Tolerability of clobazam as add-on therapy in patients aged 50 years and older with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Objective: To evaluate the tolerability of clobazam in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy aged 50 years and older.

Methods: We performed a single center, retrospective chart review of patients at least 50 years of age with drug resistant epilepsy of any type who started clobazam as an add on therapy. Retention rate, safety, and tolerability at 6 and 12 months and last follow-up, and the discontinuation rate due to side effects were analyzed.

Severe Sepsis With Septic Shock as a Consequence of a Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia Resulting From a Combined Legionella pneumophila and Streptococcus pneumoniae Infection.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in adults and the sixth leading cause of death worldwide. Although co-infections have been previously reported, the co-existence of and is exceedingly rare. Despite the fact that  is the most common etiology in the majority of cases, atypical organisms such as  should be considered as etiologic agents among all CAP cases that require hospitalization.

Passive functional mapping of receptive language areas using electrocorticographic signals.

Objective: To validate the use of passive functional mapping using electrocorticographic (ECoG) broadband gamma signals for identifying receptive language cortex.

Methods: We mapped language function in 23 patients using ECoG and using electrical cortical stimulation (ECS) in a subset of 15 subjects.

Results: The qualitative comparison between cortical sites identified by ECoG and ECS show a high concordance.

A quantitative method for evaluating cortical responses to electrical stimulation.

Background: Electrical stimulation of the cortex using subdurally implanted electrodes can causally reveal structural connectivity by eliciting cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs). While many studies have demonstrated the potential value of CCEPs, the methods to evaluate them were often relatively subjective, did not consider potential artifacts, and did not lend themselves to systematic scientific investigations.

New Method: We developed an automated and quantitative method called SIGNI (Stimulation-Induced Gamma-based Network Identification) to evaluate cortical population-level responses to electrical stimulation that minimizes the impact of electrical artifacts.

Intrathecal analgesia for refractory cancer pain.

The use of intrathecal analgesics is an important treatment consideration for many patients with chronic cancer pain. This review describes the various opioid and nonopioid analgesics that have been used in this setting, including morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl, meperidine, methadone, sufentanil, local anesthetics, clonidine, ketamine, baclofen, midazolam, betamethasone, and octreotide. We discuss available evidence for their analgesic and adverse effects.