Adjunctive lacosamide treatment for adult focal-onset epilepsy: focus on comorbid intellectual/developmental disorders and differing responses.

Background: Data regarding lacosamide treatment as an adjunctive therapy in patients representative of a focal-onset epilepsy population including those with and without intellectual/developmental disorders (IDDs) are limited.

Purpose: To evaluate the retention rates of lacosamide in focal-onset epilepsy patients with and without IDD.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all consecutive electronic and paper medical records of patients diagnosed with focal-onset epilepsy who were treated with lacosamide in two tertiary epilepsy centers.

Efficacy, tolerability, and retention rates of zonisamide in older adult patients with focal-onset epilepsy: Experiences from two tertiary epilepsy centers.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, and retention rates for zonisamide (ZNS) in older adult patients with focal-onset epilepsy.

Patients And Methods: Chart reviews of patients aged 60years and older with focal-onset epilepsy treated with ZNS in two tertiary epilepsy centers were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: Eighty-five patients (41 males, 44 females) aged over 60years (range: 60-81) with focal-onset epilepsy treated with ZNS were identified; 55.

Clinical utility of serum lactate levels for differential diagnosis of generalized tonic-clonic seizures from psychogenic nonepileptic seizures and syncope.

Background: The differential diagnosis of generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS), psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), and syncope constitutes a major challenge. Misdiagnosis rates up to 20 to 30% are reported in the literature.

Purpose: To assess the clinical utility of serum lactate levels for differentiation of GTCS, PNES, and syncope based on gender differences.