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Vaccine 2022 May 11. Epub 2022 May 11.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.

Background: During February 25-March 4, 2019, Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health and Child Care conducted an emergency campaign using 342,000 doses of typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) targeting individuals 6 months-15 years of age in eight high-risk suburbs of Harare and up to 45 years of age in one suburb of Harare. The campaign represented the first use of TCV in Africa outside of clinical trials.

Methods: Three methods were used to capture adverse events during the campaign and for 42 days following the last dose administered: (1) active surveillance in two Harare hospitals, (2) national passive surveillance, and (3) a post-campaign coverage survey. Read More

Rev Neurol (Paris) 2022 May 11. Epub 2022 May 11.

Service de neurophysiologie clinique, centre hospitalo universitaire de la Timone, 264, rue Saint-Pierre, 13005 Marseille, France.

Rasmussen's encephalitis (RE) is a rare chronic inflammatory brain disorder resulting in progressive neurodegeneration in one cerebral hemisphere. The inflammatory process is accompanied by progressive loss of function of the affected hemisphere, associated with drug-resistant partial epilepsy. The diagnosis is based on a range of clinical, electroencephalographic, radiological and biochemical arguments, without any specific formal marker, which makes the diagnosis of the disease complex, especially in its initial phase. Read More

J Clin Med 2022 May 6;11(9). Epub 2022 May 6.

Centre for Postgraduate Medical Education, Department of Neurology and Epileptology, 00-416 Warsaw, Poland.

Data from literature suggest that the rate of caesarean section (CS) in women with epilepsy (WWE) is higher than in the general population. In Poland, there is neither a national registry nor another data set to access the outcome of pregnancy in WWE. Therefore, we address this gap by prospectively studying CS rates among 1021 WWE pregnancies at a single centre, their trends over time, and factors increasing the likelihood of the CS. Read More

Nutrients 2022 Apr 22;14(9). Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Human Nutrition and Eating Disorder Research Center, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.

: The classic ketogenic diet (cKD) has been used worldwide as an effective therapy for children with drug-resistant epilepsy. However, there have been no studies performed in Middle Eastern countries in order to assess the efficacy, side effects, predictors of cKD response and factors mostly associated with diet adherence. This study aims to assess the efficacy of cKD ratios of 4:1 and 3:1 and their influence on growth and biochemical parameters, particularly lipid profile and liver function tests (LFTs), and the factors most associated with diet adherence in a cohort of children with drug-resistant epilepsy in Bahrain. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 May 1;19(9). Epub 2022 May 1.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan.

Two to five percent of infants and children experience febrile seizures (FS). Breastfeeding is beneficial to the health of mothers and children. Nevertheless, the benefits of breastfeeding in reducing FS remain unclear; thus, the present study aimed to evaluate this association. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Apr 30;23(9). Epub 2022 Apr 30.

Faculty of Physics, Babeş-Bolyai University, Str. M. Kogălniceanu 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Positron emission tomography (PET) uses radioactive tracers and enables the functional imaging of several metabolic processes, blood flow measurements, regional chemical composition, and/or chemical absorption. Depending on the targeted processes within the living organism, different tracers are used for various medical conditions, such as cancer, particular brain pathologies, cardiac events, and bone lesions, where the most commonly used tracers are radiolabeled with 18F (e.g. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Apr 30;23(9). Epub 2022 Apr 30.

Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is a cerebromicrovascular disease that affects up to 0.5% of the population. Vessel dilation, decreased endothelial cell-cell contact, and loss of junctional complexes lead to loss of brain endothelial barrier integrity and hemorrhagic lesion formation. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Apr 28;23(9). Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, leaving the inflammation process without a proper resolution, leading to tissue damage and possibly sequelae. The central nervous system (CNS) is one of the first regions affected by the peripheral inflammation caused by sepsis, exposing the neurons to an environment of oxidative stress, triggering neuronal dysfunction and apoptosis. Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is the most frequent sepsis-associated organ dysfunction, with symptoms such as deliriums, seizures, and coma, linked to increased mortality, morbidity, and cognitive disability. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Apr 25;23(9). Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Human Brain Research Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Medicine, ELKH, 1083 Budapest, Hungary.

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is one of the most common causes of drug-resistant epilepsy. As several studies have revealed, the abnormal functioning of the perisomatic inhibitory system may play a role in the onset of seizures. Therefore, we wanted to investigate whether changes of perisomatic inhibitory inputs are present in FCD. Read More

Nephrol Dial Transplant 2022 May 13. Epub 2022 May 13.

Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Background: Hypomagnesemia with secondary hypocalcemia (HSH) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by pathogenic variants in TRPM6, encoding the channel-kinase Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin type 6. Patients have very low serum Mg2+ levels and suffer from muscle cramps and seizures. Despite genetic testing, a subgroup of HSH patients remains without diagnosis. Read More

J Neurosurg 2022 May 13:1-11. Epub 2022 May 13.

Objective: Concerns about the approach-related morbidity of the extradural anterior petrosal approach (EAPA) have been raised, especially regarding temporal lobe and venous injuries, hearing impairment, facial nerve palsy, cerebrospinal fluid fistula, and seizures. There is lack in the literature of studies with detailed analysis of surgical complications. The authors have presented a large series of patients who were treated with EAPA, focusing on complications and their avoidance. Read More

FASEB J 2022 May;36 Suppl 1

Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, University Hospital Basel, Basel.

Objective And Hypothesis: 4-Substituted derivatives of 2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine (referred to as DOX derivatives) exhibit psychedelic and euphoria-inducing effects, mainly mediated by 5-HT receptor activation; for this reason, they are used recreationally but also bear therapeutic potential. Studies in humans and animals revealed that 4-substitution with halogens results in high clinical potency, which increased with increasing size of the halogen. We therefore hypothesized that increasing size of the halogen substituent results in increased affinity at the 5-HT receptor. Read More

J Hosp Med 2022 May 13. Epub 2022 May 13.

Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Background: Current guidelines recommend against neurodiagnostic testing for the evaluation of simple febrile seizures.

Objectives: (1) Assess overall and institutional rates of neurodiagnostic testing and (2) establish achievable benchmarks of care (ABCs) for children evaluated for simple febrile seizures at children's hospitals.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Cross-sectional study of children 6 months to 5 years evaluated in the emergency department (ED) 2016-2019 with simple febrile seizures at 38 children's hospitals in Pediatric Health Information System database. Read More

FASEB J 2022 May;36 Suppl 1

University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN.

Caffeine is commonly used in the neonatal intensive care units for respiratory disorders, but the effects of this medication in the neonatal cerebral circulation remain largely unexplored. We used newborn pigs as a clinically relevant model of the neonatal human brain to investigate the effects of caffeine on cerebral arterioles and primary neurovascular cells. First, we examined dose-dependent cerebrovascular and systemic effects of water-soluble anhydrous caffeine in anesthetized newborn pigs equipped with closed cranial windows. Read More

FASEB J 2022 May;36 Suppl 1

Anatomy, University of Lagos, Lagos.

Sleep deprivation has been identified as one of the triggers for seizures in patients with generalised epilepsy. Therefore, we tested whether rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation would increase susceptibility to developing generalised seizures established by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) kindling; and whether REM sleep deprivation would affect treatment response and cognitive outcomes in epileptic rats. Furthermore, possible mechanistic underpinnings such as lipid-immune responses in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were evaluated. Read More

FASEB J 2022 May;36 Suppl 1

Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

Introduction: Caralluma dalzielli (Asclepiadiaceae) is a succulent perennial plant that is widely distributed across the Sahel region of West Africa. Decoctions from the plant are used traditionally for treating infertility, epilepsy and neurological diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate some neurological effects of aqueous extract of aerial parts of Caralluma dalzielii (APCD) in mice and to analyse its components through Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Read More

Am Fam Physician 2022 May;105(5):Online

Am Fam Physician 2022 May;105(5):507-513

Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA.

Seizures are transient signs and symptoms of abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Up to 10% of adults have a seizure during their lifetime, with increasing incidence in people older than 55 years. One-third of people have a recurrent seizure within one year of an initial unprovoked seizure. Read More

Transl Pediatr 2022 Apr;11(4):495-504

Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Background: Argininemia, a rare urea cycle disorder resulting from an arginase-1 deficiency, is characterized by a progressive spastic paraplegia. While advances in diagnosis and treatment have increased the management of this condition, not all symptoms are resolved in response to traditional therapies. Interestingly, there exist some rare reports on the use of liver transplantation (LT) for the treatment of argininemia. Read More

Transl Pediatr 2022 Apr;11(4):448-457

Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Background: catalyzes the attachment of asparagine amino acids to mitochondrial tRNA and is critical for efficient mitochondrial protein synthesis. Biallelic variants in are associated with combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 24 (COXPD24) and autosomal recessive deafness-94.

Methods: Patient information was obtained after recruitment. Read More

Front Hum Neurosci 2022 26;16:849899. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Division of Epilepsy and Sleep Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

In this systematic review, we aim to describe the association between temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and sleep, with bidirectional links in mechanisms and therapeutic aspects. Sleep stages may variably impact seizure occurrence, secondary generalization and the development, frequency and distribution of interictal epileptiform discharges. Conversely, epilepsy affects sleep micro- and macroarchitecture. Read More

Front Pediatr 2022 26;10:870951. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.

Purpose: To analyze the clinical character of giant pediatric supratentorial tumor (GPST) and explore prognostic factors.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed the clinical data comprising of 35 cases of GPST from a single center between January 2015 and December 2020. The tumor volume was measured by 3D slicer software based on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Read More

J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther 2022 9;27(4):352-357. Epub 2022 May 9.

Department of Pharmacy, University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL.

Objective: Therapeutic hypothermia reduces the risk of death and major disability in neonates with moderate-to-severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Opioids and benzodiazepines are used to manage agitation but contribute to hemodynamic and respiratory instability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine (DEX) compared with fentanyl (FENT) in neonates with HIE undergoing therapeutic hypothermia. Read More

Front Mol Neurosci 2022 26;15:809810. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Department of Neonatology, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Background: -related disorder is typically characterized as neonatal onset seizure and epileptic encephalopathy. The relationship between its phenotype and genotype is still elusive. This study aims to provide clinical features, management, and prognosis of patients with novel candidate variants of the gene. Read More

FASEB J 2022 May;36 Suppl 1

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN.

Glycine is a simple amino acid that is vital to the proper functioning of the body, but its roles during ontogeny are not well understood. Glycine levels are precisely regulated through the glycine cleavage system (GCS), a complex molecular machine that produces one-carbon units for later metabolism and folate production. Elevated glycine levels due to congenital mutations in GCS components, such as glycine dehydrogenase (gldc), cause devastating human birth defects and the rare disease nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH). Read More

Brain Behav 2022 May 12:e2594. Epub 2022 May 12.

Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.

Objective: To investigate the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) overexpression in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) on behavioral changes in epilepsy-migraine comorbid rats.

Method: We used an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated vector to supplement BDNF in the vlPAG area prior to the establishment of a pilocarpine-nitroglycerin (Pilo-NTG) combination-induced comorbid model of epilepsy and migraine. Seizure- and migraine-related behaviors were analyzed. Read More

FASEB J 2022 May;36 Suppl 1

PCOM, Philadelphia, PA.

Early-life seizures (ELS) can lead to the development of epilepsy in humans (Elger et al., 2004). Dynamic animal models are essential to study the effects of ELS in the developing brain. Read More

FASEB J 2022 May;36 Suppl 1

University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY.

Glut1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1DS) is a brain metabolic disorder, caused by the impairment of glucose transport in the brain. Glut1DS occurs when there is a mutation in the SLC2A1 gene, which encodes for the protein glucose transporter protein type 1. Around 500 people worldwide suffer from this disease, and most deal with symptoms such as seizures, movement disorders, and in more severe cases, microcephaly. Read More

FASEB J 2022 May;36 Suppl 1

Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI.

BK potassium channels are are activated by intracellular Ca and depolarization, opening during action potential firing and speeding repolarization. Because of this, they are key regulators of fast spiking activity and important determinants of neuronal excitability. Due to their role in regulating excitability as well as their broad expression in both excitable and non-excitable tissues, BK channels are implicated in many pathological states including epilepsy. Read More

FASEB J 2022 May;36 Suppl 1

Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder in which 1/3 of patients experiences repeated seizures, which puts them at greater risk for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). The pathophysiological consequences of repeated seizures resulting in SUDEP, including the effects of repeated seizures on cardiorespiratory function, remain unclear. We previously established a rat model (SS rats) in which 10 days of repeated daily audiogenic generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCSs) lead to ictal apnea, post-ictal respiratory suppression, blunted chemoreflexes and high spontaneous mortality (PMID: 33232300). Read More