Healthcare utilization and cost outcomes for a multicenter first seizure and new onset epilepsy clinic.

Rationale: A First Seizure/New Onset Epilepsy (FS/NOE) protocol was implemented to ensure proper evaluation by an epileptologist and improve overall care for patients. We compared healthcare utilization and cost incurred by patients pre and post protocol implementation.

Methods: Clinical data were retrospectively collected from the EMR and cost data from the financial database.

Diagnostic Yield of Epilepsy Panels in Children With Medication-Refractory Epilepsy.

Background: When no chromosomal variations are identified, patients with suspected genetic etiologies can be tested using next-generation sequencing utilizing epilepsy panels. The primary objective of this study was to analyze the diagnostic yield of next-generation sequencing epilepsy panels in medication-resistant epilepsy subjects with non-clinically significant comparative genomic hybridization microarray results.

Methods: We completed a single-center retrospective review of the diagnostic yield of next-generation sequencing epilepsy panels in medication-resistant epilepsy subjects aged 18 years or less who had non-clinically significant comparative genomic hybridization microarray results from January 2011 to December 2014.

The effects of lacosamide on cognition, quality-of-life measures, and quality of life in patients with refractory partial epilepsy.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine cognitive and quality-of-life measures/quality of life outcomes with adjunctive lacosamide therapy in patients with treatment-resistant partial epilepsy.

Methods: This was a prospective, open-label, nonblinded, adjunctive therapy test-retest (within subjects) study of patients with treatment-resistant partial epilepsy in which outcome (cognitive functioning and mood/quality of life) was measured in the same subject before and after adjunctive lacosamide administration for 24weeks. The cognitive assessment included the following: Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Buschke Selective Reminding Test, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, Stroop Color Word Test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Digit Span, Digit Cancellation, and Trails A and B.

Development and Feasibility Testing of a Critical Care EEG Monitoring Database for Standardized Clinical Reporting and Multicenter Collaborative Research.

Purpose: The rapid expansion of the use of continuous critical care electroencephalogram (cEEG) monitoring and resulting multicenter research studies through the Critical Care EEG Monitoring Research Consortium has created the need for a collaborative data sharing mechanism and repository. The authors describe the development of a research database incorporating the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society standardized terminology for critical care EEG monitoring. The database includes flexible report generation tools that allow for daily clinical use.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for epilepsy clinical trials-recommendations from the April 30, 2011 NINDS workshop.

On April 30th, 2011 the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) held a workshop to identify key problems in recent epilepsy clinical trials and propose approaches to address the barriers that impede development of new therapeutic options for epilepsy. Preliminary recommendations were made for selection criteria for subjects entered into epilepsy trials that maximize the scientific impact of the trial and increase the ability to recruit appropriate subjects efficiently and safely. These recommendations were further refined by the authors following the workshop, and subsequently shared with all NINDS workshop participants and with the participants of the 2011 AED XI workshop on epilepsy trials (approximately 200 participants) for further comment.

Novel LGI1 mutation in a family with autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features.

Autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features (ADPEAF) is a rare idiopathic epilepsy syndrome caused by mutations in the leucine-rich, glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1) gene. The authors report that molecular genetic studies in seven affected family members identified a novel F318C substitution that alters a highly conserved residue in a predicted repeat domain of unknown function. This report suggests that this domain may participate in the development of the ADPEAF phenotype.