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J Neurol 2020 May 22. Epub 2020 May 22.

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the commonest presentations to emergency departments and is associated with seizures carrying different significance at different stages following injury. We describe the epidemiology of early and late seizures following TBI, the significance of intracranial haemorrhage of different types in the risk of later epilepsy and the gaps in current understanding of risk factors contributing to the risk of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE). The delay from injury to epilepsy presents an opportunity to understand the mechanisms underlying changes in the brain and how they may reveal potential targets for anti-epileptogenic therapy. Read More

Epilepsy Res 2020 May 11;164:106354. Epub 2020 May 11.

Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China. Electronic address:

Objectives: This study aims to explore the probability of developing posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) in the following 8 years after traumatic brain injury (TBI), the risk factors associated with PTE and its cumulative prevalence.

Methods: This is a retrospective follow-up study of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) discharged from the West China Hospital between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2017, Chengdu Shang Jin Nan Fu Hospital and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from January 1, 2013 to March 1, 2015. We used forward stepwise method to build the final multivariate cox proportional hazard regression model to obtain estimates of hazard ratio (HR) of PTE and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Read More

Front Psychiatry 2020 28;11:351. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France.

Background: A plethora of data show that the hippocampus and the amygdala are involved in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Neural dysfunctions leading to PTSD (e.g. Read More

Iran J Basic Med Sci 2020 Jan;23(1):63-70

Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Objectives: While traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a predisposing factor for development of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), the occurrence of seizures following brain trauma can infuriate adverse consequences of brain injury. However, the effect of seizures in epileptogenesis after mild TBI cannot yet be accurately confirmed. This study was designed to investigate the histopathological and molecular modifications induced by seizures on traumatized brain. Read More

Neurochem Res 2020 May 5. Epub 2020 May 5.

Department of Physiology, Hamidiye Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health problem worldwide that is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) is one of the sequelae of TBI. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as an adjuvant on the efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV) and gabapentin (GBP) in PTE model encouraged by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) after mild-TBI in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Read More

Ther Hypothermia Temp Manag 2020 May 5. Epub 2020 May 5.

The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has the potential to perturb perception by disrupting electrical propagation within and between the thalamus and cerebral cortex. Moderate and severe TBI may result in posttraumatic epilepsy, a condition characterized by convulsive tonic-clonic seizures. Spike/wave discharges (SWDs) of generalized nonconvulsive seizures, also called absence seizures, may also occur as a consequence of brain trauma. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2020 Apr 29. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

A I Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, 214400, University of Eastern Finalnd, Neulaniementie 2, Kuopio, Finland, 70211;

Prognostic biomarkers for post-injury outcome are necessary for the development of neuroprotective and antiepileptogenic treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI). We hypothesized that T₂ relaxation MRI predicts the progression of perilesional cortical pathology and epileptogenesis. The EPITARGET animal cohort used for MRI analysis included 120 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with TBI induced by lateral fluid-percussion injury and 24 sham-operated controls. Read More

J Biosci 2020 ;45

Center of Cooperative Innovation for Judicial Civilization, Beijing 100088, China.

Tissue analysis by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging can determine the biodistribution of molecules, without pre-analytical modification. We aimed to study the infrared spectroscopic changes of α-helical proteins at post-traumatic epileptic (PTE) foci by FTIR. FITR mapping was applied to detect α-helical proteins in rat brain tissue samples with post-traumatic epilepsy. Read More

CNS Spectr 2020 Apr;25(2):282

Independent Practitioner, Colorado Springs, CO.

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Is it in your differential diagnosis? Two Case Reports.

Objective: Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE), also referred as Complex Partial Seizures, is a medical diagnosis that must be considered in the pediatric, adolescent, and adult population presenting for psychiatric care. Mood disorders are common in people with epilepsy, with a prevalence rate of 20 to 50%. Read More

Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci 2020 May;18(2):174-187

The solute carrier (SLC) superfamily is one of the major sub-groups of membrane proteins in mammalian cells. The solute carrier proteins include more than 400 different membrane-spanning solute carriers organized with 65 families in the human. In solute carrier family neurons, neurotransmitter is considered to be a pharmacological target of neuropsychiatric drugs because of their important role in the recovery of neurotransmitters such as GABA, glutamate, serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline and regulation of their concentration in synaptic regions. Read More

Cell Mol Neurobiol 2020 Apr 21. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

Neurobiology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by the occurrence of spontaneous and recurrent seizures. In post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), the mechanism of epileptogenesis is very complex and seems to be linked with voltage-gated ion channels. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a neurosteroid have shown beneficial effect against various neurological disorders. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2020 Apr 18:107080. Epub 2020 Apr 18.

A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland.

A biomarker is a characteristic that can be objectively measured as an indicator of normal biologic processes, pathogenic processes, or responses to an exposure or intervention, including therapeutic interventions. Biomarker modalities include molecular, histologic, radiographic, or physiologic characteristics. To improve the understanding and use of biomarker terminology in biomedical research, clinical practice, and medical product development, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Joint Leadership Council developed the BEST Resource (Biomarkers, EndpointS, and other Tools). Read More

Neurosurgery 2020 Apr 7. Epub 2020 Apr 7.

Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder is a severe psychobiological disorder associated with hyperactivity of the amygdala, particularly on the right side. Highly selective laser ablation of the amygdalohippocampal complex is an effective neurosurgical treatment for medically refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy that minimizes neurocognitive deficits relative to traditional open surgery.

Objective: To examine the impact of amygdalohippocampotomy upon symptoms and biomarkers of post-traumatic stress disorder. Read More

Epilepsia 2020 Apr 28;61(4):693-701. Epub 2020 Mar 28.

Department of Neurosurgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Objective: Posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a well-described complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The majority of the available data regarding PTE stem from the adult population. Our aim was to identify the clinical and radiological risk factors associated with PTE in a pediatric TBI population treated in an intensive care unit (ICU). Read More

Transl Psychiatry 2020 Mar 20;10(1):100. Epub 2020 Mar 20.

Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

This review summarizes the last decade of work by the ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta Analysis) Consortium, a global alliance of over 1400 scientists across 43 countries, studying the human brain in health and disease. Building on large-scale genetic studies that discovered the first robustly replicated genetic loci associated with brain metrics, ENIGMA has diversified into over 50 working groups (WGs), pooling worldwide data and expertise to answer fundamental questions in neuroscience, psychiatry, neurology, and genetics. Most ENIGMA WGs focus on specific psychiatric and neurological conditions, other WGs study normal variation due to sex and gender differences, or development and aging; still other WGs develop methodological pipelines and tools to facilitate harmonized analyses of "big data" (i. Read More

Clin EEG Neurosci 2020 Mar 18:1550059420909676. Epub 2020 Mar 18.

Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) co-occurring with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is common in veterans. Worse clinical outcome in those with PTSD has been associated with decreased serum neurosteroid levels. Furthermore, decreased cortical thickness has been associated with both PTSD and mTBI. Read More

Tohoku J Exp Med 2020 03;250(3):167-171

Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya City West Medical Center.

Abusive head trauma (AHT), commonly known as shaken baby syndrome, is a cranial injury of infants and young children. AHT is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in young children, particularly those younger than 12 months of age. We describe two patients who developed West syndrome, which is a severe epilepsy syndrome composed of the triad of infantile spasms, hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalography, and developmental arrest or regression, possibly attributable to AHT. Read More

Front Hum Neurosci 2020 25;14:61. Epub 2020 Feb 25.

Neurology Service, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States.

Accurate localization of complex human experiences such as emotions, dreaming, creativity, and consciousness to specific cerebral structures or neural networks has remained elusive despite technological advances. We report the use of acute deep brain stimulation (DBS) to evoke behavioral and emotional effects by applying electrical stimulation (ES) at various voltage strengths to the basolateral and central subnuclei of the amygdala in addition to the head of hippocampus (HC) for two subjects with medically refractory post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our results suggest that the amygdala could be a node in a neural network responsible for the generation of complex vivid mental imagery and integrated sensory experiences similar to John Hughlings Jackson's "dreamy state" and "double consciousness," which have been classically associated with temporal lobe epilepsy during uncinate seizures. Read More

J Neurol 2020 Mar 4. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Neuro-Otology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Background: Anti-epileptic drug (AED) prophylaxis in the first-seven days post-traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to reduce seizure frequency acutely. AED efficacy is equivalent; therefore, choice of AED may rest with their side-effects. We hypothesise that AEDs that impair balance will prolong recovery, shown by a longer hospital stay. Read More

Epilepsia 2020 Mar 24;61(3):528-538. Epub 2020 Feb 24.

Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, and Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York.

Objective: The use of the Internet for health-related questions is increasing, but it is not clear whether individuals can understand the information available online. Most health organizations recommend that health educational materials (HEMs) be written below the sixth grade reading level. This study was designed to evaluate the readability level of available online HEMs pertaining to traumatic brain injury (TBI), epilepsy, and posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE). Read More

J Vis Exp 2020 Feb 10(156). Epub 2020 Feb 10.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion; School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech; Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech;

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of acquired epilepsy. TBI can result in a focal or diffuse brain injury. Focal injury is a result of direct mechanical forces, sometimes penetrating through the cranium, creating a direct lesion in the brain tissue. Read More

Front Physiol 2019 22;10:1583. Epub 2020 Jan 22.

Oscar-Langendorff-Institute of Physiology, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.

Our understanding of the etiological mechanisms leading up to epilepsy has undergone radical changes over time due to more insights into the complexity of the disease. The traditional hypothesis emphasized network hyperexcitability and an imbalance of inhibition and excitation, eventually leading to seizures. In this context, the contribution of the vascular system, and particularly the interactions between blood vessels and neuronal tissue, came into focus only recently. Read More

Ann Neurol 2020 Apr 24;87(4):497-515. Epub 2020 Feb 24.

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ.

Objective: Traumatic brain injury is a major risk factor for acquired epilepsies, and understanding the mechanisms underlying the early pathophysiology could yield viable therapeutic targets. Growing evidence indicates a role for inflammatory signaling in modifying neuronal excitability and promoting epileptogenesis. Here we examined the effect of innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on excitability of the hippocampal dentate gyrus and epileptogenesis after brain injury. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2019 14;10:1532. Epub 2020 Jan 14.

Department of Neurology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) commonly leads to development of seizures, accounting for approximately 20% of newly diagnosed epilepsy. Despite the high clinical significance, the mechanisms underlying the development of posttraumatic seizures (PTS) remain unclear, compromising appropriate management of these patients. Accumulating evidence suggest that thrombin, the main serine protease of the coagulation cascade, is involved in PTS genesis by mediating inflammation and hyperexcitability following blood brain barrier breakdown. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2020 Mar 10. Epub 2020 Mar 10.

Brain and Spinal Injury Center (BASIC), Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California.

Missing data is a persistent and unavoidable problem in even the most carefully designed traumatic brain injury (TBI) clinical research. Missing data patterns may result from participant dropout, non-compliance, technical issues, or even death. This review describes the types of missing data that are common in TBI research, and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the statistical approaches used to draw conclusions and make clinical decisions from these data. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2020 Mar;37(5):692-705

Center for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.

Targeting neuroinflammation is a novel frontier in the prevention and treatment of epilepsy. A substantial body of evidence supports a key role for neuroinflammation in epileptogenesis, the pathological process that leads to the development and progression of spontaneous recurrent epileptic seizures. It is also well recognized that traumatic brain injury (TBI) induces a vigorous neuroinflammatory response and that a significant proportion of patients with TBI suffer from debilitating post-traumatic epilepsy. Read More

ACS Chem Neurosci 2020 02 4;11(4):592-603. Epub 2020 Feb 4.

PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520 , United States.

Synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) is a 12-pass transmembrane glycoprotein ubiquitously expressed in presynaptic vesicles. imaging of SV2A using PET has potential applications in the diagnosis and prognosis of a variety of neuropsychiatric diseases, e.g. Read More

Open Access Maced J Med Sci 2019 Oct 15;7(19):3225-3234. Epub 2019 Aug 15.

Department of Neurosurgery, Kasr Alainy Medical School, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

The traumatic dural venous sinus injury is one of the most dangerous complications of TBI, either due to fatal intracranial compressing venous bleeding, or disturbing the intracranial pressure which could be caused by injury to the SSS On the other hand, post traumatic dural sinus thrombosis is considered a rare complication which may lead to hemorrhagic infarction with its serious consequences including epilepsy, neurological deficits, or death. Therefore, knowledge of the appropriate treatment of this kind of head injury is essential. Read More

BMC Psychiatry 2020 Jan 16;20(1):24. Epub 2020 Jan 16.

NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.

Background: Medicinal cannabis has received increased research attention over recent years due to loosening global regulatory changes. Medicinal cannabis has been reported to have potential efficacy in reducing pain, muscle spasticity, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and intractable childhood epilepsy. Yet its potential application in the field of psychiatry is lesser known. Read More

Epilepsia 2020 Feb 13;61(2):203-215. Epub 2020 Jan 13.

Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

Owing to the complexity of the pathophysiological mechanisms driving epileptogenesis following traumatic brain injury (TBI), effective preventive treatment approaches are not yet available for posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE). Neuroinflammation appears to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of the acquired epilepsies, including PTE, but despite a large preclinical literature demonstrating the ability of anti-inflammatory treatments to suppress epileptogenesis and chronic seizures, no anti-inflammatory treatment approaches have been clinically proven to date. TBI triggers robust inflammatory cascades, suggesting that they may be relevant for the pathogenesis of PTE. Read More

Int J Neurosci 2020 Feb 5:1-8. Epub 2020 Feb 5.

Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.

Since vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A number of studies show that VNS was effective to reduce seizure frequency. However, there was still some patients treated with VNS having poor or even no clinical effect. Read More

Neurol Sci 2020 May 2;41(5):1309-1313. Epub 2020 Jan 2.

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Catanzaro, Italy, Campus Germaneto, Vle Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.

In this study, we have made a historical review of epilepsy through the centuries, from pre-Christian era to the present time. The epileptic was examined by Hippocrates, the first to recognize epilepsy as a disease and not as a supernatural manifestation called Morbus Sacer. The dark years of the Middle Ages were the worst for the disease, where the sufferer was even subjected to torture. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2020 Jan;37(1)

Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Neuroscience 2020 Jan 19;428:140-153. Epub 2019 Dec 19.

Center for Glial-Neuronal Interactions, Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA. Electronic address:

Posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a long-term negative consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in which recurrent spontaneous seizures occur after the initial head injury. PTE develops over an undefined period during which circuitry reorganization in the brain causes permanent hyperexcitability. The pathophysiology by which trauma leads to spontaneous seizures is unknown and clinically relevant models of PTE are key to understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the development of PTE. Read More

Diagnostics (Basel) 2019 Dec 19;10(1). Epub 2019 Dec 19.

Department of Neurosurgery, Neuroscience Institute, Baylor Scott and White Health, Central Division, Temple, TX 76508, USA.

Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with the incidence of post-traumatic epilepsy increasing with the severity of the head injury. Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) is defined as a recurrent seizure disorder secondary to trauma to the brain and has been described as one of the most devastating complications associated with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). The goal of this review is to characterize current animal models of PTE and provide succinct protocols for the development of each of the currently available animal models. Read More

Epileptic Disord 2019 12;21(6):529-547

Academic Neurology Unit, University of Sheffield, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), also known as dissociative seizures, are paroxysms of altered subjective experience, involuntary movements and reduced self-control that can resemble epileptic seizures, but have distinct clinical characteristics and a complex neuropsychiatric aetiology. They are common, accounting for over 10% of seizure emergencies and around 30% of cases in tertiary epilepsy units, but the diagnosis is often missed or delayed. The recently proposed "integrative cognitive model" accommodates current research on experiential, psychological and biological risk factors for the development of PNES, but in view of the considerable heterogeneity of presentations and medical context, it is not certain that a universal model can capture the full range of PNES manifestations. Read More

Neuropharmacology 2019 Dec 6:107907. Epub 2019 Dec 6.

Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1510 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, Georgia. Electronic address:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in young adults worldwide. TBI survival is associated with persistent neuropsychiatric and neurological impairments, including posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE). To date, no pharmaceutical treatment has been found to prevent PTE or ameliorate neurological/neuropsychiatric deficits after TBI. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 13;10:1149. Epub 2019 Nov 13.

Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.

Traumatic brain injury, a common cause of acquired epilepsy, is typical to find necrotic cell death within the injury core. The dynamic changes in astrocytes surrounding the injury core contribute to epileptic seizures associated with intense neuronal firing. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that activate astrocytes during traumatic brain injury or the effect of functional changes of astrocytes on seizures. Read More

J Clin Gastroenterol 2019 Nov 27. Epub 2019 Nov 27.

Marks Colorectal Surgical Associates, Lankenau Medical Center, Wynnewood, PA.

Cannabinoids have been known as the primary component of cannabis for decades, but the characterization of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the 1990s opened the doors for cannabis' use in modern medicine. The 2 main receptors of this system, cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2, are found on cells of various tissues, with significant expression in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The characterization of the ECS also heralded the understanding of endocannabinoids, naturally occurring compounds synthesized in the human body. Read More

Phys Med Biol 2020 01 10;65(1):015002. Epub 2020 Jan 10.

Section Biomedical Imaging, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands. Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Brain perfusion SPECT can be used in the diagnosis of various neurologic or psychiatric disorders, e.g. stroke, epilepsy, dementia and posttraumatic stress disorder. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2020 Jan 22;102:106681. Epub 2019 Nov 22.

Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, United States of America; Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America.

Objective: Over 40% of combat Veterans report exposure to at least one type of morally injurious experience (MIE). While moral injury (MI) is described among Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), MI has not been studied in Veterans with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). We sought to identify MI in a clinical sample of Veterans with PNES and describe differences between those with MI and those without. Read More

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2019 13;2019:5798912. Epub 2019 Oct 13.

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Tuina, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China.

Background: Posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a common complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which seriously affects patients' survival and recovery. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a nonpharmacological therapy for epilepsy. The auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN) is the only peripheral branch and has antiepileptic effects, but the efficacy of ABVN stimulation as treatment of late PTE is uncertain. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2020 Jan 12;102:106639. Epub 2019 Nov 12.

Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Previous literature suggests that cognitive-emotion processing contributes to the pathogenesis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). Characterization of alterations in cognitive-emotion processing in PNES could inform treatment.

Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 143 patients with video electroencephalogram (EEG) confirmed PNES were prospectively recruited. Read More

Cureus 2019 Sep 27;11(9):e5784. Epub 2019 Sep 27.

Neurosurgery, Riverside University Health System Medical Center, Moreno Valley, USA.

Background One of the most common life-threatening injuries to trauma patients arriving in the emergency department (ED) is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Traditionally, intravenous medications have been given as seizure prophylaxis in patients demonstrating signs of increased intracranial pressure (ICP), as post-traumatic seizures in trauma patients are associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Medications traditionally given for this indication such as phenytoin have been established to reach therapeutic levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) quickly and are effective in preventing post-traumatic seizures but often have a large side-effect profile. Read More

Brain Sci 2019 Nov 9;9(11). Epub 2019 Nov 9.

Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.

Epilepsy is a common chronic consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI), contributing to increased morbidity and mortality for survivors. As post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) is drug-resistant in at least one-third of patients, there is a clear need for novel therapeutic strategies to prevent epilepsy from developing after TBI, or to mitigate its severity. It has long been recognized that seizure activity is associated with a local immune response, characterized by the activation of microglia and astrocytes and the release of a plethora of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Read More

J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2020 Jan 6;372(1):83-94. Epub 2019 Nov 6.

Department of Neurologic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (W.X., X.P., R.C., X.J.); Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (J.M.W., G.L., L.K.G., F.R., R.J., J.M.C.); Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (W.X., X.P., X.J.); and Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery, St. Vincent's Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana (J.L.S.)

The imidizodiazepine, 5-(8-ethynyl-6-(pyridin-2-yl)-4-benzo[]imidazo[1,5-][1,4]diazepin-3-yl)oxazole (KRM-II-81), is selective for 2/3-containing GABA receptors. KRM-II-81 dampens seizure activity in rodent models with enhanced efficacy and reduced motor-impairment compared with diazepam. In the present study, KRM-II-81 was studied in assays designed to detect antiepileptics with improved chances of impacting pharmaco-resistant epilepsies. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2019 12 31;101(Pt A):106598. Epub 2019 Oct 31.

Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom; Atkinson Morley Regional Neuroscience Centre, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents one of the most common causes of death and disability in young people, and posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) accounts for 10% to 20% of all symptomatic epilepsies. However, PTE is still a relatively underappreciated condition. This paper aimed at reviewing current knowledge about psychiatric comorbidities of PTE, looking in particular at the nature of the relationship between TBI, psychiatric problems, and epilepsy, at the phenomenology of psychiatric disorders in PTE, and how to manage them. Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2019 ;72(3):683-691

Department of Pathology, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, USA.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is widely assumed to be causal in neurodegenerative disease, based on epidemiological surveys demonstrating an increased risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) following TBI, and on recent theories surrounding repetitive head movement. We tested this assumption by evaluating 30 consecutive forensic examinations in which neuropathology consultation was sought, and in which a history of remote TBI was uncovered during the course of the investigation. In this series, there was a high frequency of psychiatric co-morbidities (100%), remote contusion (90%), and seizures (63%). Read More

Epilepsia 2019 11 8;60(11):2151-2162. Epub 2019 Oct 8.

Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects 2.5 million people annually within the United States alone, with over 300 000 severe injuries resulting in emergency room visits and hospital admissions. Severe TBI can result in long-term disability. Read More