Cost Analysis of Epilepsy Healthcare in Adults: A Direct Cost Estimate From a Colombian Perspective.

Objectives: To estimate the direct healthcare costs related to outpatient care and hospital stays for adults with epilepsy in the context of the Colombian healthcare system.

Methods: A cost analysis was conducted from a base case, which included direct medical costs related to diagnosis, follow-up, pharmacological and surgical treatment, and in-hospital care for status epilepticus. A Delphi panel was carried out to identify and quantify cost-generating events.

Seizure emergency code strategy: Improving treatment times and hospital outcomes for patients with urgent epileptic seizures.

Objective: Timely treatment is one of the most relevant prognostic factors in patients with urgent epileptic seizures. Despite the available evidence, treatment times remain suboptimal. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the impact of the "seizure code" in an emergency department, focusing on both treatment times and hospital outcomes of patients with urgent epileptic seizures.

Use of artisanal and non-regulated cannabis-based products for the treatment of epilepsy in a low-income population.

Introduction: Several artisanal and non-regulated cannabis-based products used for the treatment of epilepsy are available and can be easily obtained. Many of these preparations lack proper quality validation and exhibit cannabinoid contents significantly different from those stated on their labels, along with the presence of potentially harmful compounds. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of use and prescription patterns of these products among patients with epilepsy from a low-income population.

Impact of Third-Generation Antiseizure Medications on People with Epilepsy in a Low-Income Population: The Brivaracetam Experience in a Real-World Study.

Background: Third-generation antiseizure medications, such as brivaracetam, are recognized for their superior safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic profiles. However, their potential benefits are often limited in low-income populations because of challenges related to availability and affordability.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of brivaracetam for treating epilepsy in a low-income population, within a real-world setting.

Teaching Video NeuroImage: Status Epilepticus Manifesting as Belly Dancing Secondary to Subdural Hematoma.

A 74-year-old man developed involuntary rhythmic contractions of his left abdomen, after drainage of a chronic right frontoparietal subdural hematoma (Figure). These movements had electroencephalographic correlation with periodic lateralized discharges over the right posterior quadrant (Video 1, Figure) and were classified as clonic abdominal seizures. Clonic abdominal seizures are a rare clinical finding in patients with seizure disorders.

Olfactory function in focal epilepsies: Understanding mesial temporal lobe epilepsy beyond the hippocampus.

Several lines of research have linked olfactory regions with the pathophysiology of focal epilepsies. Among those regions, the piriform cortex represents the major part of the primary olfactory cortex. According to these data, we raised the hypothesis that in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy associated with hippocampal sclerosis exists an interictal dysfunction of olfactory processing that could be more significant compared to patients with extra-hippocampal focal epilepsy and healthy controls.

Epidemiological profile of epilepsy in low income populations.

Epilepsy is a global disease with an unequal distribution. About 80% of the affected individuals reside in low and middle income countries. The incidence and prevalence of epilepsy in low income populations is higher than in the rest of the world, this is partly explained by some risk factors such as head trauma, perinatal injury and CNS infections, which are more common in poor regions, especially in rural areas.

Efficacy and safety of eslicarbazepine acetate monotherapy for partial-onset seizures: Experience from a multicenter, observational study.

Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL, Aptiom™) is a once-daily anticonvulsant, approved as adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures (POS). Historical-controlled trials investigating the use of ESL as monotherapy have demonstrated a favorable efficacy and tolerability profile in patients with POS. This prospective, non-interventional study recruited POS patients in 17 hospitals in Spain.

Factors associated with quality of life in a low-income population with epilepsy.

Objective: Currently few studies describe the variables that impact quality of life (QoL) in patients with epilepsy in low-income populations. The study aimed to establish relationships between QoL scores obtained through the QOLIE-10 inventory and clinical variables in patients older than 18 years diagnosed with epilepsy.

Methods: We conducted an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study.

[Drug resistant epilepsy. Clinical and neurobiological concepts].

Drug-resistant epilepsy, is a condition defined by the International League Against Epilepsy as persistent seizures despite having used at least two appropriate and adequate antiepileptic drug treatments. Approximately 20-30% of patients with epilepsy are going to be resistant to antiepileptic drugs, with different patterns of clinical presentation, which are related to the biological basis of this disease (de novo resistance, relapsing-remitting and progressive). Drug resistant epilepsy, impacts negatively the quality of life and significantly increases the risk of premature death.

Impact of epilepsy surgery on the quality of life of a low-income population through the application of the Qolie-10 scale.

Objective: To describe the impact of epilepsy surgery on quality of life through the application of the quality of life in epilepsy (QOLIE-10) scale in a low income population.

Methods: We conducted an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study. The data for all patients who underwent epilepsy surgery from the aforementioned period were registered retrospectively through a review of their clinical history.

[Clinical approach to the first epileptic crisis in adults].

Seizures are one of the main reasons for visits to emergency and neurology. Represent a traumatic event with potential medical and social consequences. A first epileptic seizure, can be the initial manifestation of malignancy, systemic disorder or infection, but can also be the first manifestation of epilepsy.