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Neurology 2018 Nov 9;91(22):e2078-e2088. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

From the Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy (S.Z., Z.M., L.H.-H., S.K., S. Balestrini, S.M.S.) and Division of Neuropathology (Z.M., M.T.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Clinic of Neurology (S.Z.), Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy; Department of Pediatric Neurology and Neurological Rehabilitation (C.S., T.H., P.W., G.J.K.) and Neurosurgery Clinic and Clinic for Epilepsy Surgery (M.K.), Schön Klinik Vogtareuth; Department of Pediatrics (C.S., M.S.), Children's Hospital Augsburg, Germany; UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (J.R.N., K.V., S.M.V., J.H.C.), London, UK; Paediatric Neurology and Neurogenetics Unit and Laboratories (D.M., R.G.), A. Meyer Children's Hospital, University of Florence, Italy; Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy (Z.M., L.H.-H., S.K., S. Balestrini, S.M.S.), Chalfont-St-Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK; CeGaT-Center for Genomics and Transcriptomics (A.P., S. Biskup), Tübingen, Germany; Neurogenetics Unit (M.L.), Department of Medical Genetics, Hospital de São João, Porto, Portugal; Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (J.G.), University Medical Center Göttingen; Hospital for Children and Adolescents (A.M.), University Clinic Leipzig, Germany; Freiburg Medical Laboratory (M.J.), Dubai; The Danish Epilepsy Centre (R.S.M., E.G.), Dianalund; Institute for Regional Health Services (R.S.M., E.G.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Clinical Genetics (B.S.K.), Odense University Hospital; Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital (L.K.H.), Odense, Denmark; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit (M.S.V., P.S.), Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa "G. Gaslini" Institute, Italy; Division of Neurology (K.L.H.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA; Department of Neurology (S.D., C.L.S.-H.), Division of Neurogenetics, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD; Center for Genomic Medicine (N.H.-F.), Tohoku University; Department of Pediatrics (N.H.-F.), Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; Department of Pediatrics (T.T., R.L.) and Institute of Clinical Medicine (K.O.), University of Tartu; Children's Clinic (T.T., R.L.), Department of Radiology (P.I.), and Department of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories (K.O.), Tartu University Hospital, Estonia; Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (I.K.); Department of Pediatric Neurology (A.H.), Clinic Traunstein; Children's Hospital (M.K.), Dr. Horst Schmidt Klinik, Wiesbaden; Altona Children's Hospital (J.H.), Hamburg; Department of Pediatrics (C. Makowski), Technische Universität München, Germany; Department of Clinical Genetics (S.G.), Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards; John Hunter Children's Hospital (G.M.S.), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.T.), University Hospital of Wales; Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences (R.H.T.), Cardiff University; Division of Neuroradiology (C. Micallef), National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London; Department of Brain Repair & Rehabilitation (D.J.W.), Stroke Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Paracelsus Medical University (G.J.K.), Salzburg, Austria; and IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation (R.G.), Pisa, Italy.

Objective: To characterize the neurologic phenotypes associated with mutations and to seek genotype-phenotype correlation.

Methods: We analyzed clinical, EEG, and neuroimaging data of 44 new and 55 previously reported patients with mutations.

Results: Childhood-onset focal seizures, frequently complicated by status epilepticus and resistance to antiepileptic drugs, was the most common phenotype. Read More

Cureus 2018 Aug 13;10(8):e3134. Epub 2018 Aug 13.

Internal Medicine, Punjab Medical College Allied Hospital Faisalabad, Faisalabad, PAK.

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is one of the rare childhood-onset epileptic encephalopathies, characterized by multiple type seizure disorder, the typical pattern on electroencephalogram and intellectual disability. Tonic-type seizures are most commonly seen in these patients. Behavioral disturbances and cognitive decline are gradual-onset and last long after the first episode of epileptiform activity. Read More

Seizure 2018 Dec 26;63:48-51. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Department of Neurology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.

Purpose: To determine the usefulness of the first-hour sleep EEG recording in identifying interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) during long-term video-EEG monitoring.

Method: We retrospectively reviewed 255 consecutive patients who underwent continuous long-term video-EEG monitoring in the adult epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) at the University of Chicago. The complete video-EEG recording was reviewed, and the occurrence of IEDs was determined for each patient. Read More

Am J Hum Genet 2018 Nov 18;103(5):666-678. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Division of Genetic Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Electronic address:

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) are severe neurodevelopmental disorders often beginning in infancy or early childhood that are characterized by intractable seizures, abundant epileptiform activity on EEG, and developmental impairment or regression. CACNA1E is highly expressed in the central nervous system and encodes the α-subunit of the voltage-gated Ca2.3 channel, which conducts high voltage-activated R-type calcium currents that initiate synaptic transmission. Read More

J Neurosci Rural Pract 2018 Oct-Dec;9(4):478-486

Department of Medicine, University of Cartagena, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

Background And Objectives: Statins are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, used for the management of hypercholesterolemia and related atherosclerotic diseases. Several studies have indicated the neuroprotective effects of statins on several neuropathological conditions. However, the role of these medications in epilepsy is still unclear. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018 10 17;115(40):10166-10171. Epub 2018 Sep 17.

Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom;

The type 2 K/Cl cotransporter (KCC2) allows neurons to maintain low intracellular levels of Cl, a prerequisite for efficient synaptic inhibition. Reductions in KCC2 activity are evident in epilepsy; however, whether these deficits directly contribute to the underlying pathophysiology remains controversial. To address this issue, we created knock-in mice in which threonines 906 and 1007 within KCC2 have been mutated to alanines (KCC2-T906A/T1007A), which prevents its phospho-dependent inactivation. Read More

Seizure 2018 Oct 27;61:214-220. Epub 2018 Aug 27.

Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, PO Box 4950 Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway; Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1072 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address:

Purpose: The congenital long QT-syndrome (cLQTS) is characterized by ventricular arrhythmias, syncope and sudden cardiac death. Many LQTS genes are also expressed in the brain and emerging evidence suggest that cardiac channelopathies can also cause epilepsy. The aim of the study is to explore evidence of epilepsy and/or EEG abnormalities in a cohort with a genotyped diagnosis of LQT1 or LQT2. Read More

BMC Neurosci 2018 Sep 5;19(1):51. Epub 2018 Sep 5.

Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Cra 24 No 63C-69, Bogotá, Colombia.

Adipose tissue is a dynamic organ with different effects on the body. Many of these effects are mediated by leptin, a hormone strongly involved in regulation of feeding and energy metabolism. It has an important role as a mediator of neuronal excitatory activity and higher brain functions. Read More

Neurosci Bull 2018 Dec 20;34(6):1007-1016. Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Department of Neurology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.

Exploring the transition from inter-ictal to ictal epileptiform discharges (IDs) and how GABA receptor-mediated action affects the onset of IDs will enrich our understanding of epileptogenesis and epilepsy treatment. We used Mg-free artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) to induce epileptiform discharges in juvenile mouse hippocampal slices and used a micro-electrode array to record the discharges. After the slices were exposed to Mg-free ACSF for 10 min-20 min, synchronous recurrent seizure-like events were recorded across the slices, and each event evolved from inter-ictal epileptiform discharges (IIDs) to pre-ictal epileptiform discharges (PIDs), and then to IDs. Read More

BMC Neurol 2018 Aug 13;18(1):110. Epub 2018 Aug 13.

Department of Neurosurgery, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100053, China.

Background: Seizures arising from the precuneus are rare, and few studies have aimed at characterizing the clinical presentation of such seizures within the anatomic context of the frontoparietal circuits. We aimed to characterize the electrophysiological properties and clinical features of seizures arising from the precuneus based on data from stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG).

Methods: The present retrospective study included 10 patients with medically intractable epilepsy, all of whom were diagnosed with precuneal epilepsy via stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) at Yuquan Hospital and Xuan Wu Hospital between 2014 and 2016. Read More

Neurol Sci 2018 Nov 9;39(11):1977-1980. Epub 2018 Aug 9.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Bornova, 35100, Izmir, Turkey.

Epileptic encephalopathies are a group of disorders in which epileptiform abnormalities cause progressive deterioration in cerebral function. Genetic causes have been described in several of the epileptic encephalopathies, and many previously unknown genes have been identified. WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) has recently been implicated in autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia type 12 (SCAR12) and severe early-onset epileptic encephalopathy. Read More

Pharmacol Rep 2018 Oct 14;70(5):885-889. Epub 2018 Mar 14.

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. Electronic address:

Background: The most common headache associated with epilepsy occurs after seizure activity and is called a postictal headache. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of low and high doses acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) on a penicillin-induced experimental epilepsy model.

Methods: Adult male Wistar rats (n = 28, weighing 220 ± 40 g) were used in the experiments. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2018 Aug 4;24:5405-5411. Epub 2018 Aug 4.

Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess sleep architecture and respiration during sleep in children with intractable epileptic encephalopathies using overnight video-polysomnography (V-PSG). MATERIAL AND METHODS Between 2015 to 2017 overnight V-PSG recordings were made for 31 children (22 boys and 9 girls) with intractable epileptic encephalopathy with a mean age of 6.78±3. Read More

Res Rep Trop Med 2018 24;9:89-93. Epub 2018 May 24.

Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Nodding syndrome is an enigmatic neuropsychiatric and epileptiform disorder associated with psychomotor, mental, and physical growth retardation. The disorder affects otherwise previously normal children aged 3-18 years, with a slight preponderance for the male child. Nodding syndrome has been described in rural regions of some low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa including northern Uganda, South Sudan, and a mountainous region of southern Tanzania. Read More

Seizure 2018 Aug 28;60:198-204. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Purpose: We sought to characterize the electroclinical features of seizures associated with autoimmune encephalitis and their relevance to outcome.

Methods: 19 patients with seizures and autoimmune encephalitis were identified from a database of 100 patients (2008-2017) with autoimmune neurological disorders. Clinical and electroclinical characteristics were collected. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2018 Sep;35(5):375-380

School of Computing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, U.S.A.

Objective: The goal of the study was to measure the performance of academic and private practice (PP) neurologists in detecting interictal epileptiform discharges in routine scalp EEG recordings.

Methods: Thirty-five EEG scorers (EEGers) participated (19 academic and 16 PP) and marked the location of ETs in 200 30-second EEG segments using a web-based EEG annotation system. All participants provided board certification status, years of Epilepsy Fellowship Training (EFT), and years in practice. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2018 Nov;35(6):454-462

Pediatric Epilepsy Unit, Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

Purpose: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is often incorporated into the presurgical work-up of children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. There is growing literature on its role in improving selection for epilepsy surgery, particularly when brain MRI is "non-lesional" or in patients with recurrence or intractable seizures after epilepsy surgery. There are, however, no reports on the extrapolation of its role in the presurgical decision-making process of infants. Read More

Seizure 2018 Aug 28;60:139-143. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Department of Neurology, GIPMER, New Delhi, India.

Purpose: To study modulation of epileptiform EEG discharges in patients with JME.

Method: 50 subjects with JME underwent a sleep deprived EEG recording along with conventional provocative methods and testing with cognitive tasks (CTs). Both categories of tests were evaluated for their effect on occurrence of IEDs. Read More

Acta Neurol Scand 2018 Nov 10;138(5):432-440. Epub 2018 Jul 10.

Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between cortical morphology, centrotemporal spike (CTS), and neuropsychological functioning in children with BECTS compared to their typically developing peers.

Materials And Methods: To examine whole-brain differences in cortical thickness between groups, a general linear model approach was applied to T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with BECTS and typically developing children. Further region-of-interest (ROI) analyses were performed to examine the effects of frequency and lateralization of CTS. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2018 Jul;35(4):314-324

Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

We propose a comprehensive review of the subject of epileptiform and potentially harmful EEG patterns that lie on the interictal continuum (IIC) to help with therapeutic decision-making and target future research. This approach to "electro-physiological SE" encompasses five dimensions of the IIC: it characterizes a periodic or rhythmic pattern, not only regarding its ictal morphology and potential harm with secondary neuronal injury, but also addresses the "metabolic footprint," clinical repercussion, and epileptogenic potential. Recent studies have attempted to determine and qualify the ictal nature and the epileptogenic potential (i. Read More

Small 2018 Jul 27;14(30):e1801732. Epub 2018 Jun 27.

Department of Nano-Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, 22012, South Korea.

Penetrating electronics have been used for treating epilepsy, yet their therapeutic effects are debated largely due to the lack of a large-scale, real-time, and safe recording/stimulation. Here, the proposed technology integrates ultrathin epidural electronics into an electrocorticography array, therein simultaneously sampling brain signals in a large area for diagnostic purposes and delivering electrical pulses for treatment. The system is empirically tested to record the ictal-like activities of the thalamocortical network in vitro and in vivo using the epidural electronics. Read More

Acta Med Okayama 2018 Jun;72(3):297-300

Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.

A healthy 10-year-old boy vomited during sleep and later complained of abdominal pain; he became drowsy and uncommunicative. At the nearby hospital E.R. Read More

Ital J Pediatr 2018 Jun 15;44(1):70. Epub 2018 Jun 15.

Department of Pediatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.

Background: In previous study, we have found intermittent oral levetiracetam (LEV) can effectively prevent recurrence of febrile seizure (FS). This study aimed to analyze the effects of the preventive on the patients with frequent FS accompanied with epileptiform discharge.

Methods: Patients with frequent FS were assigned to undergo Electroencephalogram (EEG). Read More

Epileptic Disord 2018 Jun;20(3):169-177

Center of Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

Idiopathic generalised epilepsies are characterised by widespread, symmetric, bilateral spike-and-wave discharges on EEG. Onset typically occurs in children and adolescents, but may also start in adulthood. These forms of adult onset constitute the focus of this review. Read More

Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2018 Sep 24;22(5):738-748. Epub 2018 May 24.

Department of Child Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.

Patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are at very high risk for developing epilepsy, and the majority experience seizure onset during the first year of life. Early targeted interventions increase the probability of seizure-freedom and may protect neurodevelopment. In 2012, clinical recommendations for the management of epilepsy in patients with TSC were published by a panel of European experts. Read More

Clin Neuropharmacol 2018 Jul/Aug;41(4):142-144

Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil.

Myoclonic status epilepticus (MSE) in patients without epilepsy, or de novo MSE, is a rare condition associated with several acute symptomatic etiologies, including drugs and toxins. We describe a 94-year-old woman with Alzheimer dementia and long use of mirtazapine 30 mg/d and alprazolam 1 mg/d who developed MSE approximately 24 hours after abrupt discontinuation of alprazolam. The patient was taking sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim for urinary tract infection, diagnosed 2 weeks before admission. Read More

Brain Topogr 2018 May 15. Epub 2018 May 15.

Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Hope-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.

Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurological diseases with a high morbidity. Accumulating evidence has shown that epilepsy is an archetypical neural network disorder. Here we developed a non-invasive cortical functional connectivity analysis based on magnetoencephalography (MEG) to assess commonalities and differences in the network phenotype in different epilepsy syndromes (non-lesional/cryptogenic focal and idiopathic/genetic generalized epilepsy). Read More

Seizure 2018 Jul 9;59:77-81. Epub 2018 May 9.

Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH9 1LF, UK. Electronic address:

Purpose: To establish if listening to Mozart's Sonata for two pianos in D major (K448) has an anti-epileptic effect on the EEGs (electroencephalograms) of children.

Methods: Forty five children (2-18 years; mean 7 years 10 months) who had epileptiform activity on EEG were recruited from those attending for scheduled EEG investigations. Mozart's Sonata for two pianos in D major (K448) and an age-appropriate control music were played during the EEG. Read More

Life Sci 2018 Jul 3;204:65-70. Epub 2018 May 3.

Institute of Physiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; IBE R&D gGmbH, Institute for Lung Health, D-48149 Münster, Germany.

Aims: In cortical mammalian neurons, small fluctuations of intracellular pH (pHi) play a crucial role for inter- and intracellular signaling as well as for cellular and synaptic plasticity. Yet, there have been no respective data about humans. Thus, we investigated the interrelation of pHi and excitability of human cortical neurons. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2018 May;35(3):189-198

Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the literature about a particular EEG pattern, lateralized periodic discharges (LPDs), or periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs). The review will discuss the history and terminology of LPDs and provide a detailed summary of the etiologies, pathophysiology, clinical symptoms, and imaging studies related to LPDs. Current controversies about the association of LPDs with seizures and their management will be reviewed. Read More

Technol Health Care 2018 ;26(S1):337-346

Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Background: Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder of the brain. Clinically, epileptic seizures are usually detected via the continuous monitoring of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals by experienced neurophysiologists.

Objective: In order to detect epileptic seizures automatically with a satisfactory precision, a new method is proposed which defines hybrid features that could characterize the epileptiform waves and classify single-channel EEG signals. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Jul 22;115:e523-e531. Epub 2018 Apr 22.

Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Electronic address:

Objective: This study aimed to determine risk factors for inpatient seizures and long-term epilepsy in patients receiving coil embolization for aneurysm-associated subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients admitted to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2010 to 2014 for subarachnoid hemorrhage. Only patients with coil embolization were included. Read More

Neurophysiol Clin 2018 Jun 21;48(3):171-179. Epub 2018 Apr 21.

Service de neurophysiologie clinique, centre hospitalier Sainte-Anne, 1, rue Cabanis, 75014 Paris, France; Université Paris-Descartes, 12, rue de l'école de médecine, 75006 Paris, France; Inserm UMR S894, centre de psychiatrie et neurosciences, rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France.

Introduction: In France, a systematic EEG is performed during initial examination in military aircrew applicants, which may provide an estimation of the prevalence of benign epileptiform variants in healthy adults.

Methods: We analyzed standard EEG (21 scalp electrodes, 20minutes, 400Hz sampling rate) of military aircrew applicants examined in the French Main Aeromedical Center in 2016. EEGs were analyzed using both bipolar and referential montages. Read More

Stud Health Technol Inform 2018 ;247:171-175

Department of Medical Informatics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen, Germany.

Long term EEG examinations, for example during epilepsy diagnosis, can be performed more efficiently with support of automated abnormality detection. Currently, these methods are usually developed based on one specific database, which limits the possibilities of generalizations. Here, we present a machine learning solution for detection of interictal abnormal EEG segments optimized on the publically available TUH Abnormal EEG Corpus. Read More

Pediatr Neurosurg 2018 19;53(3):153-162. Epub 2018 Apr 19.

Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, USA.

Background: Interictal 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission topography (FDG-PET) hypometabolism is routinely used in the presurgical workup of children with medically intractable epilepsy (MIE). FDG-PET hypermetabolism, however, is rarely seen, and the significance of this finding in the epilepsy workup is not well established.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients who underwent FDG-PET during the presurgical workup of MIE over a 4-year period, between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2013, at the Children's Hospital Colorado, CO, USA. Read More

Seizure 2018 May 30;58:62-71. Epub 2018 Mar 30.

R Madhavan Nayar Centre for Comprehensive Epilepsy Care, Dept of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

Purpose: The systematic study of visual phenomena such as eye closure (ECLS), eye-closed/fixation-off sensitivity (FOS) [terminology proposed as eye-condition sensitive (ECS) epilepsy] distinct from photosensitivity is rarely explored in literature.

Methods: Clinical, electroencephalographic (EEG) and imaging records of patients attending an epilepsy clinic were screened. Inclusion criterion was demonstrable electrographic visual sensitivitiy in the form of ECS parameters with/without photosensitivity. Read More

Seizure 2018 May 5;58:47-51. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Department of clinical neuroscience, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address:

Purpose: The prevalence of epilepsy is increased in multiple sclerosis (MS), but information on AED treatment and seizure outcome is scarce. We describe epilepsy characteristics including the use of AEDs and proportion of seizure-free patients at two tertiary hospitals in Sweden.

Method: We retrospectively studied electronic medical records of all patients with a diagnosis of MS and seizures at Sahlgrenska university hospital and Uppsala university hospital. Read More

Clin Chim Acta 2018 Aug 9;483:14-19. Epub 2018 Apr 9.

Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Ministry of Health, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Background: We investigated the association between SCN1A and SCN2A mutations and clinical phenotype and electroencephalography (EEG) features.

Methods: In this study, 48 patients suffered from epilepsy or severe seizures with SCN1A and SCN2A mutations were recruited. Medical data and molecular diagnosis were analyzed. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2018 Jul;35(4):332-338

School of Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo-Ecuador, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Purpose: To assess whether hippocampal atrophy develops in conjunction with clinical or subclinical epileptiform or encephalopathic activity in subjects with neurocysticercosis (NCC).

Methods: Using a population-based and nested case-control study design, scalp EEGs and brain MRIs were performed in Atahualpa residents aged ≥40 years, who have imaging-confirmed NCC (case patients), as well as in age- and sex-matched NCC-free control subjects.

Results: Sixty-two case patients and 62 control subjects were included. Read More

Mov Disord 2018 Jul 11;33(6):992-999. Epub 2018 Apr 11.

Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Rollins Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Background: Mutations in the GRIN2A gene, which encodes the GluN2A (glutamate [NMDA] receptor subunit epsilon-1) subunit of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, have been identified in patients with epilepsy-aphasia spectrum disorders, idiopathic focal epilepsies with centrotemporal spikes, and epileptic encephalopathies with severe developmental delay. However, thus far, mutations in this gene have not been associated with a nonepileptic neurodevelopmental disorder with dystonia.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the disease-causing gene in 2 siblings with neurodevelopmental and movement disorders with no epileptiform abnormalities. Read More

Acta Neurol Scand 2018 Sep 6;138(3):259-262. Epub 2018 Apr 6.

Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main and Department of Neurology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Background: Nearly 10 years after its introduction into the market, the significance of lacosamide in genetic generalized epilepsies is still unclear. Its new mode of action may qualify lacosamide as a therapeutic agent in this entity, but only a limited number of cases have been published so far.

Aim: To describe the efficacy of lacosamide as treatment in a patient with the absence status epilepticus. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018 05 5;499(4):868-874. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of RAS, 44, Toreza prospekt, Saint Petersburg 194223, Russia; Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 2 Akkuratova Street, St. Petersburg 197341, Russia. Electronic address:

Cephalosporins are beta-lactam antibiotics that are extensively used in medical practice and are reported to cause epileptic seizures in some patients. The primary cause of cephalosporin-induced convulsions is believed to be their ability to block GABAa receptors. However, direct evidence for the involvement of this mechanism has not yet been provided. Read More

Epileptic Disord 2018 Apr;20(2):123-131

Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall IT, Austria.

Idiopathic (genetic) generalized epilepsies (IGEs) are age-related epileptic syndromes with typical age onset in childhood or adolescence. We report a patient with de novo late-onset absence status epilepticus (ASE) occurring at the age of 64 years, with clinical and EEG features suggestive of late-onset IGE. We also discuss the relationship between de novo late-onset ASE and late-onset IGE, and provide a comprehensive and critical review of the available literature on late-onset (i. Read More

Bull Exp Biol Med 2018 Mar 27;164(5):629-635. Epub 2018 Mar 27.

Laboratory of Experimental Neurobiology, D. I. Ivanovsky Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

The study examined the effect of 9-(2-morpholinoethyl)-2-(4-fluorophenyl)imidazo[1,2-α] benzimidazole dihydrochloride (RU-1205) on the latency of seizures provoked by corazol, bicuculline, or picrotoxin. This agent (10 and 20 mg/kg) increased the seizure latency in the experimental models of epileptogenesis. The blockers of GABA and GABA -ρ receptors picrotoxin and (1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridin-4-yl)methylphosphinic acid, respectively, were employed to study the effects of RU-1205 on electrical activity of somatosensory cortical neurons and on formation of pathological rhythms in the rat brain. Read More

Int J Neural Syst 2018 Sep 15;28(7):1850001. Epub 2018 Jan 15.

1 School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston Brain Centre, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.

Pathological High-Frequency Oscillations (HFOs) have been recently proposed as potential biomarker of the seizure onset zone (SOZ) and have shown superior accuracy to interictal epileptiform discharges in delineating its anatomical boundaries. Characterization of HFOs is still in its infancy and this is reflected in the heterogeneity of analysis and reporting methods across studies and in clinical practice. The clinical approach to HFOs identification and quantification usually still relies on visual inspection of EEG data. Read More

Ann Afr Med 2018 Apr-Jun;17(2):64-69

Department of Psychiatry, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.

Background: In spite of the overwhelming significance of knowledge of basic elements of electroencephalography (EEG) in its application to the diagnostic workup and the management of patients with suspected or already established generalized epilepsy (GE), there is a dearth of data on the pattern and utility of clinical variables that can independently determine EEG abnormalities in GE.

Objective: The study was designed to evaluate the frequency and pattern of EEG abnormality as well as assess the utility of clinical variables in predicting the likelihood of an abnormal EEG in GE.

Methods: It was a cross-sectional study involving the analysis of EEGs of consecutive patients with clinical diagnosis of idiopathic GE from three centers over a 7-year period. Read More

Seizure 2018 Apr 3;57:8-10. Epub 2018 Mar 3.

Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesu' Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy. Electronic address:

CHD2 gene has been described in association with different types of childhood myoclonic epilepsy and is emerging as a gene involved in photosensitivity alone or combined with epilepsy. Recent studies suggest that CHD2 could be responsible for a proper phenotype characterized by infantile-onset generalized epilepsy, intellectual disability, and photosensitivity and in particular with self-induced seizures. We report the case of a child with CHD2 mutation and mild developmental impairment that since the age of 3 years started with myoclonic seizures apparently well responding to antiepileptic drugs and that subsequently developed intractable self-induced seizures. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2018 May 22;101:362-370. Epub 2018 Mar 22.

Institutes of Brain Science and State Key Laboratory for Medical Neurobiology, Department of Neurology at Zhongshan Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address:

G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels are important inhibitory regulators of neuronal excitability in central nervous system, and the impairment of GIRK channel function has been reported to be associated with the susceptibility of epilepsy. However, the dynamics of GIRK channels in the pathogenesis of epilepsy are still unclear. In this study, our results showed that cyclothiazide, a potent convulsant, dose dependently increased the epileptiform bursting activities and suppressed the baclofen induced GIRK currents. Read More

EBioMedicine 2018 Mar 21;29:38-46. Epub 2018 Feb 21.

Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1 Asahimachi, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8585, Japan.

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is the most frequent focal epileptic syndrome in adults, and the majority of seizures originate primarily from the hippocampus. The resected hippocampal tissue often shows severe neuronal loss, a condition referred to as hippocampal sclerosis (HS). In order to understand hippocampal epileptogenesis in MTLE, it seems important to clarify any discrepancies between the clinical and pathological features of affected patients. Read More

Epilepsia 2018 04 21;59(4):834-843. Epub 2018 Feb 21.

IRCCS Bologna Institute of Neurological Sciences, Bologna, Italy.

Objective: To assess the long-term outcome of epilepsy with auditory features (EAF) and to identify the clinical predictors for prognosis.

Methods: The study involved consecutive EAF patients with a follow-up of ≥5 years. Terminal remission (TR) was defined as a period of ≥5 consecutive years of seizure freedom at the last follow-up. Read More