Which Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizure (PNES) Patients Are More Likely to Be Treated with Anti-Seizure Medications?
Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are defined as seizures that are semiologically similar to epileptic seizures without a characteristic accompanying electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern and are caused by psychological distress[1]. It is known that the average time from the onset of the attacks to the correct diagnosis is about seven years. During this time, many patients receive anti-seizure medications (ASM) and sometimes even life-threatening treatments such as intubation. Beyond that, the primary problem from which the seizures arise remains untreated [1]. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 13, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Ronen Spierer, Moshe Herskovitz Source Type: research

Drug resistant epilepsies: a multicentre case series of steroid therapy
According to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), drug-resistant epilepsies (DRE) are defined as epilepsies resistant to two or more antiseizure medicines (ASM), appropriately chosen and used whether as monotherapies or in combination [1]. DRE is a challenging condition that affects approximately 10-20% of all children with epilepsy [2-6.]. According to other studies this percentage even rises to 30-40% [7 –10]. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 13, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Raffaele Falsaperla, Ausilia Desiree Collotta, Simona D. Marino, Vincenzo Sortino, Roberta Leonardi, Grete Francesca Privitera, Alfredo Pulvirenti, Agnese Suppiej, Marilena Vecchi, Alberto Verrotti, Giovanni Farello, Alberto Spalice, Maurizio Elia, Orazio Source Type: research

Maladaptive personality traits in patients with epilepsy and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures
Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders, with a lifetime prevalence of 7.6/1000 (95% CI 6.17-9.38) and an incidence rate ratio of 61.44/100 000 (95% CI 50.75-74.38) person-years [18]. In the Russian Federation, epilepsy affects approximately 500,000 people over 14 years of age [25]. The burden of epilepsy is a composite of many disorder-related phenomena, including a wide range of somatic, neurological and psychiatric comorbidities [43]. Among the latter, anxiety [5], depression [50] and suicidality [63] are the most common, but not the only ones. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 8, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: G. Kustov, D. Zhuravlev, M. Zinchuk, S. Popova, O. Tikhonova, A. Yakovlev, F. Rider, A. Guekht Source Type: research

Efficacy of Pharmacological Treatments for Dravet Syndrome: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Dravet syndrome (DS), described as severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy in 1978 by Dravet, is a rare genetic severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with a reported incidence of 1/16000 to 1/40000 [1,2,3]. DS is mainly caused by de novo mutations in the SCN1A gene (approximately 80%); however, several other genes have also been reported to cause DS or DS-like phenotypes [4]. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 6, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Dujiang Xia, Peng Zhang, Yankun Chen, Xi Liu, Yangmei Chen Tags: Review Source Type: research

Triphasic waves in COVID-19 patients: going further
We read with great interest the article by Roberto KT, et al. and appreciate the authors ’ updated systematic review of electroencephalographic (EEG) findings in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients [1]. They describe that triphasic waves (TWs) were present in two patients (1.1 %) [1]. However, we would like to go further about this finding and expand on these figures. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 6, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Mois és León-Ruiz, Julián Benito-León, Carlos Castañeda-Cabrero Source Type: research

Epileptiform electroencephalogram discharges increase seizure recurrence risk in patients with acute symptomatic seizure due to a structural brain lesion
Acute symptomatic seizure has been defined as a seizure that occurs in close temporal association with an acute central nervous system (CNS) insult. This may be metabolic, toxic, structural, infectious, or inflammatory [1]. Acute symptomatic seizures are not considered in the definition of epilepsy and differ from unprovoked seizures in a number of ways. First, they have a clearly identifiable, acute cause that occurs close in time to the seizure, and second, they do not usually recur once the cause is resolved and CNS integrity re-established [2]. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 4, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Laia Grau-L ópez, Belén Flores-Pina, Marta Jiménez, Jaime Carbonell, Jordi Ciurans, Eva Chies, Olga Fagundez, Alejandra Fumanal, Juan Luis Becerra Source Type: research

US Generic Antiseizure Medication Supply Chain: Observations from Analysis of US Government Databases
In 2015, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that in the U.S., 1.2% of the population have active epilepsy (including 3 million adults and approximately 500,000 children).[1] Over 25 antiseizure medications (ASM) are currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[2] During a critical shortage of an ASM, the feasibility of a rapid transition to an alternate ASM is often difficult.[3] The FDA drug shortage database in July 2023 indicated a national shortage of ASMs often used in status epilepticus, including rectal diazepam, oral clonazepam, and intravenous preparations of lorazepam, m...
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 4, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Pradeep Javarayee, Jennifer Meylor, Shamshad Sharukh, Shannon Pollock, Rene Andrade-Machado, Jeetendra Sah, Hema Patel Source Type: research

Efficacy of Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Managing Drug-Resistant Absence Epilepsy Syndromes
Absence epilepsy is the most common form of pediatric epilepsy, manifesting during both childhood and adolescence. Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is far more common than juvenile (JAE) and is also more likely to resolve by adulthood[1,2]. Ethosuximide is first line for management for both[3]. However if a patient doesn't adequately respond to the first line therapy, the best next step in management is typically valproic acid[4] in males or non-reproductive age females or lamotrigine[5], either as a mono therapy or used in combination with one another[5]. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 2, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Caitlin Wessel, Feride Un Candan, Paya Yazdan Panah, Samir Karia, Jeetendra Sah, Ian Mutchnick, Cemal Karakas Source Type: research

Editorial Board
(Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 1, 2024 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Clinical Analysis of PAFAH1B1 Gene Variants in Pediatric Patients with Epilepsy
Early brain development is characterized by both symmetric and asymmetric division of progenitor cells, along with the outward migration of neurons along radial glial cell fibers to form the cortex. Disruption of this complex process can lead to neuronal heterotopia [1]. The hemizygous deletions of 17p13.3 can result in isolated lissencephaly sequence (ILS) or Miller-Dieker syndrome (MDS). The 17p13.3 region encompasses several genes, including Platelet-Activating Factor Acetyl Hydrolase 1B1 (PAFAH1B1), YWHAE, CRK, and others. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 1, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Wei-xing Feng, Xiao-fei Wang, Yun Wu, Xing-meng Li, Shu-hua Chen, Xiao-hui Wang, Zi-han Wang, Fang Fang, Chun-hong Chen Source Type: research

Early discontinuation of ambulatory vEEG among individuals with intellectual disabilities: a retrospective chart review
Epilepsy occurs in approximately one in four people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) (Kerr et al., 2014). Although prolonged EEG is considered useful in the diagnosis of an epilepsy in people with ID, it is recognised that undertaking an EEG presents unique challenges in this population across both patient-specific and systemic factors [2,5]. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - February 1, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Ewan S. Nurse, Nicholas Winterling, Mark J. Cook Source Type: research

Epileptic tissue localization using graph-based networks in the high frequency oscillation range of intracranial electroencephalography
The only way to determine whether epilepsy surgery was successful is to look at the patient's postoperative results: if the epileptogenic zone (EZ) was accurately diagnosed and removed without harming the functionally important eloquent cortex, the patient will be seizure-free with few to no functional losses (1). As a result, a good presurgical identification of the EZ is crucial for increasing the probability of a successful surgery (2). (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - January 28, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Christos Stergiadis, Dimitrios Kazis, Manousos A. Klados Source Type: research

Long-term outcome of treatment-na ïve patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis: A retrospective study in a single center
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) is one of the most prevalent and well-defined epilepsy syndromes. In general, MTLE-HS is recognized as a representative form of medically refractory epilepsy with a poor prognosis compared to other focal epilepsies [1 –3]. On the other hand, for drug-resistant MTLE-HS, epilepsy surgery is the most efficient with a favorable prognosis, resulting in a seizure remission rate of 60–80% [4–8]. Therefore, the overall prognosis of MTLE-HS may be disproportionately biased toward drug resistance owing to the excelle nt surgical outcomes for MTLE-HS. (Source: S...
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - January 26, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Soomi Cho, Hye Jeong Lee, Sue Hyun Lee, Kyung Min Kim, Min Kyung Chu, Joonho Kim, Kyoung Heo Source Type: research

Clinical characteristics, seizure control, and delivery outcomes in pregnant women with focal and generalized epilepsies.
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder estimated to affect between 0.3% and 0.5% of all pregnancies worldwide [1]. Compared with healthy pregnant women, women with epilepsy (WWE) may have an increased risk of preeclampsia, placental abruption, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), cesarean section (CS), intrauterine growth retardation, a low Apgar score, congenital malformations, and developmental retardation [2 –11]. Notably, maternal seizures in pregnancy have been reported to be significantly associated with an increased rate of maternal mortality, preterm risk, a shorter gestational age, fetal growth res...
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - January 26, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Dr. Melikova Shahla, Professor Mammadbayli Aytan Source Type: research

Ketamine in the treatment of refractory and super-refractory status epilepticus: experience from two centres.
Status epilepticus (SE) is a clinical situation resulting from the failure of mechanisms that terminate seizures and/or the onset of mechanisms that abnormally prolong seizures [1]. It is referred to as refractory SE (RSE) if it continues despite parenteral administration of an adequate dose of a benzodiazepine and an antiseizure drug (ASD), and super-RSE (SRSE) if it continues 24 hours after the start of treatment with anaesthetics [2]. SE progresses to RSE in 23%-48% of patients, and to SRSE in 22% [3]; both situations are associated with high morbidity and mortality [4]. (Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)
Source: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy - January 21, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Manuel Garc ía-Ruiz, Pablo Mayo Rodríguez, Luca Palliotti, Clara Lastras, María Romeral-Jiménez, Irene García Morales, Cándido Pardo Rey, Marc Rodrigo-Gisbert, Daniel Campos-Fernández, Estevo Santamarina, Beatriz Parejo Carbonell Source Type: research