of 105 patients whereas the remaining three were open studies. The results of these studies indicate that, in adults with epilepsy, there is no statistically significant difference in overall seizure frequency between CBZ and OXC. In one double-blind study the number of generalized tonic-clonic seizures was significantly less frequent during treatment with OXC than with CBZ. No statistically significant difference with regard to side-effects was observed between OXC and CBZ. The results in children with epilepsy show a statistically significant difference in seizure frequency in favour of OXC, in comparison with CBZ. Overall, the polytherapy studies in adults and children support the effectiveness and safety of oxcarbazepine.

  10. Survival of the Partial Reinforcement Extinction Effect after Contextual Shifts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boughner, Robert L.; Papini, Mauricio R.

    2006-01-01

    The effects of contextual shifts on the partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE) were studied in autoshaping with rats. Experiment 1 established that the two contexts used subsequently were easily discriminable and equally salient. In Experiment 2, independent groups of rats received acquisition training under partial reinforcement (PRF) or…

  11. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Revived by Epileptic Seizure Then Disappeared Soon during Treatment with Regional Intravenous Nerve Blockade: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masahiko Sumitani

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a case of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS, in which symptoms, including burning pain and severe allodynia, were alleviated by using a regional intravenous nerve blockade (Bier block combined with physiotherapy, but reappeared following an epileptic seizure. Symptoms disappeared again following control of epileptic discharges, as revealed by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT and electroencephalography (EEG results. Although systemic toxicity of a local anesthetic applied by Bier block was suspected as a cause of the first seizure, the patient did not present any other toxic symptoms, and seizures repeatedly occurred after Bier block cessation; the patient was then diagnosed as having temporal symptomatic epilepsy. This case suggests that symptoms of CRPS may be sustained by abnormal brain conditions, and our findings contribute to the understanding of how the central nervous system participates in maintaining pain and allodynia associated with CRPS.

  12. Treatment of Complete and Partial Obstruction of the Nasolacrimal System with Polyurethane Stents: Initial Experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pulido-Duque, Juan M.; Reyes, Ricardo; Carreira, Jose M.; Vega, Francisco; Gorriz, Elias; Pardo, M. Dolores; Perez, Francisco; Maynar, Manuel

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: To present our experience in the treatment of nasolacrimal occlusion by means of polyurethane stents. Methods: Forty polyurethane stents were placed under fluoroscopic guidance in 35 consecutive patients with epiphora due to total or partial obstruction of the nasolacrimal system. The set designed by Song was used in all patients. The procedure was performed by introducing a guidewire through the superior punctum into the canaliculus and advancing it across the obstruction into the inferior meatus of the nasal cavity. After pulling out the guidewire, the stent was advanced in retrograde fashion and released into the sac and the nasolacrimal duct.Results: The technical success rate was 100%. The average time for the procedure was 25 min (range 10-60 min). Immediate complications were: mild pain (n= 5), severe pain (n= 1), minimal epistaxis (n= 7), and moderate epistaxis (n= 1). No major complications occurred. The last clinical control revealed complete resolution of epiphora in 35 eyes and partial resolution in four; one patient did not improve. Conclusion: This technique for treatment of obstruction of the nasolacrimal system is simple and safe, and may obviate the use of more invasive procedures

  13. Are psychogenic non-epileptic seizures just another symptom of conversion disorder?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanaan, Richard A A; Duncan, Roderick; Goldstein, Laura H; Jankovic, Joseph; Cavanna, Andrea E

    2017-05-01

    Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are classified with other functional neurological symptoms as 'Conversion Disorder', but there are reasons to wonder whether this symptomatology constitutes a distinct entity. We reviewed the literature comparing PNES with other functional neurological symptoms. We find eight studies that directly examined this question. Though all but one found significant differences-notably in presenting age, trauma history, and dissociation-they were divided on whether these differences represented an important distinction. We argue that the aetiological and mechanistic distinctions they support, particularly when bolstered by additional data, give reason to sustain a separation between these conditions. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  14. Unsupervised EEG analysis for automated epileptic seizure detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birjandtalab, Javad; Pouyan, Maziyar Baran; Nourani, Mehrdad

    2016-07-01

    Epilepsy is a neurological disorder which can, if not controlled, potentially cause unexpected death. It is extremely crucial to have accurate automatic pattern recognition and data mining techniques to detect the onset of seizures and inform care-givers to help the patients. EEG signals are the preferred biosignals for diagnosis of epileptic patients. Most of the existing pattern recognition techniques used in EEG analysis leverage the notion of supervised machine learning algorithms. Since seizure data are heavily under-represented, such techniques are not always practical particularly when the labeled data is not sufficiently available or when disease progression is rapid and the corresponding EEG footprint pattern will not be robust. Furthermore, EEG pattern change is highly individual dependent and requires experienced specialists to annotate the seizure and non-seizure events. In this work, we present an unsupervised technique to discriminate seizures and non-seizures events. We employ power spectral density of EEG signals in different frequency bands that are informative features to accurately cluster seizure and non-seizure events. The experimental results tried so far indicate achieving more than 90% accuracy in clustering seizure and non-seizure events without having any prior knowledge on patient's history.

  15. Magnetoencephalographic localization of peritumoral temporal epileptic focus previous surgical resection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amo, Carlos; Saldaña, Cristóbal; Hidalgo, Mercedes González; Maestú, Fernando; Fernández, Alberto; Arrazola, Juan; Ortiz, Tomás

    2003-01-01

    Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is suggested as a localizing technique of epileptogenic areas in drug-resistant seizure patients due to intracraneal lesions. A male 42-year-old patient who begins at 26 with partial complex drug-resistant seizures is put forward. MRI shows a 9 mm diameter lesion located in left superior temporal gyrus which seems compatible with cavernoma. Both conventional and sleep deprivation EEGs have proved normal. Sleep EEG shows sharp waves in left temporal region. MEG helps to localize interictal spike and spike-wave activity, as well as wide slow wave (2-7 Hz) activity areas. Craniotomy under analgesia and aware sedation conditions is carried out. Intrasurgery cortical electric stimulation assisted by neuronavigator causes a limited partial complex seizure which the patient recognizes to be exactly like his. Thus, MEG localization of the epileptogenic area is confirmed. Surgical resection of both the lesion and the epileptogenic area is carried out. The patient remains free from seizures 9 months after surgery. A control MEG study reveals no epileptogenic nor slow wave activity. in this particular case, MEG has proven to be a useful presurgical evaluation technique to localize epileptogenic activity, validated by intrasurgical cortical stimulation.

  16. Cannabis use and psychotic-like experiences trajectories during early adolescence: the coevolution and potential mediators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourque, Josiane; Afzali, Mohammad H; O'Leary-Barrett, Maeve; Conrod, Patricia

    2017-12-01

    The authors sought to model the different trajectories of psychotic-like experiences (PLE) during adolescence and to examine whether the longitudinal relationship between cannabis use and PLE is mediated by changes in cognitive development and/or change in anxiety or depression symptoms. A total of 2,566 youths were assessed every year for 4-years (from 13- to 16-years of age) on clinical, substance use and cognitive development outcomes. Latent class growth models identified three trajectories of PLE: low decreasing (83.9%), high decreasing (7.9%), and moderate increasing class (8.2%). We conducted logistic regressions to investigate whether baseline levels and growth in cannabis use were associated with PLE trajectory membership. Then, we examined the effects of potential mediators (growth in cognition and anxiety/depression) on the relationship between growth in cannabis use and PLE trajectory. A steeper growth in cannabis use from 13- to 16-years was associated with a higher likelihood of being assigned to the moderate increasing trajectory of PLE [odds ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11-6.03], when controlling for cumulative cigarette use. Growth in depression symptoms, not anxiety or change in cognitive functioning, mediated the relationship between growth in cannabis use and the PLE moderate increasing group (indirect effect: 0.07; 95% CI, 0.03-0.11). Depression symptoms partially mediated the longitudinal link between cannabis use and PLE in adolescents, suggesting that there may be a preventative effect to be gained from targeting depression symptoms, in addition to attempting to prevent cannabis use in youth presenting increasing psychotic experiences. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  17. Doctoral Students’ Experiences of Feeling (or not Like an Academic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esma Emmioglu Sarikaya

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: This paper examined the balance and meaning of two types of experiences in the day-to-day activity of doctoral students that draw them into academia and that move them away from academia: ‘feeling like an academic and belonging to an academic community;’ and ‘not feeling like an academic and feeling excluded from an academic community.’ Background: As students navigate doctoral work, they are learning what is entailed in being an academic by engaging with their peers and more experienced academics within their community. They are also personally and directly experiencing the rewards as well as the challenges related to doing academic work. Methodology\t: This study used a qualitative methodology; and daily activity logs as a data collection method. The data was collected from 57 PhD students in the social sciences and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields at two universities in the UK and two in Canada. Contribution: The current study moves beyond the earlier studies by elaborating on how academic activities contribute/hinder doctoral students’ sense of being an academic. Findings: The participants of the study generally focused on disciplinary/scholarly rather than institutional/service aspects of academic work, aside from teaching, and regarded a wide range of activities as having more positive than negative meanings. The findings related to both extrinsic and intrinsic factors that play important roles in students’ experiences of feeling (or not like academics are elaborated in the study. Recommendations for Practitioners: Supervisors should encourage their students to develop their own support networks and to participate in a wide range of academic activities as much as possible. Supervisors should encourage students to self-assess and to state the activities they feel they need to develop proficiency in. Future Research: More research is needed to examine the role of teaching in doctoral

  18. Implementing circularity using partial evaluation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lawall, Julia Laetitia

    2001-01-01

    of an imperative C-like language, by extending the language with a new construct, persistent variables. We show that an extension of partial evaluation can eliminate persistent variables, producing a staged C program. This approach has been implemented in the Tempo specializer for C programs, and has proven useful...

  19. Predicting epileptic seizures in advance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Negin Moghim

    Full Text Available Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disorder, affecting 0.6-0.8% of the world's population. In this neurological disorder, abnormal activity of the brain causes seizures, the nature of which tend to be sudden. Antiepileptic Drugs (AEDs are used as long-term therapeutic solutions that control the condition. Of those treated with AEDs, 35% become resistant to medication. The unpredictable nature of seizures poses risks for the individual with epilepsy. It is clearly desirable to find more effective ways of preventing seizures for such patients. The automatic detection of oncoming seizures, before their actual onset, can facilitate timely intervention and hence minimize these risks. In addition, advance prediction of seizures can enrich our understanding of the epileptic brain. In this study, drawing on the body of work behind automatic seizure detection and prediction from digitised Invasive Electroencephalography (EEG data, a prediction algorithm, ASPPR (Advance Seizure Prediction via Pre-ictal Relabeling, is described. ASPPR facilitates the learning of predictive models targeted at recognizing patterns in EEG activity that are in a specific time window in advance of a seizure. It then exploits advanced machine learning coupled with the design and selection of appropriate features from EEG signals. Results, from evaluating ASPPR independently on 21 different patients, suggest that seizures for many patients can be predicted up to 20 minutes in advance of their onset. Compared to benchmark performance represented by a mean S1-Score (harmonic mean of Sensitivity and Specificity of 90.6% for predicting seizure onset between 0 and 5 minutes in advance, ASPPR achieves mean S1-Scores of: 96.30% for prediction between 1 and 6 minutes in advance, 96.13% for prediction between 8 and 13 minutes in advance, 94.5% for prediction between 14 and 19 minutes in advance, and 94.2% for prediction between 20 and 25 minutes in advance.

  20. Large-scale modeling of epileptic seizures: scaling properties of two parallel neuronal network simulation algorithms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesce, Lorenzo L; Lee, Hyong C; Hereld, Mark; Visser, Sid; Stevens, Rick L; Wildeman, Albert; van Drongelen, Wim

    2013-01-01

    Our limited understanding of the relationship between the behavior of individual neurons and large neuronal networks is an important limitation in current epilepsy research and may be one of the main causes of our inadequate ability to treat it. Addressing this problem directly via experiments is impossibly complex; thus, we have been developing and studying medium-large-scale simulations of detailed neuronal networks to guide us. Flexibility in the connection schemas and a complete description of the cortical tissue seem necessary for this purpose. In this paper we examine some of the basic issues encountered in these multiscale simulations. We have determined the detailed behavior of two such simulators on parallel computer systems. The observed memory and computation-time scaling behavior for a distributed memory implementation were very good over the range studied, both in terms of network sizes (2,000 to 400,000 neurons) and processor pool sizes (1 to 256 processors). Our simulations required between a few megabytes and about 150 gigabytes of RAM and lasted between a few minutes and about a week, well within the capability of most multinode clusters. Therefore, simulations of epileptic seizures on networks with millions of cells should be feasible on current supercomputers.

  1. Large-Scale Modeling of Epileptic Seizures: Scaling Properties of Two Parallel Neuronal Network Simulation Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorenzo L. Pesce

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Our limited understanding of the relationship between the behavior of individual neurons and large neuronal networks is an important limitation in current epilepsy research and may be one of the main causes of our inadequate ability to treat it. Addressing this problem directly via experiments is impossibly complex; thus, we have been developing and studying medium-large-scale simulations of detailed neuronal networks to guide us. Flexibility in the connection schemas and a complete description of the cortical tissue seem necessary for this purpose. In this paper we examine some of the basic issues encountered in these multiscale simulations. We have determined the detailed behavior of two such simulators on parallel computer systems. The observed memory and computation-time scaling behavior for a distributed memory implementation were very good over the range studied, both in terms of network sizes (2,000 to 400,000 neurons and processor pool sizes (1 to 256 processors. Our simulations required between a few megabytes and about 150 gigabytes of RAM and lasted between a few minutes and about a week, well within the capability of most multinode clusters. Therefore, simulations of epileptic seizures on networks with millions of cells should be feasible on current supercomputers.

  2. [Illness Experience of Married Korean Women with Epilepsy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shon, Young Min; Joung, Woo Joung

    2017-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to understand and describe the illness experience of married Korean women with epilepsy. Data were collected during 2015~2016 through individual in-depth interviews with 12 married women with epilepsy. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using Giorgi's phenomenological analysis to uncover the meaning of the illness experience of the participants. The study results showed that the illness experience of married Korean women with epilepsy was clustered into a specific description of situated structure and a general description of situated structure. Six themes from 20 meaning units were identified: 1) Undermined self-esteem with stigma of being epileptic; 2) Limited social interaction; 3) Suffering sorrow as a 'disqualified being'; 4) Shuttling back and forth across the boundary between healthy and epileptic; 5) Desperate struggle to meet the expectation of given role; 6) Self-empowering through self-restriction and realization. The findings from this study show that both the enacted and felt stigma of epilepsy impact on the life of married Korean women with epilepsy. Although the participants face social and interpersonal restriction and prejudices, they try their best to fulfill their role rather than to be cared for as patients. As the stigma and hardships of the participants are related to lack of knowledge, health professionals should focus not just on clinical intervention but also on providing targeted educational programs and counseling for these women to dispel the stigma of the disease and to increase their quality of life. © 2017 Korean Society of Nursing Science

  3. Controversial action of positive modulator of subtype 7 of metabotropic glutamate receptors AMN082 on cortical epileptic afterdischarges in immature rats

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Szczurowska, Ewa; Mareš, Pavel

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 623, 1-3 (2009), s. 37-40 ISSN 0014-2999 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA305/06/1188 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : epileptic afterdischarges * glutamate receptors * rat Subject RIV: FH - Neuro logy Impact factor: 2.585, year: 2009

  4. Feeling lonely in the lab: A literature review and partial examination of recent loneliness induction procedures for experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pels Fabian

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Few laboratory experiments have been conducted in loneliness research in the past. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review, partially investigate and discuss loneliness induction procedures in order to facilitate future laboratory experiments in loneliness research (e.g. to examine the link between loneliness and social cognition. Previous studies have found both unconscious (i.e. professional hypnosis and conscious (i.e. recalling and calling out lonely experiences procedures to be successful in inducing loneliness. Another conscious procedure (i.e. recalling and writing down lonely experiences that has been described in recent literature has not yet been examined. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine this procedure using a one-group before-after design. However, this procedure, in which the participants had to recall and write down two lonely situations, was not found to significantly induce loneliness. Of 16 participants, only three reported at least some higher feelings of loneliness following this procedure.

  5. Non-invasive imaging of epileptic seizures in vivo using photoacoustic tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang Qizhi; Carney, Paul R; Yuan Zhen; Jiang Huabei [J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Liu Zhao [Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 (United States); Chen Huanxin; Roper, Steven N [Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0265 (United States)], E-mail: hjiang@bme.ufl.edu

    2008-04-07

    Non-invasive laser-induced photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is an emerging imaging modality that has the potential to image the dynamic function of the brain due to its unique ability of imaging biological tissues with high optical contrast and ultrasound resolution. Here we report the first application of our finite-element-based PAT for imaging of epileptic seizures in an animal model. In vivo photoacoustic images were obtained in rats with focal seizures induced by microinjection of bicuculline, a GABA{sub A} antagonist, into the neocortex. The seizure focus was accurately localized by PAT as confirmed with gold-standard electroencephalogram (EEG). Compared to the existing neuroimaging modalities, PAT not only has the unprecedented advantage of high spatial and temporal resolution in a single imaging modality, but also is portable and low in cost, making it possible to bring brain imaging to the bedside.

  6. Extracellular metabolites in the cortex and hippocampus of epileptic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavus, Idil; Kasoff, Willard S; Cassaday, Michael P; Jacob, Ralph; Gueorguieva, Ralitza; Sherwin, Robert S; Krystal, John H; Spencer, Dennis D; Abi-Saab, Walid M

    2005-02-01

    Interictal brain energy metabolism and glutamate-glutamine cycling are impaired in epilepsy and may contribute to seizure generation. We used the zero-flow microdialysis method to measure the extracellular levels of glutamate, glutamine, and the major energy substrates glucose and lactate in the epileptogenic and the nonepileptogenic cortex and hippocampus of 38 awake epileptic patients during the interictal period. Depth electrodes attached to microdialysis probes were used to identify the epileptogenic and the nonepileptogenic sites. The epileptogenic hippocampus had surprisingly high basal glutamate levels, low glutamine/glutamate ratio, high lactate levels, and indication for poor glucose utilization. The epileptogenic cortex had only marginally increased glutamate levels. We propose that interictal energetic deficiency in the epileptogenic hippocampus could contribute to impaired glutamate reuptake and glutamate-glutamine cycling, resulting in persistently increased extracellular glutamate, glial and neuronal toxicity, increased lactate production together with poor lactate and glucose utilization, and ultimately worsening energy metabolism. Our data suggest that a different neurometabolic process underlies the neocortical epilepsies.

  7. The x-ray laser coherence experiments in neon-like yttrium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimkaveg, G.M.; Carter, M.R.; Walling, R.S.; Ticehurst, J.M.; Koch, J.A.; Mrowka, S.; Trebes, J.E.; MacGowan, B.J.; Da Silva, L.B.; Matthews, D.L.; London, R.A.; Stewart, R.E.

    1992-01-01

    We present recent results from neon-like x-ray laser experiments conducted at the Nova laser's Two-Beam Facility. This begins a series of experiments aimed at the characterization and control of the degree of spatial coherece in our soft x-ray laser beams, important to planned applications areas susch as microscopy and holography. New instrumentation developed for this effort include a fully time-resolved coherence diagnostic (which records a multiple-slit diffraction pattern) and wide-angle extreme ultraviolet spectrographs and beam divergence cameras. We present new measurements of beam profiles and gain, as well as spatial coherence data such as time-resolved multi-slit diffraction patterns. This new time-resolved coherence data exhibit aperture functions which increase in size during the time of the lasing. Also, some preliminary data is given from the first ''double-foil'' experiments, involving two x-ray amplifiers spatially separated by 29 cm and shot sequentially, in an ''oscillator-amplifier'' configuration

  8. Repeat interruptions in spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 expansions are strongly associated with epileptic seizures

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFarland, Karen N.; Liu, Jilin; Landrian, Ivette; Zeng, Desmond; Raskin, Salmo; Moscovich, Mariana; Gatto, Emilia M.; Ochoa, Adriana; Teive, Hélio A. G.; Rasmussen, Astrid; Ashizawa, Tetsuo

    2014-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCA10), an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder, is the result of a non-coding, pentanucleotide repeat expansion within intron 9 of the Ataxin 10 gene. SCA10 patients present with pure cerebellar ataxia; yet, some families also have a high incidence of epilepsy. SCA10 expansions containing penta- and heptanucleotide interruption motifs, termed “ATCCT interruptions,” experience large contractions during germline transmission, particularly in paternal lineages. At the same time, these alleles confer an earlier age at onset which contradicts traditional rules of genetic anticipation in repeat expansions. Previously, ATCCT interruptions have been associated with a higher prevalence of epileptic seizures in one Mexican-American SCA10 family. In a large cohort of SCA10 families, we analyzed whether ATCCT interruptions confers a greater risk for developing seizures in these families. Notably, we find that the presence of repeat interruptions within the SCA10 expansion confers a 6.3-fold increase in the risk of an SCA10 patient developing epilepsy (6.2-fold when considering patients of Mexican ancestry only) and a 13.7-fold increase in having a positive family history of epilepsy (10.5-fold when considering patients of Mexican ancestry only). We conclude that the presence of repeat interruptions in SCA10 repeat expansion indicates a significant risk for the epilepsy phenotype and should be considered during genetic counseling. PMID:24318420

  9. Partial synchronization of relaxation oscillators with repulsive coupling in autocatalytic integrate-and-fire model and electrochemical experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kori, Hiroshi; Kiss, István Z.; Jain, Swati; Hudson, John L.

    2018-04-01

    Experiments and supporting theoretical analysis are presented to describe the synchronization patterns that can be observed with a population of globally coupled electrochemical oscillators close to a homoclinic, saddle-loop bifurcation, where the coupling is repulsive in the electrode potential. While attractive coupling generates phase clusters and desynchronized states, repulsive coupling results in synchronized oscillations. The experiments are interpreted with a phenomenological model that captures the waveform of the oscillations (exponential increase) followed by a refractory period. The globally coupled autocatalytic integrate-and-fire model predicts the development of partially synchronized states that occur through attracting heteroclinic cycles between out-of-phase two-cluster states. Similar behavior can be expected in many other systems where the oscillations occur close to a saddle-loop bifurcation, e.g., with Morris-Lecar neurons.

  10. A Quantitative Analysis of an EEG Epileptic Record Based on MultiresolutionWavelet Coefficients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariel Rosenblatt

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The characterization of the dynamics associated with electroencephalogram (EEG signal combining an orthogonal discrete wavelet transform analysis with quantifiers originated from information theory is reviewed. In addition, an extension of this methodology based on multiresolution quantities, called wavelet leaders, is presented. In particular, the temporal evolution of Shannon entropy and the statistical complexity evaluated with different sets of multiresolution wavelet coefficients are considered. Both methodologies are applied to the quantitative EEG time series analysis of a tonic-clonic epileptic seizure, and comparative results are presented. In particular, even when both methods describe the dynamical changes of the EEG time series, the one based on wavelet leaders presents a better time resolution.

  11. Partial wave analysis using graphics processing units

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berger, Niklaus; Liu Beijiang; Wang Jike, E-mail: nberger@ihep.ac.c [Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19B Yuquan Lu, Shijingshan, 100049 Beijing (China)

    2010-04-01

    Partial wave analysis is an important tool for determining resonance properties in hadron spectroscopy. For large data samples however, the un-binned likelihood fits employed are computationally very expensive. At the Beijing Spectrometer (BES) III experiment, an increase in statistics compared to earlier experiments of up to two orders of magnitude is expected. In order to allow for a timely analysis of these datasets, additional computing power with short turnover times has to be made available. It turns out that graphics processing units (GPUs) originally developed for 3D computer games have an architecture of massively parallel single instruction multiple data floating point units that is almost ideally suited for the algorithms employed in partial wave analysis. We have implemented a framework for tensor manipulation and partial wave fits called GPUPWA. The user writes a program in pure C++ whilst the GPUPWA classes handle computations on the GPU, memory transfers, caching and other technical details. In conjunction with a recent graphics processor, the framework provides a speed-up of the partial wave fit by more than two orders of magnitude compared to legacy FORTRAN code.

  12. The partial-birth stratagem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-06-01

    In Wisconsin, physicians stopped performing abortions when a Federal District Court Judge refused to issue a temporary restraining order against the state's newly enacted "partial birth" abortion ban that was couched in such vague language it actually covered all abortions. While ostensibly attempting to ban late-term "intact dilation and extraction," the language of the law did not refer to that procedure or to late terms. Instead, it prohibited all abortions in which a physician "partially vaginally delivers a living child, causes the death of the partially delivered child with the intent to kill the child and then completes the delivery of the child." The law also defined "child" as "a human being from the time of fertilization" until birth. It is clear that this abortion ban is unconstitutional under Row v. Wade, and this unconstitutionality is compounded by the fact that the law allowed no exception to protect a woman's health, which is required by Roe for abortion bans after fetal viability. Wisconsin is only one of about 28 states that have enacted similar laws, and only two have restricted the ban to postviability abortions. Many of these laws have been struck down in court, and President Clinton has continued to veto the Federal partial-birth bill. The Wisconsin Judge acknowledged that opponents of the ban will likely prevail when the case is heard, but his action in denying the temporary injunction means that many women in Wisconsin will not receive timely medical care. The partial birth strategy is really only another anti-abortion strategy.

  13. Initial dosimetric experience using simple three-dimensional conformal external-beam accelerated partial-breast irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taghian, Alphonse G.; Kozak, Kevin R.; Doppke, Karen P.; Katz, Angela; Smith, Barbara L.; Gadd, Michele; Specht, Michelle; Hughes, Kevin; Braaten, Kristina; Kachnic, Lisa A.; Recht, Abram; Powell, Simon N.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: Several accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) techniques are being investigated in patients with early-stage breast cancer. We present our initial experience using three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT). Methods and Materials: Sixty-one patients with tumors of 2 cm or less and negative axillary nodes were treated with 3D-CRT accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) between August 2003 and March 2005. The prescribed radiation dose was 32 Gy in 4-Gy fractions given twice daily. Efforts were made to minimize the number of beams required to achieve adequate planning target volume (PTV) coverage. Results: A combination of photons and electrons was used in 85% of patients. A three-field technique that consisted of opposed, conformal tangential photons and enface electrons was employed in 43 patients (70%). Nine patients (15%) were treated with a four-field arrangement, which consisted of three photon fields and enface electrons. Mean PTV volumes that received 100%, 95%, and 90% of the prescribed dose were 93% ± 7%, 97% ± 4%, and 98% ± 2%, respectively. Dose inhomogeneity exceeded 10% in only 7 patients (11%). Mean doses to the ipsilateral lung and heart were 1.8 Gy and 0.8 Gy, respectively. Conclusions: Simple 3D-CRT techniques of APBI can achieve appropriate PTV coverage while offering significant normal-tissue sparing. Therefore, this noninvasive approach may increase the availability of APBI to patients with early-stage breast cancer

  14. Headache as an Aura of Epilepsy: Video-EEG Monitoring Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dong Wook; Sunwoo, Jun-Sang; Lee, Sang Kun

    2016-04-01

    Headache can be associated with epilepsy as a pre-ictal, ictal, or post-ictal phenomenon; however, studies of patients with headache as an epileptic aura are scarce. We performed the present study to investigate the incidence and characteristics of headache as an epileptic aura, via confirmation of electroencephalography (EEG) changes by video-EEG monitoring. Data of aura and clinical seizure episodes of 831 consecutive patients who undertook video-EEG monitoring were analyzed retrospectively. For patients who had headache as an aura, information on the detailed features of headache was acquired, including location, nature, duration, and the presence of accompanying symptoms. Video-recorded clinical seizures, EEG findings, and neuroimaging data were used to determine the ictal onset areas in the patients. Six out of 831 (0.7%) patients experienced headache as aura (age range, 25-52 years), all of whom had partial seizures. The incidence of pre-ictal headache was 6.3% (25/831), and post-ictal headache was 30.9% (257/831). In patients with headache as aura, five patients described headache as the most frequent aura, and headache was the second most frequent aura in one patient. The characteristics of headache were hemicrania epileptica in two patients, tension-type headache in another two patients, and migraine-like headache in the remaining two patients. No patient met the diagnostic criteria of ictal epileptic headache or migraine aura-triggered seizure. Our study showed that headache as an aura is uncommon in adult patients with epilepsy, and that headache can present as diverse features, including hemicrania epileptica, tension-type headache, and migraine-like headache. Further studies are necessary to characterize the features of headache as an epileptic aura in adult patients with epilepsy. © 2016 American Headache Society.

  15. Preparation of a new Fenton-like catalyst from red mud using molasses wastewater as partial acidifying agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Guangtao; Shao, Luhua; Mo, Jihua; Li, Zhongmin; Zhang, Linye

    2017-06-01

    Using molasses wastewater as partial acidifying agent, a new Fenton-like catalyst (ACRM sm ) was prepared through a simple process of acidification and calcination using red mud as main material. With molasses wastewater, both the free alkali and the chemically bonded alkali in red mud were effectively removed under the action of H 2 SO 4 and molasses wastewater, and the prepared ACRM sm was a near-neutral catalyst. The ACRM sm preparation conditions were as follows: for 3 g of red mud, 9 mL of 0.7 mol/L H 2 SO 4 plus 2 g of molasses wastewater as the acidifying agent, calcination temperature 573 K, and calcination time 1 h. Iron phase of ACRM sm was mainly α-Fe 2 O 3 and trace amount of carbon existed in ACRM sm . The addition of molasses wastewater not only effectively reduced the consumption of H 2 SO 4 in acidification of red mud but also resulted in the generation of carbon and significantly improved the distribution of macropore in prepared ACRM sm . It was found that near-neutral pH of catalyst, generated carbon, and wide distribution of macropore were the main reasons for the high catalytic activity of ACRM sm . The generated carbon and wide distribution of macropore were entirely due to the molasses wastewater added. In degradation of orange II, ACRM sm retained most of its catalytic stability and activity after five recycling times, indicating ACRM sm had an excellent long-term stability in the Fenton-like process. Furthermore, the performance test of settling showed ACRM sm had an excellent settleability. ACRM sm was a safe and green catalytic material used in Fenton-like oxidation for wastewater treatment.

  16. A New Rat Model of Epileptic Spasms Based on Methylazoxymethanol-Induced Malformations of Cortical Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eun-Hee Kim

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Malformations of cortical development (MCDs can cause medically intractable epilepsies and cognitive disabilities in children. We developed a new model of MCD-associated epileptic spasms by treating rats prenatally with methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM to induce cortical malformations and postnatally with N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA to induce spasms. To produce cortical malformations to infant rats, two dosages of MAM (15 mg/kg, intraperitoneally were injected to pregnant rats at gestational day 15. In prenatally MAM-exposed rats and the controls, spasms were triggered by single (6 mg/kg on postnatal day 12 (P12 or 10 mg/kg on P13 or 15 mg/kg on P15 or multiple doses (P12, P13, and P15 of NMDA. In prenatally MAM-exposed rats with single NMDA-provoked spasms at P15, we obtain the intracranial electroencephalography and examine the pretreatment response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH or vigabatrin. Rat pups prenatally exposed to MAM exhibited a significantly greater number of spasms in response to single and multiple postnatal NMDA doses than vehicle-exposed controls. Vigabatrin treatment prior to a single NMDA dose on P15 significantly suppressed spasms in MAM group rats (p < 0.05, while ACTH did not. The MAM group also showed significantly higher fast oscillation (25–100 Hz power during NMDA-induced spasms than controls (p = 0.047. This new model of MCD-based epileptic spasms with corresponding features of human spasms will be valuable for future research of the developmental epilepsy.

  17. Color preferences change after experience with liked/disliked colored objects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strauss, Eli D; Schloss, Karen B; Palmer, Stephen E

    2013-10-01

    How are color preferences formed, and can they be changed by affective experiences with correspondingly colored objects? We examined these questions by testing whether affectively polarized experiences with images of colored objects would cause changes in color preferences. Such changes are implied by the ecological valence theory (EVT), which posits that color preferences are determined by people's average affective responses to correspondingly colored objects (Palmer & Schloss, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107, 8877-8882, 2010). Seeing images of strongly liked (and disliked) red and green objects, therefore, should lead to increased (and decreased) preferences for correspondingly colored red and green color patches. Experiment 1 showed that this crossover interaction did occur, but only if participants were required to evaluate their preferences for the colored objects when they saw them. Experiment 2 showed that these overall changes decreased substantially over a 24-h delay, but the degree to which the effect lasted for individuals covaried with the magnitude of the effects immediately after object exposure. Experiment 3 demonstrated a similar, but weaker, effect of affectively biased changes in color preferences when participants did not see, but only imagined, the colored objects. The overall pattern of results indicated that color preferences are not fixed, but rather are shaped by affective experiences with colored objects. Possible explanations for the observed changes in color preferences were considered in terms of associative learning through evaluative conditioning and/or priming of prior knowledge in memory.

  18. Comparison of Cortical Epileptic Afterdischarges in Immature Genetic Absence Epilepsy WAG/Rij Rats with Those in Two Other Strains (ACI and Wistar)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mareš, Pavel; Tolmacheva, E. A.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 48, Suppl.5 (2007), s. 164-167 ISSN 0013-9580 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA305/05/2581 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : epileptic afterdischarges * cerebral cortex * electrical stimulation Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 3.569, year: 2007

  19. The stigma of mental illness: anticipation and attitudes among patients with epileptic, dissociative or somatoform pain disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freidl, M; Spitzl, S Piralic; Prause, W; Zimprich, F; Lehner-Baumgartner, Eva; Baumgartner, C; Aigner, M

    2007-04-01

    The aim of this study was to survey the attitudes of 101 consecutive in- and out-patients with epileptic, dissociative or somatoform pain disorders (mean age: 43 [+/-11] years; 58% female) from either the Department of Psychiatry or Neurology toward anticipated mental illness stigma. The patients were administered a modified 12-item version of Links Stigma Questionnaire. Nearly 60% of all 101 patients believe that "most people" would not allow a mental patient "to take care of their children", "most young women" would be "reluctant to date a man" who has been treated for a mental illness and "most employers would pass over" the application of a psychiatric patient in favour of another applicant. Fifty five percent of the respondents assume that "most people think less of a person who has been in a mental hospital" and over a half of all patients interviewed assert that the general population thinks that psychiatric patients are "less intelligent, less trustworthy and that their opinion is taken less seriously by others". Gender, age and education had no influence on the overall results. There is a high stigmatisation concerning psychiatry even in patients with epilepsy and somatoform/dissociative symptoms with psychiatric comorbidity. Fear of being stigmatized is more pronounced among somatoform pain patients as compared to patients suffering from epileptic or dissocative disorders, with particular reference to close personal relationships.

  20. Value of gallbladder-preserving partial cholecystectomy in treatment of abnormal gallbladder morphology complicated by sand-like calculous cholecystitis: a reports of 18 cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIANG Fasheng

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective To investigate the value of laparoscopic gallbladder-preserving partial cholecystectomy in the treatment of abnormal gallbladder morphology complicated by sand-like calculous cholecystitis. Methods A total of 18 patients with abnormal gallbladder morphology complicated by sand-like calculous cholecystitis who underwent laparoscopic and choledochoscopic partial cholecystectomy in Dalian Friendship Hospital from July 2010 to January 2014 were enrolled. All the patients had abnormal gallbladder morphology manifested as folded gallbladder or adenomyosis, and the lesions were located in the distal end of the gallbladder. Before the surgery, gallbladder contraction test was performed for the diseased part and the normal part of the gallbladder to be preserved. During the surgery, choledochoscopy showed an unobstructed cystic duct and good elasticity in the gallbladder wall, and there was no marked chronic inflammation. After the diseased part of the gallbladder was removed, 4-0 absorbable suture was used for two-layer consecutive suture of the gallbladder. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups. Results All the patients underwent the surgery successfully. The mean time of operation was 98.0±9.0 minutes, and the mean time to first flatus was 22.8±2.5 hours. The patients were able to get out of the bed and drink water at 6 hours after surgery and to have meals at 24 hours after surgery. They fully recovered and were discharged at 5-7 days after surgery, and no patient experienced the complications such as bile leakage. The patients were followed up for 6-80 months; the patients′ preoperative clinical symptoms disappeared, and there was no recurrence of calculi. At 6-12 months after surgery, the patients experienced compensated cholecystectasis, and there was a significant increase in the mean volume of the gallbladder after surgery (30.29±4.23 cm3 vs 21.72±4.34 cm3, t=-13.00, P<0.001. There was a

  1. The role of contextual associations in producing the partial reinforcement acquisition deficit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miguez, Gonzalo; Witnauer, James E; Miller, Ralph R

    2012-01-01

    Three conditioned suppression experiments with rats as subjects assessed the contributions of the conditioned stimulus (CS)-context and context-unconditioned stimulus (US) associations to the degraded stimulus control by the CS that is observed following partial reinforcement relative to continuous reinforcement training. In Experiment 1, posttraining associative deflation (i.e., extinction) of the training context after partial reinforcement restored responding to a level comparable to the one produced by continuous reinforcement. In Experiment 2, posttraining associative inflation of the context (achieved by administering unsignaled outcome presentations in the context) enhanced the detrimental effect of partial reinforcement. Experiment 3 found that the training context must be an effective competitor to produce the partial reinforcement acquisition deficit. When the context was down-modulated, the target regained behavioral control thereby demonstrating higher-order retrospective revaluation. The results are discussed in terms of retrospective revaluation, and are used to contrast the predictions of a performance-focused model with those of an acquisition-focused model. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

  2. Which component of treatment is important for changes of cortical epileptic afterdischarges after status epilepticus in immature rats?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tsenov, Grygoriy; Kubová, Hana; Mareš, Pavel

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 644, Mar 22 (2017), s. 1-4 ISSN 0304-3940 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP304/12/G069; GA ČR(CZ) GAP302/10/0971; GA ČR(CZ) GA15-16605S Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : status epilepticus * immature rats * pilocarpine * lithium chloride * paraldehyde * cortical epileptic afterdischarges Subject RIV: FH - Neurology OBOR OECD: Neuroscience s (including psychophysiology Impact factor: 2.180, year: 2016

  3. Development Enamel Defects in Children Prenatally Exposed to Anti-Epileptic Drugs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Pernille Endrup; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Haubek, Dorte

    2013-01-01

    Objective Some anti-epileptic drugs (AED) have well-known teratogenic effects. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the effect of prenatal exposure to AED and the risk of enamel defects in the primary and permanent dentition. Methods A total of 38 exposed and 129 non-exposed children, 6......–10 years of age, were recruited from the Aarhus Birth Cohort and the Department of Neurology, Viborg Regional Hospital, Denmark. Medication during pregnancy was confirmed by the Danish Prescription Database. All children had their teeth examined and outcomes in terms of enamel opacities and enamel...... hypoplasia were recorded. Results Children prenatally exposed to AED have an increased prevalence of enamel hypoplasia (11% vs. 4%, odds ratio (OR) = 3.6 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9 to 15.4]), diffuse opacities (18% vs. 7%, OR = 3.0; [95% CI: 1.0 to 8.7, p3) white opacities (18...

  4. A note on the Lie symmetries of complex partial differential

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Folklore suggests that the split Lie-like operators of a complex partial differential equation are symmetries of the split system of real partial differential equations. However, this is not the case generally. We illustrate this by using the complex heat equation, wave equation with dissipation, the nonlinear Burgers equation and ...

  5. Friction Factors in Rough Rod Bundles Estimated from Experiments in Partially Rough Annuli - Effects of Dissimilarities in the Shear Stress and Turbulence Distributions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kjellstroem, B

    1968-12-15

    Experiments with rough surface friction and heat transfer are often made in an annulus with rough inner surface and smooth outer surface. Utilization of data from such experiments for calculation of rough rod bundle fuel elements requires a transformation of the data. For this purpose the method of WB Hall is frequently used. The errors introduced by two of the assumptions on which this method is based, namely the assumptions of zero shear at the radius of maximum velocity and the assumption of no turbulence exchange between the subchannels, are discussed, and the magnitude of the errors is estimated on basis of experiments in a partially rough annulus. It is found that the necessary corrections does not amount to more than about + 10 % for the friction factor and + 15 % for the Reynolds number and the equivalent diameter. The correction for the turbulence exchange alone is of the order of 2-3 %. A comparison of friction factors measured in a rough 48-rod bundle and predicted from measurements in a partially rough annulus was also made. The prediction was 5 % high instead of about 10 % low which could have been expected from the considerations earlier in the report. Explanations for this can be found in the effect of the channel shape or inaccuracies in the rod bundle experiment. Annulus experiments which will allow comparisons with other rod bundle experiments will be run to clarify this.

  6. Religious Experience from a Neuro-Psychological View

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hadi Vakili

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available The search for the basis of religious experience among neurological processes in the brain has resulted in a widespread debate within, as well as outside the academic world. The aim of this paper is to analyze to what extent a neuro-psychological theory could explain the phenomenon of  religious experience. To clarify what the neuro-psychological studies of  the present paper mean by the concept of  religious experience, the concept has been divided into three different types: The Erlebnis or RErl type, the Erfahrung or RErf type and the ideological type of religious experience or RIT type. Furthermore, the present paper is focused on the work of neuro-psychologist M. A. Persinger [1997, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1987, 1985, and 1984]. In his studies, Persinger indicates that mystical experience (RErl has its seat in the right hemisphere of the human brain, whereas (religious ideology (RIT is related to the left hemisphere. Consequently, the hemisphere in which the (religious experience is taking place seems to label the type of experience. Persinger, interested in the powerful effects of religious experience (of the RErf type on human beings, asserts that if we could understand the neuro-cognitive processes involved in experiencing religiously, such processes might be copied for clinical use in order to improve psychiatric therapy for curing depression. Thus, Persinger studied and compared people practicing religious meditation with people who did not, and also studied the results of PET scanning on the experiences of schizophrenic and epileptic patients. PET scanning measures the metabolic activity in the hemispheres, ranging it on a scale from under normal to over normal activity. This paper will account for the relevance of comparing these two apparently different studies and for the problem arising the experience of pain because, neurologically, pain, like religious experience,is said to be caused by processes in the human brain.

  7. Virus-like particles vaccine containing Clonorchis sinensis tegumental protein induces partial protection against Clonorchis sinensis infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Dong-Hun; Kim, Ah-Ra; Lee, Su-Hwa; Quan, Fu-Shi

    2017-12-29

    Human clonorchiasis, caused by the infection of Clonorchis sinensis, is one of the major health problems in Southeast Asia. However, vaccine efficacy against C. sinensis infection remains largely unknown. In this study, for the first time, we generated virus-like particles (VLPs) vaccine containing the C. sinensis tegumental protein 22.3 kDa (CsTP 22.3) and the influenza matrix protein (M1) as a core protein, and investigated the vaccine efficacy in Sprague-Dawley rats. Intranasal immunization of VLPs vaccine induced C. sinensis-specific IgG, IgG2a and IgG2c in the sera and IgA responses in the feces and intestines. Notably, upon challenge infection with C. sinensis metacercariae, significantly lower adult worm loads (70.2%) were measured in the liver of rats immunized with VLPs, compared to those of naïve rats. Furthermore, VLPs immunization induced antibody secreting cells (ASC) responses and CD4+/CD8+ T cell responses in the spleen. Our results indicated that VLPs vaccine containing C. sinensis CsTP 22.3 kDa provided partial protection against C. sisnensis infection. Thus, VLPs could be a potential vaccine candidate against C. sinensis.

  8. Autonomic headache with autonomic seizures: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozge, Aynur; Kaleagasi, Hakan; Yalçin Tasmertek, Fazilet

    2006-10-01

    The aim of the report is to present a case of an autonomic headache associated with autonomic seizures. A 19-year-old male who had had complex partial seizures for 15 years was admitted with autonomic complaints and left hemicranial headache, independent from seizures, that he had had for 2 years and were provoked by watching television. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed right hippocampal sclerosis and electroencephalography revealed epileptic activity in right hemispheric areas. Treatment with valproic acid decreased the complaints. The headache did not fulfil the criteria for the diagnosis of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, and was different from epileptic headache, which was defined as a pressing type pain felt over the forehead for several minutes to a few hours. Although epileptic headache responds to anti-epileptics and the complaints of the present case decreased with antiepileptics, it has been suggested that the headache could be a non-trigeminal autonomic headache instead of an epileptic headache.

  9. Vector-like quarks and leptons, SU(5) ⊗ SU(5) grand unification, and proton decay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chang-Hun; Mohapatra, Rabindra N.

    2017-01-01

    SU(5) ⊗ SU(5) provides a minimal grand unification scheme for fermions and gauge forces if there are vector-like quarks and leptons in nature. We explore the gauge coupling unification in a non-supersymmetric model of this type, and study its implications for proton decay. The properties of vector-like quarks and intermediate scales that emerge from coupling unification play a central role in suppressing proton decay. We find that in this model, the familiar decay mode p→e + π 0 may have a partial lifetime within the reach of currently planned experiments.

  10. Partially composite Higgs models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alanne, Tommi; Buarque Franzosi, Diogo; Frandsen, Mads T.

    2018-01-01

    We study the phenomenology of partially composite-Higgs models where electroweak symmetry breaking is dynamically induced, and the Higgs is a mixture of a composite and an elementary state. The models considered have explicit realizations in terms of gauge-Yukawa theories with new strongly...... interacting fermions coupled to elementary scalars and allow for a very SM-like Higgs state. We study constraints on their parameter spaces from vacuum stability and perturbativity as well as from LHC results and find that requiring vacuum stability up to the compositeness scale already imposes relevant...... constraints. A small part of parameter space around the classically conformal limit is stable up to the Planck scale. This is however already strongly disfavored by LHC results. in different limits, the models realize both (partially) composite-Higgs and (bosonic) technicolor models and a dynamical extension...

  11. Rocket measurement of auroral partial parallel distribution functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, C.-A.

    1980-01-01

    The auroral partial parallel distribution functions are obtained by using the observed energy spectra of electrons. The experiment package was launched by a Nike-Tomahawk rocket from Poker Flat, Alaska over a bright auroral band and covered an altitude range of up to 180 km. Calculated partial distribution functions are presented with emphasis on their slopes. The implications of the slopes are discussed. It should be pointed out that the slope of the partial parallel distribution function obtained from one energy spectra will be changed by superposing another energy spectra on it.

  12. Partial volume effect in MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maeda, Munehiro; Yoshiya, Kazuhiko; Suzuki, Eiji

    1989-01-01

    According to the direction and the thickness of the imaging slice in tomography, the border between the tissues becomes unclear (partial volume effect). In the present MRI experiment, we examined border area between fat and water components using phantom in order to investigate the partial volume effect in MRI. In spin echo sequences, the intensity of the border area showed a linear relationship with composition of fat and water. Whereas, in inversion recovery and field echo sequences, we found the parameters to produce an extremely low intensity area at the border region between fat and water. This low intensity area was explained by cancellation of NMR signals from fat and water due to the difference in the direction of magnetic vectors. Clinically, partial volume effect can cause of mis-evaluation of walls, small nodules, tumor capsules and the tumor invasion in the use of inversion recovery and field echo sequences. (author)

  13. A Modular Approach for Teaching Partial Discharge Phenomenon through Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, B.; Dey, D.; Chakravorti, S.

    2011-01-01

    Partial discharge (PD) monitoring is an effective predictive maintenance tool for electrical power equipment. As a result, an understanding of the theory related to PD and the associated measurement techniques is now necessary knowledge for power engineers in their professional life. This paper presents a modular course on PD phenomenon in which…

  14. CDKL5 variant in a boy with infantile epileptic encephalopathy: case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Virginia Chun-Nei; Kwong, Anna Ka-Yee

    2015-04-01

    A Chinese boy presented at 18 months with intractable epilepsy, developmental delay and autistic features. He had multiple seizure types, including absence, myoclonic seizures, limb spasm and tonic seizures. His seizures were finally controlled at 3 years of age with clonazepam and a short course of chloral hydrate incidentally given for his insomnia. Subsequently, he had improvement in his communication skills. A novel hemizygous missense variant (c.1649G>A; p.R550Q) in exon 12 of CDKL5 gene was detected for him, his asymptomatic mother and elder sister. His phenotype is less severe than other male cases. We recommend screening CDKL5 for boys with pharmarco-resistant epilepsy and a trial of benzodiazepines for Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy (IEE). Copyright © 2014 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. [Epileptic encephalopathy associated with forced normalization after administration of levetiracetam].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikuchi, Takahiro; Kato, Mitsuhiro; Takahashi, Nobuya; Nakamura, Kazuyuki; Hayasaka, Kiyoshi

    2013-09-01

    Here we report a case of a 10-year-old female with unclassified epileptic encephalopathy who showed forced normalization after administration of levetiracetam (LEV). She initially presented with intractable tonic and myoclonic seizures that were observed about 10 times a day along with frequent multifocal sharp and slow wave complexes on electroencephalography (EEG). We were forced to decrease the topiramate dose because of the appearance of nystagmus, and her myoclonic seizures became worse. We added LEV (250 mg/day) and her tonic and myoclonic seizures disappeared one day after initiation of LEV administration. However, she showed hyporesponsiveness and akinesia. The disappearance of paroxysmal discharges on EEG confirmed the diagnosis of forced normalization. Despite continuous administration of LEV, tonic and myoclonic seizures relapsed within a month but her psychotic symptoms resolved simultaneously. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of forced normalization after LEV administration. It should be noted that LEV may cause forced normalization although it can be started at an adequate dosage.

  16. Guanosine may increase absence epileptic activity by means of A2A adenosine receptors in Wistar Albino Glaxo Rijswijk rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakatos, Renáta Krisztina; Dobolyi, Árpád; Todorov, Mihail Ivilinov; Kékesi, Katalin A; Juhász, Gábor; Aleksza, Magdolna; Kovács, Zsolt

    2016-06-01

    The non-adenosine nucleoside guanosine (Guo) was demonstrated to decrease quinolinic acid(QA)-induced seizures, spontaneously emerged absence epileptic seizures and lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-evoked induction of absence epileptic seizures suggesting its antiepileptic potential. It was also described previously that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 20 and 50mg/kg Guo decreased the number of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in a well investigated model of human absence epilepsy, the Wistar Albino Glaxo Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rats during 4th (20mg/kg Guo) and 3rd as well as 4th (50mg/kg Guo) measuring hours. Guanosine can potentially decrease SWD number by means of its putative receptors but absence epileptic activity changing effects of Guo by means of increased extracellular adenosine (Ado) cannot be excluded. An increase in the dose of i.p. injected Guo is limited by its low solubility in saline, therefore, we addressed in the present study whether higher doses of Guo, diluted in sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, have more potent antiepileptic effect in WAG/Rij rats. We confirmed that i.p. 50mg/kg Guo decreased but, surprisingly, i.p. 100mg/kg Guo enhanced the number of SWDs in WAG/Rij rats. Combined i.p. injection of a non-selective Ado receptor antagonist theophylline (5mg/kg) or a selective Ado A2A receptor (A2AR) antagonist SCH 58261 (7-(2-phenylethyl)-5-amino-2-(2-furyl)-pyrazolo-[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine) (1mg/kg) and a cyclooxygenase 1 and 2/COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor indomethacin (10mg/kg) with 100mg/kg Guo decreased the SWD number compared to i.p. 100mg/kg Guo alone. The results suggest that i.p. 100mg/kg Guo can increase SWD number by means of the adenosinergic system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Degenerate time-dependent network dynamics anticipate seizures in human epileptic brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tauste Campo, Adrià; Principe, Alessandro; Ley, Miguel; Rocamora, Rodrigo; Deco, Gustavo

    2018-04-01

    Epileptic seizures are known to follow specific changes in brain dynamics. While some algorithms can nowadays robustly detect these changes, a clear understanding of the mechanism by which these alterations occur and generate seizures is still lacking. Here, we provide crossvalidated evidence that such changes are initiated by an alteration of physiological network state dynamics. Specifically, our analysis of long intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) recordings from a group of 10 patients identifies a critical phase of a few hours in which time-dependent network states become less variable ("degenerate"), and this phase is followed by a global functional connectivity reduction before seizure onset. This critical phase is characterized by an abnormal occurrence of highly correlated network instances and is shown to be particularly associated with the activity of the resected regions in patients with validated postsurgical outcome. Our approach characterizes preseizure network dynamics as a cascade of 2 sequential events providing new insights into seizure prediction and control.

  18. Importance of competing risks in the analysis of anti-epileptic drug failure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sander Josemir W

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Retention time (time to treatment failure is a commonly used outcome in antiepileptic drug (AED studies. Methods Two datasets are used to demonstrate the issues in a competing risks analysis of AEDs. First, data collection and follow-up considerations are discussed with reference to information from 15 monotherapy trials. Recommendations for improved data collection and cumulative incidence analysis are then illustrated using the SANAD trial dataset. The results are compared to the more common approach using standard survival analysis methods. Results A non-significant difference in overall treatment failure time between gabapentin and topiramate (logrank test statistic = 0.01, 1 degree of freedom, p-value = 0.91 masked highly significant differences in opposite directions with gabapentin resulting in fewer withdrawals due to side effects (Gray's test statistic = 11.60, 1 degree of freedom, p = 0.0007 but more due to poor seizure control (Gray's test statistic = 14.47, 1 degree of freedom, p-value = 0.0001. The significant difference in overall treatment failure time between lamotrigine and carbamazepine (logrank test statistic = 5.6, 1 degree of freedom, p-value = 0.018 was due entirely to a significant benefit of lamotrigine in terms of side effects (Gray's test statistic = 10.27, 1 degree of freedom, p = 0.001. Conclusion Treatment failure time can be measured reliably but care is needed to collect sufficient information on reasons for drug withdrawal to allow a competing risks analysis. Important differences between the profiles of AEDs may be missed unless appropriate statistical methods are used to fully investigate treatment failure time. Cumulative incidence analysis allows comparison of the probability of failure between two AEDs and is likely to be a more powerful approach than logrank analysis for most comparisons of standard and new anti-epileptic drugs.

  19. Determination of Four Anti-epileptic Drugs in Plasma Using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography with Mass Detection Technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassib, Sonia T; Hashem, Hanaa M A; Mahrouse, Marianne A; Mostafa, Eman A

    2018-04-10

    Status epilepticus (SE) is considered the second most frequent neurologic emergency. Its therapeutic management is performed using sequential anti-epileptic drug regimens. Diazepam (DIA), midazolam (MID), phenytoin (PHT) and phenobarbital (PB) are four drugs of different classes used sequentially in the management of SE. A sensitive, selective, accurate and precise method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of the four anti-epileptic drugs in human plasma. Their separation and quantification were achieved using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with mass detection using carbamazepine as internal standard (IS). For the first three drugs and IS, UPLC-MS/MS with electrospray ionization working in multiple reaction monitoring mode was used at the following transitions: m/z 285→193 for DIA, m/z 326→291 for MID, m/z 253→182 for PHT and m/z 237→194, 237→192 for IS. For the fourth drug (PB), molecular ion peak of PB [M+H] + at m/z 233 was used for its quantitation. The method was linear over concentration ranges of 5-500 ng/ml for DIA and MID and 0.25-20 μg/ml for PHT and PB, respectively. Bio-analytical validation of the developed method was carried out according to European Medicines Agency guidelines. The developed method can be applied for routine drug analysis, therapeutic drug monitoring and bioequivalence studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  20. CYP3A5 Polymorphism In Serbian Paediatric Epileptic Patients On Carbamazepine Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milovanovic Dragana Dragas

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Carbamazepine exhibits significant inter-individual variability in its efficacy and safety, which leads to unpredictable therapy outcomes for the majority of patients. Although its complex biotransformation depends on CYP3A5 activity, evidence of association between carbamazepine treatment outcomes and CYP3A5 functional variations remains inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate the distribution of two of the functionally important CYP3A5 variants *2 and *3 as well as their effects on carbamazepine dose requirements, plasma concentrations and clearance in a Serbian population. The study involved 40 paediatric epileptic patients on steady-state carbamazepine treatment. Genotyping was conducted using the PCR-RFLP method, and carbamazepine plasma concentrations were determined using the HPLC method. CYP3A5*2 and *3 polymorphisms were found at frequencies of 0.0% and 97.5%, respectively, which corresponds well to previously published data for Caucasians. No differences in CYP3A5*3 allele frequencies were detected among epileptic patients in comparison to healthy volunteers within similar ethnic populations (p>0.08, indicating that CYP3A5 polymorphism does not represent a risk factor for epilepsy development. There was an observed tendency towards lower dosage requirements (mean±SD: 15.06±4.45 mg/kg vs. 18.74±5.55 mg/kg; p=0.26, higher plasma concentrations (mean±SD: 0.45±0.13 mg/kg vs. 0.38±0.03 mg/kg; p=0.47 and lower clearance (mean±SD: 0.14±0.05 mg/kg vs. 0.15±0.01 mg/kg; p=0.79 of carbamazepine in homozygous carriers of CYP3A5*3/*3 compared to heterozygous CYP3A5*1A/*3 Serbians. Because these genotype groups did not differ significantly in terms of their carbamazepine pharmacokinetics parameters, the proposed effects of CYP3A5*3 on carbamazepine metabolism could not be confirmed.