Seizure : the Journal of the British Epilepsy Association

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance and generalizability of an automated, interpretable surface-based MRI classifier for the detection of focal cortical dysplasia. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort incorporating MRIs from the epilepsy surgery (FCD and MRI-negative) and neuroimaging (healthy controls) databases at Children's National Hospital (CNH), and a publicly-available FCD Type II dataset from Bonn, Germany. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were abstracted from patient records and/or existing databases...

OBJECTIVE: This study is designed to estimate the epidemiology of epilepsy in Kazakhstan, using a large-scale administrative health database during 2014-2020. METHODS: Using the Unified National Electronic Health System of Kazakhstan over a seven-year span, we explored incidence and prevalence rates, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), and all-cause mortality. Regression models using Cox proportional hazards were used to analyze the sociodemographic, mental, behavioral, and neurological factors affecting survival...

PURPOSE: Cognitive impairment is prevalent among individuals with epilepsy, and increasing evidence indicates that genetic factors can underlie this relationship. However, the extent to which epilepsy subtypes differ in their genetic relationship with cognitive function, and information about the specific genetic variants involved remain largely unknown. METHODS: We investigated the genetic relationship between epilepsies and general cognitive ability (COG) using complementary statistical tools, including linkage disequilibrium score (LDSC) regression, MiXeR and conjunctional false discovery rate (conjFDR)...

PURPOSE: Our understanding of potential differences in seizure semiology among patients with functional seizures (FS), also known as psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), across socioeconomic contexts is currently limited. By examining the differences in seizure manifestations between different socioeconomic groups, we aim to enhance the understanding of how socioeconomic factors may influence FS presentation. This study aimed to describe FS semiology in patients from a private and public epilepsy monitoring units (EMUs) in Cape Town, South Africa...

INTRODUCTION: Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) in electroencephalograms (EEGs) are an important biomarker for epilepsy. Currently, the gold standard for IED detection is the visual analysis performed by experts. However, this process is expert-biased, and time-consuming. Developing fast, accurate, and robust detection methods for IEDs based on EEG may facilitate epilepsy diagnosis. We aim to assess the performance of deep learning (DL) and classic machine learning (ML) algorithms in classifying EEG segments into IED and non-IED categories, as well as distinguishing whether the entire EEG contains IED or not...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is known to be associated with an increased risk of epilepsy, which is not exclusively related to the late stage of the disease - when a major cognitive impairment is observed, previously known as the dementia stage - but also to its prodromal stage (mild cognitive impairment). Moreover, published case reports and cohorts have shown that epilepsy may occur even earlier, at the preclinical stage of AD: Epileptic seizures may therefore be the sole objective manifestation of the disease...

OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the effects of acute seizures and respiratory derangement on the cardiac electrical properties reflected on the electrocardiogram (ECG); and to analyze their potential interactions with a diagnosis of epilepsy in children. METHODS: Emergency center (EC) visits with seizure or epilepsy diagnostic codes from 1/2011-12/2013 were included if they had ECG within 24 h of EC visit. Patients were excluded if they had pre-existing cardiac conditions, ion channelopathy, or were taking specific cardiac medications...

BACKGROUND: Perampanel, the first third-generation anti-seizure medication targeting the AMPA receptor, has been used in the treatment of patients with focal seizures, with or without secondary generalized seizures, and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures. This study focused on the effectiveness and safety of perampanel for pediatric patients with at least 1-year follow-up in real-world settings. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for real-world studies published before April 27, 2024...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of using a seizure recurrence prediction tool in a First Seizure Clinic, considering (1) the accuracy of initial clinical diagnoses and (2) performance of automated computational models in predicting seizure recurrence after first unprovoked seizure (FUS). METHODS: To assess diagnostic accuracy, we analysed all sustained and revised diagnoses in patients seen at a First Seizure Clinic over 5 years with 6+ months follow-up ('accuracy cohort', n = 487)...

INTRODUCTION: Nodding syndrome (NS), a poorly understood severe neurological disorder develops in children. In Uganda, some NS cases have grown into child-bearing adults. Babies born to mothers with NS may be prone to impaired neurodevelopmental outcomes. Cognitive deficits in mothers with NS may further inhibit care offered to their children hence compromising neurocognitive development, physical growth, and behaviour. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the neurodevelopmental, behavioural, nutritional, and physical growth outcomes of children whose mothers have nodding syndrome...

BACKGROUND: The median cost of anti-seizure medications (ASM) in the United States (U.S.) nearly doubled per person between 2006 and 2021. This increase, combined with shifts in ASM usage and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug supply chains amid rising inflation, underscored the urgent need to scrutinize ASM pricing dynamics. This study aimed to analyze the complex dynamics of ASM pricing in the U.S. over the past decade (2013-2023); this included how the entry of generic ASMs influenced the pricing of brand-name counterparts and what impacted price variations across different ASM formulations (e...

PURPOSE: Imaging and resection strategies for pediatric gangliogliomas (GG) and dysembryoplastic neuroepitheliomas (DNET) presenting with epilepsy were retrospectively analyzed in a consecutive institutional series of surgically treated patients. METHODS: Twenty-two children (median 8 years, 3-18 years) presented with seizures for 30 months median (14-55.2 months) due to a histologically verified GG/DNET. RESULTS: There were 20 GG and 2 DNT, 68 % located temporal, 32 % extra-temporal...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Information on self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) epidemiology is limited. We aimed to determine the incidence of SeLECTS in children, its association with socioeconomic deprivation and the prevalence of neurodevelopmental comorbidities. METHOD: We performed a retrospective cohort study (2004-2017) using anonymised, linked, routinely collected, primary care and demographic data for children in Wales. We used primary care diagnosis codes to identify children (aged 0-16 years) with SeLECTS and other epilepsies and to record antiseizure medication (ASM) prescriptions and neurodevelopmental comorbidities...

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that has complex relations with social, vocational and psychological functioning. Multiple studies showed that frequency of mood disorders in patients with epilepsy is increased and include depression, anxiety and psychosis. We present data from a neurobiological prospective having clinical relevance for epilepsy and comorbidities, including studies in people with late onset epilepsies. Better understanding of neurobiological mechanisms, anatomical, functional, neuroendocrine and molecular basis of psychiatric comorbidities in persons with epilepsy, can advance therapeutic responses...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in Ireland has previously been studied in only a small geographical area. Our aim was to calculate an incidence rate for the whole of the Republic of Ireland in 2019. METHODS: All deaths referred to the coroner in 2019 were examined. Those with a history of possible epilepsy were noted and subjected to a more detailed assessment. Cases fulfilling the definition of definite SUDEP were identified...

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence and incidence of epileptic seizures and epilepsy increases among the elderly. Epileptic seizures in older people remain often unreported and undiagnosed, contributing to incorrect or delayed treatment. The goal of our review paper is to increase awareness of seizures in the elderly, to improve the diagnostic process in this growing population. METHODS: We present a systematic review of the literature on EEG findings and seizure semiology among the elderly according to the PRISMA statement...

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy, a neurological disorder, is identified by the presence of recurrent seizures. We aimed to detect dietary fiber intake and its association with epilepsy prevalence in U.S. adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study obtained data from the 2013-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed to estimate the association between dietary fiber intake and epilepsy prevalence...

BACKGROUND: Dravet syndrome is an infantile-onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with limited data on the frequency of SCN1A in Indian children. The study aimed to identify and characterize the burden of SCN1A pathogenic variants associated with the Dravet syndrome phenotype through genetic testing in the North Indian population. METHOD: In this prospective, cross-sectional study from March 2015 to February 2019, we enrolled 52 children with Dravet syndrome phenotype who underwent genetic testing for SCN1A gene pathogenicity...

The emergence of telemedicine and artificial intelligence (AI) has set the stage for a possible revolution in the future of medicine and neurology including the diagnosis and management of epilepsy. Telemedicine, with its proven efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic, offers the advantage of bridging the gap between patients in resource-limited areas and specialized care, where in one study telemedicine reduced the epilepsy treatment gap from 43 % to 9 %. AI innovations promise a transformation in epilepsy care by possibly enhancing the accuracy of electroencephalogram (EEG) interpretation and seizure prediction through machine and deep learning...

Sleep deprivation has been studied as a method to induce sleep before EEG testing to improve the diagnosis of epilepsy. However, the effectiveness of sleep deprivation in diagnosing epilepsy through EEG in humans showed conflicting findings in previous studies. This meta-analysis aimed to provide statistical evidence for the diagnostic value of sleep-deprived EEG in epilepsy. A systematic search of the Web of Science and PubMed databases identified 12 relevant studies from May 1997 to the present. These studies were included to examine the diagnostic value of sleep-deprived EEG in epilepsy and its associated clinical variables, such as patient age, duration of sleep deprivation, and EEG recording duration...