Transforming epilepsy research: A systematic review on natural language processing applications.

Despite improved ancillary investigations in epilepsy care, patients' narratives remain indispensable for diagnosing and treatment monitoring. This wealth of information is typically stored in electronic health records and accumulated in medical journals in an unstructured manner, thereby restricting complete utilization in clinical decision-making. To this end, clinical researchers increasing apply natural language processing (NLP)-a branch of artificial intelligence-as it removes ambiguity, derives context, and imbues standardized meaning from free-narrative clinical texts.

An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of brain network organization in focal epilepsy: Looking back and forth.

Abnormalities of the brain network organization in focal epilepsy have been extensively quantified. However, the extent and directionality of abnormalities are highly variable and subtype insensitive. We conducted meta-analyses to obtain a more accurate and epilepsy type-specific quantification of the interictal global brain network organization in focal epilepsy.

Epidemiology of Epilepsy in Nigeria: A Community-Based Study From 3 Sites.

Background: We determined the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for epilepsy in Nigeria.

Methods: We conducted a door-to-door survey to identify cases of epilepsy in 3 regions. We estimated age-standardized prevalence adjusted for nonresponse and sensitivity and the 1-year retrospective incidence for active epilepsy.

Translation and validation of an epilepsy-screening questionnaire in three Nigerian languages.

Objective: We describe the development, translation and validation of epilepsy-screening questionnaires in the three most popular Nigerian languages: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

Methods: A 9-item epilepsy-screening questionnaire was developed by modifying previously validated English language questionnaires. Separate multilingual experts forward- and back-translated them to the three target languages.

Increased gamma and decreased fast ripple connections of epileptic tissue: A high-frequency directed network approach.

Objective: New insights into high-frequency electroencephalographic activity and network analysis provide potential tools to improve delineation of epileptic tissue and increase the chance of postoperative seizure freedom. Based on our observation of high-frequency oscillations "spreading outward" from the epileptic source, we hypothesize that measures of directed connectivity in the high-frequency range distinguish epileptic from healthy brain tissue.

Methods: We retrospectively selected refractory epilepsy patients with a malformation of cortical development or tumor World Health Organization grade I/II who underwent epilepsy surgery with intraoperative electrocorticography for tailoring the resection based on spikes.

The power of language: Functional brain network topology of deaf and hearing in relation to sign language experience.

Prolonged auditory sensory deprivation leads to brain reorganization. This is indicated by functional enhancement in remaining sensory systems and known as cross-modal plasticity. In this study we investigated differences in functional brain network topology between deaf and hearing individuals.

A Prediction Model to Determine Childhood Epilepsy After 1 or More Paroxysmal Events.

Objectives: The clinical profile of children who had possible seizures is heterogeneous, and accuracy of diagnostic testing is limited. We aimed to develop and validate a prediction model that determines the risk of childhood epilepsy by combining available information at first consultation.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data of 451 children who visited our outpatient department for diagnostic workup related to 1 or more paroxysmal event(s).

Community-based rehabilitation offers cost-effective epilepsy treatment in rural Guinea-Bissau.

Treatment of epilepsy in low-income countries is a challenge considering the lack of resources, availability of antiepileptic drugs, and cultural beliefs. We used a community-based rehabilitation (CBR) service for the detection, monitoring, and treatment of epilepsy. A local network of trained community volunteers provided education, good quality antiepileptic drugs, and clinical follow-up for people with epilepsy (PWE).

The relation between cortisol and functional connectivity in people with and without stress-sensitive epilepsy.

Objective: The most common reported seizure-precipitant is stress. We recently showed a biologic basis for stress sensitivity of seizures: cortisol levels in people with stress-sensitive epilepsy correlated with focal interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) on electroencephalography (EEG). Here we aimed to determine whether the effect of cortisol on the epileptic brain is global or focal, and whether cortisol affects all brains or just those of stress-sensitive people.

Electroencephalography based functional networks in newly diagnosed childhood epilepsies.

Objective: It remains unclear to what extent brain networks are altered at an early stage of epilepsy, which may be important to improve our understanding on the course of network alterations and their association with recurrent seizures and cognitive deficits.

Methods: 89 Drug-naïve children with newly diagnosed focal or generalized epilepsies and 179 controls were included. Brain networks were based on interictal electroencephalography recordings obtained at first consultation.

Do clinicians use more question marks?

Objective: To quantify the use of question marks in titles of published studies.

Design And Setting: Literature review.

Participants: All Pubmed publications between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013 with an available abstract.

Aging alterations in whole-brain networks during adulthood mapped with the minimum spanning tree indices: the interplay of density, connectivity cost and life-time trajectory.

The organizational network changes in the human brain across the lifespan have been mapped using functional and structural connectivity data. Brain network changes provide valuable insights into the processes underlying senescence. Nonetheless, the altered network density in the elderly severely compromises the usefulness of network analysis to study the aging brain.

Brain Network Organization in Focal Epilepsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Normal brain functioning is presumed to depend upon interacting regions within large-scale neuronal networks. Increasing evidence exists that interictal network alterations in focal epilepsy are associated with cognitive and behavioral deficits. Nevertheless, the reported network alterations are inconclusive and prone to low statistical power due to small sample sizes as well as modest effect sizes.

Increased power of resting-state gamma oscillations in autism spectrum disorder detected by routine electroencephalography.

Experimental studies suggest that increased resting-state power of gamma oscillations is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To extend the clinical applicability of this finding, we retrospectively investigated routine electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of 19 patients with ASD and 19 age- and gender-matched controls. Relative resting-state condition gamma spectral power was variable, but on average significantly increased in children with ASD.

Web-search trends shed light on the nature of lunacy: relationship between moon phases and epilepsy information-seeking behavior.

In old and modern times and across cultures, recurrent seizures have been attributed to the lunar phase. It is unclear whether this relationship should be classified as a myth or whether a true connection exists between moon phases and seizures. We analyzed the worldwide aggregated search queries related to epilepsy health-seeking behavior between 2005 and 2012.

Functional and structural brain networks in epilepsy: what have we learned?

Brain functioning is increasingly seen as a complex interplay of dynamic neural systems that rely on the integrity of structural and functional networks. Recent studies that have investigated functional and structural networks in epilepsy have revealed specific disruptions in connectivity and network topology and, consequently, have led to a shift from "focus" to "networks" in modern epilepsy research. Disruptions in these networks may be associated with cognitive and behavioral impairments often seen in patients with chronic epilepsy.

Are high frequency oscillations associated with altered network topology in partial epilepsy?

Neurophysiological studies have reported functional network alterations in epilepsy, most consistently in the theta frequency band. Highly interconnected brain regions (so-called 'hubs') seem to be important in these epileptic networks. High frequency oscillations (HFOs) in intracranial EEG recordings are recently discovered biomarkers that can identify the epileptogenic area and are thought to result from altered neuronal interactions.