High density scalp EEG in frontal lobe epilepsy.

Purpose: Localization of seizures in frontal lobe epilepsy using the 10-20 system scalp EEG is often challenging because neocortical seizure can spread rapidly, significant muscle artifact, and the suboptimal spatial resolution for seizure generators involving mesial frontal lobe cortex. Our aim in this study was to determine the value of visual interpretation of 76 channel high density EEG (hdEEG) monitoring (10-10 system) in patients with suspected frontal lobe epilepsy, and to evaluate concordance with MRI, subtraction ictal SPECT co-registered to MRI (SISCOM), conventional EEG, and intracranial EEG (iEEG).

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 14 consecutive patients who underwent hdEEG monitoring for suspected frontal lobe seizures.

An evaluation of teaching physical examination to pharmacists.

Background: Evolving scope of practice has led pharmacists to develop new skills traditionally performed by other members of the health care team, including physical examination (PE). A session to teach PE skills to pharmacists was created as part of a professional development program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate participants' perception of, barriers to and confidence in performing PE before and after the session.

Questioning the role of abuse in behavioral spells and epilepsy.

Past sexual trauma is frequently linked to the development of behavioral spells, present among 30% of patients admitted for video/EEG monitoring. Current attempts to verify and explore mechanisms in this reported association revealed that patients with epilepsy (n=58) and those with behavioral spells (n=38) did not differ in their self-report of past sexual trauma (among approximately 38% in each group). Ninety percent (90%) of men with behavioral spells endorsed past physical abuse, however, compared with 45% of men with epilepsy, and 40% of men with spells likely met current criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder.