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)

0.5-1% of the population suffers from epilepsy, while another 5% undergoes diagnostic evaluations due to the possibility of epilepsy. In the case of suspected epileptic seizures we face the following questions: Is it an epileptic seizure? The main and most frequent differential-diagnostic problems are the psychogenic non-epileptic seizures ("pseudo-seizures") and the convulsive syncope, which is often caused by heart disorders. Is it epilepsy? After an unprovoked seizure, the information on recurrence risk is an important question. The reoccurrence is more possible if a known etiological factor is present or the EEG shows epileptiform discharges. After an isolated epileptic seizure, the EEG is specific to epilepsy in 30-50% of cases. The EEG should take place within 24 hours postictally. If the EEG shows no epileptiform potentials, a sleep-EEG is required. What is the cause of seizures? Hippocampal sclerosis, benign tumors, and malformations of the cortical development are the most frequent causes of the focal epilepsy. Three potentially life-threatening conditions may cause chronic epilepsy: vascular malformations, tumors, and neuroinfections. The diagnosis in theses cases can usually be achieved by MRI, therefore, MRI is obligatory in all epilepsies starting in adulthood. The presence of epileptogenic lesion has a prognostic significance in treatment. If the MRI shows a circumscribed lesion then the pharmacological treatment will likely to be unsuccessful, while surgery may result in seizure freedom. The new and quantitative MRI techniques, such as volumetry, T2-relaxometry, MR-spectroscopy, and functional MRI play a growing role in the epilepsy diagnosis.
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PMID:[Diagnosis of epilepsy]. 1526 91

The epilepsies are among the most common serious brain disorders, can occur at all ages, and are characterized by a variety of presentations and causes. Diagnosis of epilepsy remains clinical, and neurophysiological investigations support the diagnosis of the syndrome. Brain imaging is able to identify many of the structural causes of the epilepsies. Current antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) block seizures without influencing the underlying tendency to generate seizures, and are effective in 60-70% of individuals. Several modern drugs are as efficacious as the older medications, but have important advantages including the absence of adverse drug interactions and hypersensitivity reactions. Epilepsy is associated with an increased prevalence of mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. An understanding of the psychiatric correlates of epilepsy is important to the adequate management of people with epilepsy. Anticipation of common errors in the diagnosis and management of epilepsy is important. Frequent early diagnostic errors include nonepileptic psychogenic seizures, syncope with myoclonus, restless legs syndrome, and REM behavioral disorders, the last mostly in elderly men. Overtreatment with too rapid titration and too high doses or too many AEDs should be avoided. For people with refractory focal epilepsy, vagus nerve stimulation offers palliative treatment with possible mood improvement and neurosurgical resection offers the possibility of a life-changing cure. Potential advances in the management of epilepsy are briefly discussed. This short review summarizes the authors' how-to-do approach to the modern management of people with epilepsy.
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PMID:Modern management of epilepsy: a practical approach. 1831 96

Careful history-taking is essential when evaluating patients with suspected epileptic seizures. It should focus on ascertaining whether the episodes are seizures or a seizure mimic such as syncope. Recurrent unresponsive episodes associated with seizures may indicate a diagnosis of focal epilepsy or complex partial epilepsy. Adults with a clinical diagnosis of a focal seizure disorder require investigation with electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging. The goal of treatment should be to achieve a life free of seizures, with minimum adverse effects from anticonvulsant medication. The choice of medication should be individualised to a patient's seizure characteristics, circumstances and preferences. Dose adjustments should be made according to clinical response (seizure frequency and adverse effects), rather than on serum drug concentrations alone. Lifestyle advice, such as advice about driving restrictions, is important for the safety of the patient and others. All anticonvulsants are potentially teratogenic. Poorly controlled epilepsy in pregnancy imparts significant risks to the mother and baby, which need to be weighed against the risks of teratogenicity. The risk of major congenital malformations is highest with valproate, particularly in high doses.
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PMID:Practical neurology--5: Recurrent unresponsive episodes and seizures. 2210 8

Some forms of focal epilepsy, including temporal lobe epilepsy, are rarely associated with ictal bradycardia and sinus node arrest. We report a case of a previously healthy man presenting with syncope in whom telemetry revealed sinus arrest. Initial treatment was with permanent pacemaker implantation and it was only following a subsequent grand mal seizure that other symptoms suggestive of temporal lobe epilepsy were documented. Anti-epileptic medication was subsequently commenced with resolution of all symptoms. There are few previously reported cases of syncope and documented sinus node arrest as the presenting feature of temporal lobe epilepsy.
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PMID:Pause for thought? Syncope and sinus arrest as the presenting feature of temporal lobe epilepsy. 2494 May 68

We present the case of a patient with syncope with repetition over 12 years, with a clinical profile not clearly related with a cardiogenic origin, who was studied by several medical specialties without any accurate diagnosis. After subcutaneous loop recorder implantation, we were able to demonstrate how seizures acted as a trigger in the genesis of an exaggerated cardio inhibitory reflex. A new entity has been described, known as "ictal asystole", in patients with focal epilepsy mostly from the temporal lobes and has been implicated as a cardiac cause of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy. We think this case could add new information about some patients who are at high risk of death but they are misdiagnosed.
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PMID:An unique case suffering from repetitive syncope episodes due to ictal asystole. 3053 56

Background: Antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD ab) have been found in patients with limbic encephalitis (LE) and chronic pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy (FE). The objectives of the study were to: (1) analyze the clinical and neuroimaging course of patients with FE+GAD ab, (2) compare these characteristics with a control group, and (3) describe the most affected cerebral areas with structural and functional imaging. Methods: Patients with FE + high titers of GAD ab and a follow-up of at least 5 years were selected. Titers of serum GAD ab exceeding 2,000 UI/ml were considered high. Evolutive clinical and radiological characteristics were studied in comparison to two different control groups: patients with bilateral or with unilateral mesial temporal sclerosis (BMTS or UMTS) of a non-autoimmune origin. Results: A group of 13 patients and 17 controls were included (8 BMTS, 9 UMTS). The most frequent focal aware seizures (FAS) reported by patients were psychic (5/13: 33%). Somatosensorial, motor, and visual FAS (4/13:32%) (p: 0.045), musicogenic reflex seizures (MRS), and a previous history of cardiac syncope were reported only patients (2/13:16% each) (p: NS). Comparing EEG characteristics between patients and controls, a more widespread distribution of interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) was observed in FE+ GAD ab patients than in controls (p:0.01). Rhythmic delta activity was observed in all controls in anterior temporal lobes while in patients this was less frequent (p: 0.001). No IED, even in 24 h cVEEG, was seen in 6 patients (46%).First MRI was normal in 4/5 (75%) patients. During the follow-up mesial temporal lobe (MTsL) sclerosis was observed in 5/8 (62%) of patients. All patients had abnormal FDG-PET study. MTL hypometabolism was observed in 10/11 (91%) patients, being bilateral in 7/11 (63%). In controls, this was observed in 16/17 (94%), and it was bilateral in 8/17 (47%) (p: NS). Insular hypometabolism was observed in 5/11 (45%) patients (P:0.002). Conclusions: Clinical, EEG, and FDG-PET findings in FE+GAD ab suggest a widespread disease not restricted to the temporal lobe. Progressive MTL sclerosis may be observed during follow-up. In comparison to what is found in patients with non-autoimmune MTL epilepsy, insular hypometabolism is observed only in patients with GAD ab, so it may be an important diagnostic clue.
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PMID:Hippocampus and Insula Are Targets in Epileptic Patients With Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Antibodies. 3068 13

Aims: Intracranially recorded high-frequency oscillations (>80 Hz) are considered a candidate epilepsy biomarker. Recent studies claimed their detectability on the scalp surface. We aimed to investigate the applicability of high-frequency oscillation analysis to routine surface EEG obtained at an epilepsy monitoring unit. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed surface EEGs of 18 patients with focal epilepsy and six controls, recorded during sleep under maximal medication withdrawal. As a proof of principle, the occurrence of motor task-related events during wakefulness was analyzed in a subsample of six patients with seizure- or syncope-related motor symptoms. Ripples (80-250 Hz) and fast ripples (>250 Hz) were identified by semi-automatic detection. Using semi-parametric statistics, differences in spontaneous and task-related occurrence rates were examined within subjects and between diagnostic groups considering the factors diagnosis, brain region, ripple type, and task condition. Results: We detected high-frequency oscillations in 17 out of 18 patients and in four out of six controls. Results did not show statistically significant differences in the mean rates of event occurrences, neither regarding the laterality of the epileptic focus, nor with respect to active and inactive task conditions, or the moving hand laterality. Significant differences in general spontaneous incidence [WTS(1) = 9.594; p = 0.005] that indicated higher rates of fast ripples compared to ripples, notably in patients with epilepsy compared to the control group, may be explained by variations in data quality. Conclusion: The current analysis methods are prone to biases. A common agreement on a standard operating procedure is needed to ensure reliable and economic detection of high-frequency oscillations.
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PMID:Pitfalls in Scalp High-Frequency Oscillation Detection From Long-Term EEG Monitoring. 3258 2

A 95-year-old male with a medical history of focal epilepsy presented with transient ischemic attack (TIA)/pre-syncope like symptoms. He was on lacosamide (LCM) and levetiracetam. On evaluation, he was found to have left bundle branch block (LBBB), sinus pause of three seconds, and 1st degree atrioventricular (AV) block. After holding LCM, electrocardiogram changes were reversed to baseline (before commencing LCM). In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of reversible LBBB along with sinoatrial (SA) node and AV node dysfunction in an elderly male on LCM therapy.
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PMID:Left Bundle Branch Block: A Reversible Pernicious Effect of Lacosamide. 3304 75