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Epileptic Disord 2019 Apr;21(2):154-165

National Epilepsy Center, NHO Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Urushiyama, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka.

Hyperkinetic seizures are usually associated with frontal lobe epilepsy. However, some patients have hyperkinetic seizures of temporal lobe origin. The semiological differences in hyperkinetic seizures between frontal and temporal lobe epilepsy have not been well studied. Read More

J Affect Disord 2019 Apr 10;252:475-483. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales/Black Dog Institute, Hospital Road, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; St George Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Health, Level 2, James Laws House, Gray St, Kogarah, NSW 2217, Australia.

Background: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive, neuromodulation approach with promising efficacy for treating depression. To date, tDCS has been limited to clinical or research centre settings with treatment administered by staff. The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy, tolerability and feasibility of home-administered, remotely-supervised tDCS for depression. Read More

J Vis Exp 2019 Mar 26(145). Epub 2019 Mar 26.

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati; Neurotrauma Center, University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute.

Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is a cornerstone of the intensive care management of patients with severe acute brain injuries, including traumatic brain injury. While elevations in ICP are common, data regarding the measurement and treatment of these ICP elevations are conflicting. There is increasing recognition that changes in the balance between supply and demand of brain tissue are critically important and therefore the measurement of multiple modalities is required. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2019 Apr 10;94:258-263. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Surat, India.

Background: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), the commonest nonepileptic event, represent 20-30% of drug-resistant epilepsy. Correct identification of PNES avoids unnecessary hospitalization and exposure of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and helps implement appropriate psychological treatment. Long-term video-electroencephalography (LTVEEG) is the gold standard test to diagnose PNES. Read More

Seizure 2018 Dec 7;69:57-60. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.

Purpose: Ictal semiology complements ictal EEG in identifying the likely epileptogenic zone. Ictal turning prone (ITP) with body turning of 90 ° or more can be seen with frontal lobe epilepsies. The aim of our study was to evaluate the localizing value of ITP in a general population of patients undergoing long term video-EEG monitoring. Read More

Neurobiol Dis 2019 Apr 8;127:502-511. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, LA 71103, USA. Electronic address:

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of epilepsy-related mortality, but the relative importance of underlying cardiac and respiratory mechanisms remains unclear. To illuminate the interactions between seizures, respiration, cardiac function, and sleep that contribute to SUDEP risk, here we developed a mouse epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) to simultaneously record video, electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), plethysmography, and electrocardiography (ECG) in a commonly used genetic model of SUDEP, the Kcna1 knockout (Kcna1) mouse. During interictal periods, Kcna1 mice exhibited an abnormal absence of post-sigh apneas and a 3-fold increase in respiratory variability. Read More

Dev Period Med 2019 ;23(1):15-20

NICU of Lviv City Children's Hospital.

Objective: Introduction: Epileptic spasms are seizures usually associated with a severe developmental epilepsy syndrome with onset in the first year of life, peaking between 3 and 10 months of age [12]. A variety of disorders can cause epileptic spasms, with the etiology driving management, prognosis, and overall outcome. Preexisting brain damage has been demonstrated in 60% to 90% of the cases reflecting pre-, peri-, or postnatal brain injury that may usually be determined by history and clinical neurologic examination. Read More

Zhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi 2019 Apr;36(4):348-351

Pediatric Research Institute, Qilu Children's Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250022, China. Email:

Objective: To detect pathogenic mutation of DOCK6 gene in a patient with convulsive seizure and refractory epilepsy.

Methods: CytoScan HD-Array and next generation sequencing were used to detect the potential mutation in the patient.

Results: The proband has carried compound heterozygous mutations of c. Read More

Acta Neuropsychiatr 2019 Apr 1:1-5. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

1Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center,Aarhus University,Denmark.

Objective: Patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) may present with convulsive events that are not accompanied by epileptiform brain activity. Video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring is the gold standard for diagnosis, yet not all patients experience convulsive episodes during video-EEG sessions. Hence, we aimed to construct a predictive model in order to detect PNES from serum hormone levels, detached from an evaluation of patients' convulsive episodes. Read More

Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2019 04;25(2):492-507

Purpose Of Review: This review addresses the scope, evaluation, treatments, and outcomes of patients with nonepileptic episodic events with a focus on psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Differentiation of the types of events, including a review of terminology, is included, as well as a brief review of special patient populations with these disorders.

Recent Findings: There are continued efforts to develop tools to improve the diagnosis of these disorders. Read More

Seizure 2019 Mar;66:112-113

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Mangurian Building, 4th Floor, Jacksonville, FL 32224 USA. Electronic address:

Seizure 2019 Mar;66:104-111

Epilepsy Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States.

Purpose: We evaluate outcome of in-home diagnostic ambulatory video-EEG monitoring (AVEM) performed on a nationwide cohort of patients over one calendar year, and we compare our findings with outcomes of inpatient adult and pediatric VEM performed during the same year at two academic epilepsy centers.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. We obtained AVEM outcome data from an independent ambulatory-EEG testing facility. Read More

Seizure 2019 Mar 16;67:61-64. Epub 2019 Mar 16.

Mater Advanced Epilepsy Unit, Mater Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.

Purpose: Recurrent seizures and status epilepticus after medication reduction for inpatient Video Electroencephalograph (VEEG) monitoring is a well-known complication of this investigation. In the literature this is reported to occur at a rate of approximately 3-7%. We review the use of short burst Clobazam dosing on discharge from the Epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) to determine if this might reduce rates of representation with seizures. Read More

Zh Vopr Neirokhir Im N N Burdenko 2019;83(1):90-97

Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute, Moscow, Russia.

Currently, there is no single standard defining what rhythmic activity should be considered as the area of ictal pattern onset. Differences in electroencephalographic patterns associated with different types of focal cortical dysplasias (FCDs) have not been defined. Aim - we aimed to identify features of the ictal onset pattern on a scalp EEG, depending on the histology, location, and extension of epileptogenic zone, as well as to elucidate the relationship between concordance of the interictal and ictal activity localization and ictal onset pattern types. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2019 Mar 17;94:72-77. Epub 2019 Mar 17.

VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States of America.

Rationale: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is compromised in civilians with epileptic seizures (ES) or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). U.S. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 1;10:166. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.

Peri-ictal breathing dysfunction was proposed as a potential mechanism for SUDEP. We examined the incidence and risk factors for both ictal (ICA) and post-convulsive central apnea (PCCA) and their relationship with potential seizure severity biomarkers (i. e. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2019 Mar 7. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.A.

Smartphones and other personal electronic devices present novel cortical processing tasks with potential for identification of novel EEG waveforms. A 17-year-old patient with epilepsy manifested as recurrent myoclonic seizures, absence seizures, and a single generalized tonic-clonic seizure was hospitalized to undergo video-EEG monitoring for seizure quantification and classification of the epilepsy syndrome. During the monitoring session, a frontocentral predominant 5 to 6 Hz theta rhythm was identified only when the patient was actively texting or playing a videogame on his smartphone. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Purpose: Conventional video-EEG monitoring is required to diagnose seizures accurately in neonates. This tool is resource-intense and has limited availability in many centers. Seizure prediction models could help allocate resources by improving efficiency in which conventional video-EEG monitoring is used to detect subclinical seizures. Read More

Epilepsia Open 2019 Mar 24;4(1):92-101. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaxinfectio University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium.

Objective: Prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP) has been implicated in neuroinflammatory processes and neuroplasticity and has been suggested as a target for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease. The aim of this investigation was to explore the involvement of PREP in the neuropathologic mechanisms relevant to temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) using a PREP inhibitor in a well-established rat model.

Methods: PREP activity and expression was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats 2 and 12 weeks following kainic acid-induced status epilepticus (KASE). Read More

Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2019 Feb 20;6(2):210-221. Epub 2019 Jan 20.

Department of Neurology Changzheng Hospital The Second Military Medical University Shanghai China.

Objective: Cataplexy is a complicated and dynamic process in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) patients. This study aimed to clarify the distinct stages during a cataplectic attack and identify the changes of the primary motor cortex (PMC) excitability during these stages.

Methods: Thirty-five patients with NT1 and 29 healthy controls were recruited to this study. Read More

Epilepsy Res 2019 Feb 27. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Empatica, Milan, Italy; Empatica, Cambridge, MA, USA; MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Wearable automated seizure detection devices offer a high potential to improve seizure management, through continuous ambulatory monitoring, accurate seizure counts, and real-time alerts for prompt intervention. More importantly, these devices can be a life-saving help for people with a higher risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), especially in case of generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS). The Embrace and E4 wristbands (Empatica) are the first commercially available multimodal wristbands that were designed to sense the physiological hallmarks of ongoing GTCS: while Embrace only embeds a machine learning-based detection algorithm, both E4 and Embrace devices are equipped with motion (accelerometers, ACC) and electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors and both the devices received medical clearance (E4 from EU CE, Embrace from EU CE and US FDA). Read More

Epilepsia 2019 Apr 5;60(4):669-678. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

Department of Neurology, Epilepsy Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.

Objective: To examine the long-term outcome of psychological status, personality, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) and to define predictors of favorable outcome of cessation of PNES.

Method: Patients diagnosed with PNES during video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring at the Erlangen Epilepsy Center were contacted 1-16 years after communicating the diagnosis. Follow-up information from each participant was obtained by interview (PNES outcome) and by self-reported questionnaires of psychological symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II, Symptom Checklist-90-Standard, Dissociative Symptoms questionnaire), personality traits (Freiburg Personality Inventory-Revised), and HRQoL (36-Item Short Form Health Survey). Read More

Pediatr Neurol 2019 May 9;94:74-79. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Department of Pediatrics, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont.

Background: We investigated whether therapeutic hypothermia and rewarming impact functional connectivity using electroencephalography (EEG) as a measure in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. We hypothesized that EEG coherence and voltage correlations would be lower and phase lag greater in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy than control subjects and that functional connectivity would evolve during therapeutic hypothermia with the greatest improvement occurring during rewarming.

Methods: This study was a retrospective study of 14 term neonates (greater than 37 weeks) with moderate hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy who underwent therapeutic hypothermia and rewarming. Read More

Seizure 2019 Mar 14;66:39-41. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Epilepsy Center, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America.

Purpose: Oral biting injuries are widely recognized complications of seizures. Value in differentiating epileptic vs paroxysmal non-epileptic seizures is well demonstrated, but frequency and semiological value are poorly described. We aimed to evaluate frequency in an epilepsy monitoring unit setting as well as semiological value. Read More

Epileptic Disord 2019 Feb;21(1):122-127

Department of Neurosurgery, Section for Pediatric Neurosurgery, University of Ulm, Germany.

Focal cortical dysplasia is a common cause of medically refractory epilepsy in infancy and childhood. We report a neonate with seizures occurring within the first day of life. Continuous video-EEG monitoring led to detection of left motor seizures and a right frontal EEG seizure pattern. Read More

Epileptic Disord 2019 Feb;21(1):65-77

Epilepsy Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

We comprehensively studied the clinical presentation, stereo-EEG and MRI findings, histopathological diagnosis, and brain somatic mutations in a retrospective series of drug-resistant patients with difficult-to-localize epilepsy due to focal cortical dysplasia at the bottom of a sulcus (BOS-FCD). We identified 10 patients with BOS-FCD from the Cleveland Clinic epilepsy surgery database submitted for intracranial video-EEG monitoring. Brain MRI, including voxel-based morphometric analysis and surgical tissue submitted for histopathology, was reviewed. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2019 Mar 13;92:341-344. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Department of Health Services Research, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Centre for Economic Evaluation, Trimbos Institute, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Objectives: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) have the appearance of epileptic seizures, yet show no epileptiform discharges in the brain. The quality of life (QOL) in patients with PNES is reportedly low and trauma eems to be a relevant risk factor. The objective of this study was to examine the difference between measures of (epilepsy-specific) QOL (Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory; QOLIE-31p) and psychological dysfunction (trauma symptom inventory; TSI) between patients with diagnosed PNES with self-reported trauma and those without self-reported trauma. Read More

Epilepsia 2019 Mar 12;60(3):508-517. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.

Objective: Severe periictal respiratory depression is thought to be linked to risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) but its determinants are largely unknown. Interindividual differences in the interictal ventilatory response to CO (hypercapnic ventilatory response [HCVR] or central respiratory CO chemosensitivity) may identify patients who are at increased risk for severe periictal hypoventilation. HCVR has not been studied previously in patients with epilepsy; therefore we evaluated a method to measure it at bedside in an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) and examined its relationship to postictal hypercapnia following generalized convulsive seizures (GCSs). Read More

J Vis Exp 2019 Jan 26(143). Epub 2019 Jan 26.

Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine;

The gold standard for sleep monitoring is attended in-lab polysomnography; however, this method may be cost-prohibitive and inconvenient for patients and research participants. Home sleep testing has gained momentum in the field of sleep medicine due to its convenience and lower cost, as well as being more naturalistic. The accuracy and quality of home sleep testing, however, may be variable because studies are not monitored by sleep technologists. Read More

Seizure 2019 Feb 17;65:124-128. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:

Purpose: Patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) frequently complain of poor sleep, yet there are few and inconsistent data supporting objective sleep disturbances in this population. In this prospective observational study, we aimed to compare objective and subjective sleep-wake patterns in patients with PNES with those with epilepsy.

Methods: Subjects were recruited through the Brigham and Women's Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) over a 6-month period, and were diagnosed as having PNES or epilepsy by experts using video-electroencephalography (v-EEG). Read More

Epilepsia 2019 Feb 17;60(2):211-219. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Epilepsy-Center Berlin-Brandenburg, Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Objective: Despite the obvious advantages of resective surgery in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy, namely high probability of seizure freedom, decreased mortality, and increased quality of life, referral rates from physicians and approval rates by patients for presurgical assessment remain constantly low.

Methods: In the outpatient clinics of a tertiary epilepsy center, checklists were implemented asking treating epileptologists whether they recommended presurgical evaluation with noninvasive video-electroencephalographic monitoring to adult patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy and asking respective patients whether they followed this recommendation.

Results: Of 185 eligible patients, 80 (43%) were recommended presurgical evaluation by their epileptologists, and 24 (30%) of these patients consented. Read More

Epilepsia 2019 Feb 15;60(2):201-210. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.

Objective: Generalized convulsive seizures (GCS) are associated with high demands on the cardiovascular system, thereby facilitating cardiac complications. To investigate occurrence, influencing factors, and extent of cardiac stress or injury, the alterations and time course of the latest generation of cardiac blood markers were investigated after documented GCS.

Methods: Adult patients with refractory epilepsy who underwent video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring along with simultaneous one-lead electrocardiography (ECG) recordings were included. Read More

Brain Dev 2019 May 11;41(5):456-459. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Clinical Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurology Center, Department of Molecular Medicine and Development, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. Electronic address:

MECP2 duplication syndrome (MECP2 DS) is an X-linked disorder characterized by early-onset hypotonia, poor speech development, recurrent respiratory infections, epilepsy and progressive spasticity. Epilepsy occurs in more than 50% of the affected patients. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) are the most common seizure-type described but atonic seizures, absences and myoclonic seizures have also been reported. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2019 Mar;36(2):146-149

Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A.

Purpose: Epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) admissions provide a definitive diagnosis for approximately three-quarters of patients. However, many patients do not receive a definitive diagnosis following EMU admission. Ambulatory EEG following nondiagnostic EMU admissions was evaluated as a means of providing a diagnosis for these patients. Read More

Neurol Sci 2019 Mar 5;40(3):571-576. Epub 2019 Jan 5.

Neurology Care Line (127), Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.

Differentiating between epilepsy and psychogenic non-epileptic events (PNEE) can be difficult given similar presentations. PNEE is often misdiagnosed, resulting in unwarranted treatment with anti-epileptic drugs (AED). While the gold standard for differentiating PNEE from epilepsy is video EEG (VEGG) monitoring, self-reported symptomology has also been shown to discriminate between epilepsy and PNEE with high accuracy, particularly in cases where VEEG is difficult to obtain or when there are no observed events during extended monitoring. Read More

Seizure 2019 Feb 27;65:48-54. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Neurology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address:

Purpose: The aim of this prospective, video-electroencephalography (video-EEG) controlled study was to evaluate the performance of an accelerometry-based wearable system to detect tonic-clonic seizures (TCSs) and to investigate the accuracy of different seizure detection algorithms using separate training and test data sets.

Methods: Seventy-five epilepsy surgery candidates undergoing video-EEG monitoring were included. The patients wore one three-axis accelerometer on each wrist during video-EEG. Read More

Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 2019 Jan 4. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

Memory and Cognition Lab', Institute of Psychology, University of Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.

The ability to modulate our emotional experience, depending on our current goal and context, is of critical importance for adaptive behavior. This ability encompasses various emotion regulation strategies, such as fictional reappraisal, at stake whenever one engages in fictional works (e.g. Read More

Arch Cardiovasc Dis 2019 Feb 29;112(2):82-94. Epub 2018 Dec 29.

Service de neurophysiologie clinique, hôpital Roger-Salengro, CHRU de Lille, avenue du Professeur-Emile-Laine, 59037 Lille, France.

Background: Convulsive syncope and epileptic seizure share many similar clinical features. Early diagnosis is critical for choosing the appropriate management strategy.

Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of an innovative diagnostic strategy - combined head-up tilt test (HUT)/video electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring - in patients with unexplained seizure-like transient loss of consciousness (T-LOC). Read More

Epilepsy Res 2019 02 24;150:1-6. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address:

Objective: Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) are important to identify the epileptogenic zone and to define epileptic syndromes. However, not all patients show IEDs on scalp EEG. We evaluate the likelihood of not findings spikes on prolonged Video-EEG Monitoring (VEM) in patients with focal epilepsy, and explore clinical correlates. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2019 Jan 20;90:172-177. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address:

Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify the features of stereotypy in epileptic seizures and compare it with that of stereotypy in psychogenic nonepileptic seizure-like events (PNES) confirmed by video-electroencephalography (VEEG) monitoring.

Methods: Video-electroencephalography monitoring records of 20 patients with temporal lobe seizures (TLS) and 20 with PNES were retrospectively reviewed (n = 138 seizures, 48 TLS and 90 PNES). We analyzed the semiology of 59 behaviors of interest for their presence, duration, sequence, and continuity using quantified measures that were entered into statistical analysis. Read More

Br J Anaesth 2019 Jan 2;122(1):60-68. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

Department of Intensive Care Medicine and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Background: Delirium is frequently unrecognised. EEG shows slower frequencies (i.e. Read More

Neurology 2019 Jan 19;92(3):e171-e182. Epub 2018 Dec 19.

From the NINDS Center for SUDEP Research (L.V., M.R.S.R., R.K.S., D.F., M.N., C.S., B.K.G., B.Z., A.Z., S.S., J.O., R.M.H., B.D., L.B., O.D., G.B.R., P.R., S.D.L.); Epilepsy Center (L.V., N.L., J.P.H., N.J.H., N.S., X.Z., V.R.-M., S.D.L.) and Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine (K.S.), University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, OH; University of Iowa School of Medicine (R.K.S., B.K.G., G.B.R.), Iowa City; NYU Langone School of Medicine (D.F., O.D.), New York; Sidney Kimmel Medical College (M.N.), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; Institute of Neurology (C.S., B.D.), University College London, UK; Feinberg School of Medicine (S.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurobiology and Brain Research Institute (J.O., R.M.H.), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); Department of Neurology (L.B.), Columbia University, New York, NY; and Department of Clinical Neuroscience (P.R.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Objective: To characterize peri-ictal apnea and postictal asystole in generalized convulsive seizures (GCS) of intractable epilepsy.

Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter epilepsy monitoring study of autonomic and breathing biomarkers of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in patients ≥18 years old with intractable epilepsy and monitored GCS. Video-EEG, thoracoabdominal excursions, nasal airflow, capillary oxygen saturation, and ECG were analyzed. Read More

Neurol Clin Pract 2018 Oct;8(5):397-402

Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Background: We describe the clinical features and outcome in patients with late-onset Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS).

Methods: Adult patients evaluated between January 1, 2000, and March 1, 2017, who presented with onset of LGS ≥10 years were identified. Data abstracted included age at seizure onset, seizure types, etiology, treatments, EEG and neuroimaging results, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, and autoimmune evaluation. Read More

Epileptic Disord 2018 Dec;20(6):535-540

Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere, Department of Neurology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.

A challenge in treating epilepsy is the accurate documentation of seizure frequency, which is needed in order to assess the benefits of ongoing treatment. We present a 17-year-old girl who underwent video-based monitoring in order to establish an accurate seizure count before and after the implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator to treat refractory epilepsy. The results show a reduction in disabling seizure types after vagus nerve stimulator implantation and highlight the inconsistencies between the reported and actual seizure count in this patient. Read More

Neurology 2019 Jan 14;92(3):e194-e204. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

From the Departments of Medicine (S.S., Z.C., A.P., C.J.R., N.C.J., C.F., P.P., P.K., T.J.O.), Neurology (S.S., E.J.W., A.P., C.H., J.C., C.J.R., R.Y., C.F., P.P., P.K., T.J.O.), and Respiratory and Sleep Disorders Medicine (T.M., J.G.), The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville; Department of Neuroscience (S.S., Z.C., A.P., N.C.J., C.F., P.P., P.K., T.J.O.), Central Clinical School, Monash University; Department of Neurology (S.S., A.P., P.P., P.K., T.J.O.), The Alfred Hospital; and Neuropsychiatry Unit (S.F., D.V.), The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Australia.

Objective: To examine the prevalence and risk factors of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in individuals with epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of consecutive patients admitted for inpatient video-EEG monitoring at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia, between December 1, 2011, and July 31, 2017. Participants underwent routine clinical investigations during their monitoring period including polysomnography, neurocognitive testing, and screening instruments of daytime somnolence, sleep quality, and quality of life. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2019 Feb 25. Epub 2019 Feb 25.

A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) induces seizures or status epilepticus (SE) in 20-30% of patients during the acute phase. We hypothesized that severe TBI induced with lateral fluid-percussion injury (FPI) triggers post-impact SE. Adult Sprague-Dawley male rats were anesthetized with isoflurane and randomized into the sham-operated experimental control or lateral FPI-induced severe TBI groups. Read More

Epileptic Disord 2018 Dec;20(6):479-489

Epilepsy and Sleep Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.

To determine the electroclinical features of fixation-off sensitivity (FOS) in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). We searched the EEG database using the terms "fixation-off sensitivity" and "idiopathic generalized epilepsy" over a four-year period from March 2014 to April 2018 in the Xijing Hospital, Xi'an, China. FOS was evaluated according to the technique proposed by Panayiotopoulos. Read More

Epileptic Disord 2018 Dec;20(6):530-534

Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.

Williams-Beuren syndrome is rarely associated with epilepsy. One previously reported case showed an association with apnoeic seizures while a few other cases showed an association with infantile epileptic spasms and generalized and focal seizures. We report the case of a 13-month-old boy with a deletion typically associated with Williams-Beuren syndrome, who presented with isolated apnoeic seizures which were refractory to multiple antiepileptic drugs but partially responsive to the ketogenic diet. Read More

Seizure 2019 Jan 24;64:34-40. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

Epilepsy Center, Freiburg University Medical Center, Germany.

Purpose: If consciousness or memory are impaired during an epileptic seizure, the patient may not experience or know how his/her own seizure looks like. It is disputed, whether being confronted with own seizures may lead to emotional stress or empower patients and decrease negative psychosocial consequences. We assessed patients' reactions to watching a video of their own seizure on measures of anxiety, depression and ten emotions. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2019 Jan 3;90:93-98. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

IRCCS "NEUROMED", Pozzilli, IS, Italy; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report long-term seizure outcome in patients who underwent frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) surgery.

Method: This retrospective study included 44 consecutive subjects who underwent resective surgery for intractable FLE at IRCCS NEUROMED (period 2001-2014), followed up for at least 2 years (mean: 8.7 years). Read More