Comparison of the levels of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) DNA and cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of children with HHV-6 encephalopathy.

Primary human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection is a common cause of acute sporadic encephalopathy in Japanese children. Occasionally, HHV-6 is not detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with encephalopathy, for example, in those with focal viral encephalitis, such as herpes simplex viral encephalitis. This indicates that HHV-6 encephalopathy is caused by an indirect mechanism, although this is not fully understood.

[Acute encephalitis/encephalopathy associated with transient involuntary movement and limbic dysfunction in the recovery phase].

We report 3 patients aged 3 - 4 years who presented with impaired consciousness and status epilepticus or a cluster of seizures, followed by transient involuntary movements and limbic dysfunction in the recovery phase. In all the patients, the involuntary movements were observed mainly on the left side and consisted of dystonia, athetosis, chorea, facial myoclonus, and oral dyskinesia. The patients also showed stereotypic movement, oral tendency, visual agnosia, and emotional disturbance, which suggested limbic dysfunction resembling Klüver-Bucy syndrome.

Effect of corticosteroids in a twin child with idiopathic localization-related epilepsy.

Corticosteroids have been used only in the treatment of special epileptic syndromes or epileptic encephalopathies, such as infantile spasms. We report an antiepileptic effect of corticosteroids that were used for treatment of nephropathy in a monozygotic twin child with idiopathic localization-related epilepsy (I-LRE). The patient and her monozygotic twin sister exhibited repeated partial seizures at two years of age and electroencephalogram (EEG) showed focal spikes in the occipital area and, on other occasions, the centro-parietal areas.

Transient splenial lesions in children with "benign convulsions with gastroenteritis".

"Benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis (CwG)" is recognized as a benign situation-related seizure. Neuroimaging studies usually do not reveal any abnormalities. We report MRI diffusion-weighted image (DWI) findings of two patients who were clinically diagnosed with CwG.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) findings in posterior reversible encephalopathy associated with immunosuppressants.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy has been reported in patients who receive immunosuppressants. Compared with radiologic studies, electroencephalographic (EEG) findings are not well described. We performed EEG serially in three children who suffered from posterior reversible encephalopathy associated with tacrolimus or cyclosporine.

Ictal EEG in patients with convulsions with mild gastroenteritis.

The aim of this study is to reveal detailed clinical manifestations and an evolution of ictal EEG discharges of convulsions with mild gastroenteritis (CwG). We recorded ictal EEGs of six patients with CwG. Clinical manifestations included loss of responsiveness, motion arrest, cyanosis, lateral eye deviation, and hemifacial convulsion.

Treatment and outcome in patients with febrile convulsion associated with epileptiform discharges on electroencephalography.

The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of prophylactic treatment for patients with febrile convulsions (FCs) in whom electroencephalograms (EEGs) revealed epileptiform discharges. We retrospectively investigated 43 patients who met the following criteria: (a) at least one FC during the study period; (b) epileptiform discharges were first recognized; (c) no unevoked seizures before epileptiform discharges were first seen; (d) normal psychomotor development and no neurological abnormality; and (e) follow-up >3 years. The clinical characteristics, treatment, and a later occurrence of FCs or unevoked seizures were studied.

Sharp waves in preterm infants with periventricular leukomalacia.

We studied the incidence of positive and negative sharp waves in two pairs of twin infants with periventricular leukomalacia and compared it with that of normal cotwins by using remontage and refiltering functions of digital electroencephalography. Three electroencephalograms were serially performed in each infant. After the usual visual inspection with bipolar montage and low-cut filter of 0.

Physiological evidence of interaction of first- and second-order motion processes in the human visual system: a magnetoencephalographic study.

Humans have several mechanisms for the visual perception of motion, including one that is luminance-based (first-order) and another that is luminance-independent (second-order). Recent psychophysical studies have suggested that significant interaction occurs between these two neural processes. We investigated whether such interactions are represented as neural activity measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG).

Absence seizures in patients with localization-related epilepsy.

We studied the clinical features of 12 patients with localization-related epilepsy (LRE) associated with absence seizures (AS). AS did not appear in any patients before partial seizures (PS) were first observed. The interval between the onset of PS and AS ranged from 1 month to 7.

[A case of infantile epileptic encephalopathy with frequent focal motor status convulsivus: successful treatment with zonisamide].

We reported a 41-day-old girl starting with partial status convulsivus. She had suffered from infantile epileptic encephalopathy manifesting with recurrent focal motor status convulsivus, eventually requiring general anesthesia for the treatment. She had had never myoclonic seizures nor tonic spasms.