Non-randomized open trial of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid, in ten people with chronic epilepsy.

This is a non-randomized open assessment of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplementation in ten people (five males) with refractory focal seizures. Each received 1000 mg of EPA daily for 3 months. Six people had fewer seizures during the supplementation period compared with baseline (range 12 to 59% reduction) and one other person had markedly reduced seizure severity.

Epilepsy: accuracy of patient seizure counts.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a daily patient reminder on seizure documentation accuracy.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Monitoring unit of an academic department of epileptology.

Spinal algetic-tonic seizures manifesting as paroxysmal "positive" Brown-Séquard syndrome.

We report on a patient suffering from symptomatic spinal attacks in the form of a paroxysmal "positive" (algetic-tonic) Brown-Séquard syndrome. A cervical cord lesion, presumably inflammatory-demyelinating in origin, was identified as the morphological correlate of these attacks. Their pathogenesis is discussed in the light of similar case reports from the literature.

Correlation between EEG rhythms during sleep: surface versus mediotemporal EEG.

We compared surface and intracranial electroencephalogram recordings of mediotemporal structures. These structures are critically involved in declarative memory formation and memory consolidation during sleep. As memory processing is suggested to involve the interplay between fast and slow oscillations, we hypothesized different correlations between frequency bands in surface versus mediotemporal electroencephalogram recordings.

Discontinuation of anticonvulsant medication after epilepsy surgery in children.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term outcome of medication-reduction/discontinuation trials after epilepsy surgery in pediatric patients.

Methods: Of the total Bonn pediatric surgical sample (1988-2001; n=251), we were able to obtain postsurgical follow-up data for 232 patients. We surveyed 140 of these patients by using a standardized telephone interview that addressed medication-reduction/discontinuation trials.

Diffusion-weighted and perfusion MRI demonstrates parenchymal changes in complex partial status epilepticus.

Diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) and perfusion MRI (PI) have been mainly applied in acute stroke, but may provide information in the peri-ictal phase in epilepsy patients. Both transient reductions of brain water diffusion, namely a low apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and signs of hyperperfusion have been reported in experimental and human epilepsy case studies. We studied 10 patients with complex partial status epilepticus (CPSE) with serial MRI including DWI and PI.