Publications by authors named "E-b Zhang"
Introduction: We aim to identify risk factors that predict refractory convulsive status epilepticus (RCSE) and to develop a model for early recognition of patients at high risk for RCSE.
Methods: This study involved 200 patients diagnosed with convulsive status epilepticus (CSE), of whom 73 were RCSE and 127 were non-RCSE. Variables included demographic information, lifestyle factors, medical history, comorbidities, clinical symptoms, neuroimaging characteristics, laboratory tests, and nutritional scores.
Background: The fundamental pathophysiologic understanding of different seizure types in Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the distinct alterations of structural network in TLE patients with different seizure types and their relationships with cognitive and psychiatric symptoms.
Methods: Seventy-three patients with unilateral TLE, including 25 with uncontrolled focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (FBTCS), 25 with controlled FBTCS and 23 with focal impaired awareness seizures (FIAS), as well as 26 healthy controls (HC), underwent the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scan.
Purpose: Based on the protection motivation theory (PMT), which is an extension of the health belief model that takes the "reward" brought by behavior in the long-term process as a consideration factor and considering the influence of environmental and social factors on behavior patterns, this cross-sectional study evaluated medication adherence among children with epilepsy using structural equation modeling.
Methods: Children with epilepsy from pediatric neurology clinics were consecutively sampled at West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University from July 2021 to January 2024. According to PMT, we designed the 23-item questionnaire, which included seven factors, namely severity, susceptibility, external return, internal returns, self-efficacy, reaction efficiency, and reaction cost.
Article Synopsis
- This study examines the relationship between abnormal cardiac conditions and epilepsy using a Mendelian randomization approach, highlighting ongoing debates about how these conditions are linked.
- Researchers utilized genetic data from large databases to assess how conditions like atrial fibrillation (AF) and valvular heart disease (VHD) might influence the risk of developing epilepsy and vice versa.
- The results suggest a bidirectional association: AF and VHD can increase epilepsy risk, while having epilepsy may heighten the risk of developing these heart conditions, emphasizing the need for better screening processes in clinical practice.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the occurrence of adverse drug events (ADEs) linked to Stiripentol (STP) in children aged 0-17 using data from several pharmacovigilance databases, finding a total of 31,990 reported ADEs.
- - Analysis reveals higher rates of ADEs related to nervous system disorders and increases significantly in children aged 3-11, with specific alarming signals like cerebellar atrophy in toddlers and changes in seizure presentation in younger children.
- - Gender differences are noted, with boys reporting more ADEs for certain medical conditions, while girls show higher incidences of skin and injury-related issues in the same age group.
Article Synopsis
- Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects quality of life and involves changes in brain activity, neurotransmitter imbalances, and GABA receptor dysfunction, with its causes still not fully understood.
- Thyroid hormones are important for brain function and can influence seizure activity by regulating oxidative stress and neurotransmitter levels, so defects in their signaling may lead to more frequent seizures and neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Traditional antiseizure medications may disrupt thyroid hormone levels, with some, like phenobarbital and carbamazepine, potentially causing hypothyroidism, while newer medications like levetiracetam don’t impact thyroid levels, highlighting the complex interplay between seizures and thyroid hormone dynamics.
Article Synopsis
- The objective of the study was to find out what factors can increase the risk of children developing epilepsy after having febrile seizures.
- Researchers looked at many studies and analyzed data from 23 different research articles involving over 5,000 children.
- The results showed that several factors like having multiple seizures, a family history of epilepsy, and other medical issues can increase the risk, while being female didn’t really matter.
Objective: Analyze the association between histopathology, seizure outcomes, and drug load of antiseizure medications (ASMs) 5-8 years after epilepsy surgery to inform preoperative decision-making and consultation.
Methods: In this retrospective, non-interventional, single-center study, patients who visited the epilepsy clinic at West China Hospital, Sichuan University from Jan 1, 2015 to Dec 31, 2020 were assessed. Patients with postoperative histopathology after epilepsy resection were included and categorized into 13 etiological groups.
Purpose: To analyze the characteristics of cerebral blood flow changes of poor sleep quality in people with epilepsy(PWE).
Methods: 90 PWE treated in The General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from December 2021 to September 2023 were divided into poor sleep quality group (PSQG) and good sleep quality group (GSQG) according to the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (CPSQI), to compare the differences in cerebral perfusion between the two groups of patients, so as to summarize the characteristics of cerebral blood flow changes of poor sleep quality in PWE.
Results: The positive rate of interictal single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) was 76.
Association between Branched-Chain amino acids and Epilepsy: A Mendelian randomized study.
Epilepsy Behav
September 2024
Background: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have been affected epilepsy, yet conclusions remain inconclusive, lacking causal evidence regarding whether BCAAs affect epilepsy. Systematic exploration of the causal relationship between BCAAs and epilepsy could hand out new ideas for the treatment of epilepsy.
Methods: Utilizing bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study, we investigated the causal relationship between BCAA levels and epilepsy.
Objective: This study aimed to identify the factors associated with insomnia in MRI-negative epilepsy and uncover the underlying pathological mechanism driving insomnia within the context of epilepsy.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with MRI-negative epilepsy recruited consecutively from December 2021 to December 2022. All subjects completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS).
Purpose: Executive function (EF) impairment and vitamin D deficiency are common clinical features among children with epilepsy (CWE). Recently, vitamin D has become a potential modification factor that affects cognitive status in individuals with neurological disorders. In this study, we investigated the association between EF status and vitamin D levels in patients with CWE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To explore multiple features of attention impairments in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
Methods: A total of 93 patients diagnosed with TLE at Xiangya Hospital during May 2022 and December 2022 and 85 healthy controls were included in this study. Participants were asked to complete neuropsychological scales and attention network test (ANT) with recording of eye-tracking and electroencephalogram.
Background: Neuroinflammation plays an important pathophysiological role in epilepsy; however, the precise connection between immune cells and epilepsy remains unclear. This study used Mendelian randomization (MR) to analyze the causal relationship between 731 immune cell traits and epilepsy.
Methods: Based on data from a genome-wide association study (GWAS), a bidirectional two-sample MR analysis was conducted to investigate the potential influence of immune cell phenotypes on epilepsy.
Article Synopsis
- * The review discusses how AD's classical pathologies, such as amyloid-beta plaques and tau, might lead to epilepsy, and emphasizes the role of neurotransmitter imbalances in both conditions, especially regarding the age at which these diseases manifest.
- * The article stresses the need for careful medication management due to cognitive side effects of antiepileptic drugs, while also exploring possible treatments like lamotrigine, levetiracetam, and emerging options such as the ketogenic diet and cannabidiol, suggesting they deserve further research for better patient
Background: Physical activity may be associated with health benefits for people with epilepsy. It remains unclear how the prevalence of physical activity has changed at a national level over the years and whether this prevalence varies between subgroups.
Methods: The National Health and Interview Survey, which was conducted from 2010 to 2017 and again in 2022, was used for our nationally representative study.
Background: Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is a prevalent cause of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However, up to 30% of individuals with TLE present negative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. A comprehensive grasp of the similarities and differences in brain activity among distinct TLE subtypes holds significant clinical and scientific importance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aims to investigate the difference between epilepsy comorbid with and without cognitive dysfunction.
Method: Participants were classified into patients with epilepsy comorbid cognitive dysfunction (PCCD) and patients with epilepsy without comorbid cognitive dysfunction (nPCCD). Microstate analysis was applied based on 20-channel electroencephalography (EEG) to detect the dynamic changes in the whole brain.
Background: Driving is an important part of the daily life for most adults, and restrictions on driving can significantly affect the quality of life for people with epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate the current driving status of patients at an epilepsy clinic in China.
Method: Study participants were administered a survey by a questionnaire including the demographic and clinical characteristics of seizure, driving-related questions and attitudes to driving.
Article Synopsis
- Canadian women with epilepsy face special challenges when it comes to reproductive health because of their seizures and medications.
- A study showed that many healthcare professionals in Canada discuss birth control options and often recommend IUDs, but not all share important birth plans with other doctors.
- Most doctors believe breastfeeding is safe for women on seizure medications and provide helpful advice after giving birth, but there are still some areas where care could be improved.
Objective: People with epilepsy desire to acquire accurate information about epilepsy and actively engage in its management throughout the long journey of living with seizures. ChatGPT is a large language model and we aimed to assess the accuracy and consistency of ChatGPT in responding to the common concerns of people with epilepsy and to evaluate its ability to provide emotional support.
Methods: Questions were collected from the International League against Epilepsy and the China Association against Epilepsy.
Purpose: To investigate brain network properties and connectivity abnormalities of the default mode network (DMN) in drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). The study was based on probabilistic fiber tracking and functional connectivity (FC) analysis, to explore the structural and functional connectivity patterns change between frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
Methods: A total of 33 DRE patients (18 TLE and 15 FLE) and 30 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited.
Objective: Epidemiological studies have reported an association between epilepsy and dementia. However, the causal relationship between epilepsy and the risk of dementia is not clear. We aimed to inspect the causal effect of epilepsy on memory loss and dementia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study aimed to identify factors contributing to insomnia in patients with epilepsy (PWE) to improve prevention and treatment strategies.
- A total of 196 PWE were assessed, revealing that 19.9% had insomnia, with higher rates of nocturnal seizures, depression, anxiety, and excessive daytime sleepiness in those with insomnia compared to those without.
- The analysis found that nocturnal seizures and varying levels of anxiety were significant independent factors associated with insomnia, indicating a strong link between psychological factors and sleep disturbances in PWE.
Objective: The timing of antiseizure medication (ASM) withdrawal in children after epilepsy surgery remains controversial and lacks recognized standards. Given the various negative effects of ASM on development in children, this study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of early ASM withdrawal after epileptic resection surgery.
Methods: We retrospectively assessed the seizure outcomes and ASM profiles of children who had undergone epileptic resection surgery between August 2015 and August 2020 and attempted ASM reduction in the early postoperative phase.