Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0014547 (focal epilepsy)
 1,627 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A patient with fits of laughter due to a tumorous alteration (hyperplasia) of the floor of the third ventricle is described with electroencephalographic findings indicative of focal epilepsy (complex partial seizures = psychomotor fits). The laughter is interpreted as an inborn emotional expression with structural substrate in the hypothalamus and neighboring brain. With structures remaining intact functional disorders in this area can cause epileptic phenomena with participation of the limbic system.
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PMID:Fits of laughter (gelastic epilepsy) with a tumour of the floor of the third ventricle. A video tape analysis. 6 51

The mechanisms of the anticonvulsant activity of cannabidiol (CBD) and the central excitation of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC) were investigated electrophysiologically with conscious, unrestrained cobalt epileptic rats. The well-known antiepileptics, trimethadione (TMO), ethosuximide (ESM), and phenytoin (PHT), were included as reference drugs. Direct measurements were made of spontaneously firing, epileptic potentials from a primary focus on the parietal cortex and convulsions were monitored visually. ESM and TMO decreased the frequency of focal potentials, but PHT and CBD exerted no such effect. Although CBD did not suppress the focal abnormality, it did abolish jaw and limb clonus; in contrast, delta 9-THC markedly increased the frequency of focal potentials, evoked generalized bursts of polyspikes, and produced frank convlusions. 11-OH-delta 9-THC, the major metabolite of delta 9-THC, displayed only one of the excitatory properties of the parent compound: production of bursts of polyspikes. In contrast to delta 9-THC and its 11-OH metabolite, CBD, even in very high doses, did not induce any excitatory effects or convulsions. The present study provides the first evidence that CBD exerts anticonvulsant activity against the motor manifestations of a focal epilepsy, and that the mechanism of the effect may involve a depression of seizure generation or spread in the CNS.
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PMID:The influence of cannabidiol and delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol on cobalt epilepsy in rats. 11 6

Isolated infantile convulsions were noted in 206 patients (13%) of 1,572 patients who underwent cortical resection for medically refractory focal epilepsy at the Montreal Neurological Institute over the period 1928 through 1977. In 59 patients (29% of the 206), the isolated infantile convulsion was associated with an identifiable febrile systemic or neural illness. In 54 patients (26%), there was a definite history of cerebral birth injury in addition to the isolated infantile convulsions. Twenty patients (10%) had some other potential etiological factor for the later development of seizures, such as postnatal head injury, Sturge-Weber syndrome, etc., in addition to the isolated infantile convulsions. In 95 patients, 6% of the total 1,572 patient series and 41% of those with isolated infantile convulsions, the latter was the sole apparent cause for the later development of recurring seizures. Although this was the case in a small but significant percentage in this series of patients, more frequently, the isolated infantile convulsion represents a manifestation of invasion of the brain by an infectious agent of a systemic or brain disease, or is a harbinger of the later development of a seizure tendency due to some other preexisting etiological factor.
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PMID:Relative significance of isolated infantile convulsions as a primary cause of focal epilepsy. 11 7

Between 3700 and 3900 children are admitted annually to this children's hospital. During the past four years a total of 455 children with convulsions were admitted for investigation. 255 of these cases were calcified as epilepsy, 202 as febrile convulsions and 28 as neonatal convulsions. A quarter of the epileptic children showed fits of the petit mal type. There were only 5 cases of infantile propulsive petit mal. High frequency of fits and, in particular, status epilepticus, were very rarely seen in the present study. A case of self-induced photosensitive epilepsy, later combined with psychomotor epilepsy, is referred to in detail. Of 149 children with grand mal epilepsy, 36 were classed as idiopathic, and 88 as symptomatic cases. 37 of the symptomatic cases showed focal epilepsy with generalisation. It was concluded from the clinical course and the EEG that the combined effects of familial predisposition towards fits and exogenous cerebral lesions were operative factors in 14 patients. Children with febrile, convulsions possessed an EEG suggestive of a familial predisposition towards fits in slightly more than 50% of the cases. No cause could be found for the seizures in 5 infants with neonatal convulsions, but the mother of one of these infants was an epileptic herself, undergoing treatment with anticonvulsive drugs in high dosage and a withdrawal syndrome was suspected in this particular case. 17 infants with neonatal convulsions were symptomless on leaving hospital and remained so during the first year of life. Of the remaining cases, 10 showed neurological disturbances and one died. There was only one case in which neonatal convulsions progressed directly to epilepsy. The peak incidence of the first appearance of fits occurred during the first year of life (136 children), with 18% of the entire case material presenting within the first 6 months. 108 children presented with fits for the first time during the second year of life. Thereafter, the tendency towards the development of fits for the first time in life declined with increasing age.
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PMID:[Aspects of epilepsy in childhood (author's transl)]. 81 19

Both interictal and ictal EEG phenomena are commonly activated by functional instability. The different non-REM sleep stages comprise long-lasting periods of cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) in which arousal fluctuates between 'A phases' of greater arousal and 'B phases' of less arousal, and periods in which vigilance maintains a tonic stability (non-CAP). Previous studies have revealed that phase A induces a marked enhancement of generalized EEG paroxysms, a minor though significant activation of focal lesional bursts, but no effect on rolandic functional spikes. Conversely, phase B exerts an inhibitory modulation, especially on bilateral interictal phenomena. Because of the opposite influence of phase A and phase B also on muscle tone, we assessed the amount and distribution of nocturnal partial motor seizures in 6 subjects affected by focal epilepsy. The polysomnograms included 45 motor seizures, 43 of which occurred during non-REM sleep. Nocturnal fits were significantly more frequent in stages 1 and 3 (P less than 0.0001). Among the non-REM seizures, 42 appeared in CAP (P less than 0.0001) and always in phase A. The transient arousal and the concomitant muscle tone activation expressed by phase A of CAP is likely to support the motor components of nocturnal seizures. Sleep analysis in terms of CAP and non-CAP provides a better understanding of the continuum from subclinical EEG paroxysms to clinical manifestations and of the relations between vigilance and seizure disorders.
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PMID:Activation of partial seizures with motor signs during cyclic alternating pattern in human sleep. 181 56

Penicillin is well known as a potent convulsive agent. A cortical topical, intracerebral or systemic administration of penicillin produces abnormal and paroxysmal activity which may lead to seizure, and has been used in the investigation of the mechanisms of epilepsy. This is a report on the studies of an acute effect of potassium penicillin G on two models of experimental focal epilepsy: a) amygdaloid kindling model, and b) kainic acid-induced limbic seizure model. Twelve adult cats for amygdaloid kindling model (kindling group), six for KA-induced limbic seizure model (KA group) and four for a control group were prepared for this study. In kindling group, after completion of kindling procedure, 40-60 X 10(4) unit/kg of potassium penicillin G (PC), dissolved in sterilized normal saline, was injected intraperitoneally during an interictal period. In KA group, 1 micrograms of KA was injected into the left amygdala. Limbic seizures occurred frequently during the initial 5 hours but subsided completely within 3 days. After a latent period, spontaneous secondarily generalized convulsion occurred from 30 to 60 days after KA injection. The cats were completely normal in their behavior during the interictal period. During the interictal stage after the first generalized convulsion has been observed, 15-20 X 10(4) unit/kg of PC was injected intraperitoneally. In the control group, 40-60 X 10(4) unit/kg was injected intraperitoneally. Electroclinical observations were continued until 5 hours after PC injection in three groups. In the control group, no cats developed generalized convulsion. In the kindling group, 4 of 12 cats developed focal amygdaloid seizures with secondary generalization by nearly the identical doses required in the control group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Acute effect of penicillin G on feline models of focal epilepsy]. 250 15

In this report 17 patients with long-standing non-focal epilepsy underwent callosotomy (this was total in two patients and performed in two stages, and anterior-subtotal in the remaining patients). In all patients the atonic-hypertonic seizures with sudden falls were the most disabling epileptic fits. Callosotomy proved efficient in controlling atonic fits in 10 out of 15 patients in whom surgical results are evaluated. In 3 additional patients the frequency of atonic fits was reduced by more than 50%. In the remaining two patients, no therapeutic effect was observed. Callosotomy was less effective on seizures which were not atonic. Therefore, this procedure appears to be indicated in patients in whom atonic fits are predominant. The main effect of callosotomy is to transform drug-resistant seizures into drug-sensitive ones. Neuropsychological sequels are insignificant unless the splenium is severed. However, considerable psychic and behavioral improvement was nearly always observed after surgery. Despite the fact that on a therapeutic level results were often satisfactory, a number of practical problems still remain. These concern the full spectrum of indications for callosotomy, the extent of corpus callosum section, choice of methods in severely mentally retarded patients and, finally, the age at which the operation should be carried out.
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PMID:[Remarks on callosotomy in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy]. 262 17

The influence of adaptation to moderate hypoxia on anticonvulsive resistance of low tolerant rats has been investigated. Focal epilepsy was induced by penicillin application to sensorimotor cortex of the rat brain. Adaptation to hypoxia has been shown to increase the resistance of rats to epileptogenic penicillin effect which is manifested in the prolongation of the latent period of epileptiform discharges and less frequent epileptic fits. The mechanisms of the resistance increase remains to be investigated.
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PMID:[Effect of adaptation to hypoxia on the resistance of rats to the epileptogenic action of penicillin]. 309 55

In 150 consecutive cases of simple partial epilepsy significant CT abnormalities were found in 68%. The commonest lesion noted was a hypodense lesion on unenhanced scan, with a ring or disc-like enhancement on contrast scan, and surrounding hypodensity. This lesion was seen in 39 cases and was more common in patients below the age of 15 years and in those with shorter duration of fits (less than 6 months). Nineteen of these cases had focal signs, 16 showed focal slow activity on EEG and 17/39 had neither signs nor focal slowing on EEG. Ten cases with a ring or disc enhancing lesion had evidence of tuberculosis elsewhere in the body, three more had a past history of tuberculosis and four others had a history of close contact with a case of tuberculosis. After 3 months of antitubercular treatment, 23 out of 25 patients who were rescanned showed clearing of the lesion. The two who did not were operated upon, and the lesion was shown histologically to be a tuberculoma. Ten other cases have done well, but have not been rescanned. Only one case was not treated with antitubercular therapy. She developed fits, altered consciousness, and meningitis and recovered from this serious illness after starting antitubercular therapy. Though not histologically verified, it seems justified to conclude that in India a ring or disc enhancing lesion is the commonest accompaniment of focal epilepsy, and that at least one third (and probably more) of these lesions are tuberculomas.
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PMID:Focal epilepsy in India with special reference to lesions showing ring or disc-like enhancement on contrast computed tomography. 311 75

The behavioral and electrographic effects of chronic (7 days), localized infusion of GABA (100 micrograms/microliter) into the somatomotor cortex of fully amygdala-kindled rats is reported. The animals were stimulated once daily until a stage 5 (generalized clonic seizure) was obtained for five consecutive days. After determination of a stable seizure triggering threshold, the rats were implanted with osmotic minipumps (1 microliter/h for 7 days) connected to previously implanted bilateral cannulae. Amygdala stimulation was continued for 14 successive days. GABA infusion reduced the motor seizure without significantly modifying the limbic afterdischarge. This effect lasted until termination of drug application, with recovery of stage 5 convulsions on the following 3 to 5 days. No effects were observed in saline-infused animals or in rats with unilateral GABA treatment. Upon cessation of GABA treatment (removal of the osmotic devices by day 7 postimplantation), spontaneous epileptic discharges localized to the infusion sites appeared. In some animals, the abnormal activity was accompanied by behavioral signs of myoclonus. This cortical hyperexcitability lasted 2 to 24 h, with complete recovery afterward. These data indicate that two types of focal epilepsy may coexist independently in the same animal and provide confirmation of previous observations in the monkey on the existence of a "GABA-withdrawal syndrome" after chronic, focal infusion of the amino acid.
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PMID:Anticonvulsant effect of intracortical, chronic infusion of GABA in kindled rats: focal seizures upon withdrawal. 365 26


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