Treatment of epilepsy in adults.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder in adults and requires treatment with antiepileptic medication. While the majority of patients with epilepsy can be treated with medication, about one third will fail on medical treatment. Therefore, other treatment options such as surgery, devices, and the ketogenic diet are other options to consider, in addition to medical treatment.

The safety and tolerability of different intravenous administrations of levetiracetam, bolus versus infusion, in intensive care unit patients.

This study reviews our experience with the safety and tolerability of levetiracetam (LVM) with different methods of intravenous administration in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We used retrospective chart review to identify 33 ICU patients who received intravenous LVM for treatment of seizures. Collected data included age, gender, diagnosis on admission, dosing regimen, documented seizure activity, adverse reactions, concomitant use of other antiepileptic drugs, and condition on discharge.

The TARC/sICAM5 Ratio in Patient Plasma is a Candidate Biomarker for Drug Resistant Epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a common affliction that involves inflammatory processes. There are currently no definitive chemical diagnostic biomarkers in the blood, so diagnosis is based on a sometimes expensive synthesis of clinical observation, radiology, neuro-psychological testing, and interictal and ictal EEG studies. Soluble ICAM5 (sICAM5), also known as telencephalin, is an anti-inflammatory protein of strictly central nervous system tissue origin that is also found in blood.

A case of atypical absence seizures after electroconvulsive treatment in a patient with treatment-resistant depression.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been used to treat severe treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Multiple psychotropic medications are usually prescribed in high doses prior to or concomitantly with ECT. Little is known about the interaction of ECT with psychotropic medications.

Subclinical rhythmic electrographic discharges of adults in a patient with migraine.

Subclinical rhythmic electrographic discharges of adults (SREDA) is a distinctive electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern seen in adults and is thought to have little clinical significance. These patterns are generally considered nonspecific. We evaluated a 45-year-old female patient with migraine in whom SREDA seemed to have a temporal relation to the migraine symptoms of the patient.

Increased prevalence of temporary cardiac pacing in people with epilepsy.

Introduction: Even though ictal tachyarrhythmias are more common, ictal brady-asystole is more likely to be fatal, and yet is potentially preventable with pacemaker (PM) implantation. We sought to quantify the degree of association of PM placement in people with and without epilepsy, including neurological and cardiovascular cohorts.

Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the National Hospital Discharge database using International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes.

The effect of pregnancy on seizure control and antiepileptic drugs in women with epilepsy.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic conditions seen by obstetricians, primary care physicians, and neurologists. It is present in three to five per 1000 births, and most women with epilepsy (WWE) can expect to have a normal pregnancy and delivery. The clinician's goal is to establish the best seizure control with the fewest possible number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) prior to pregnancy.

Contraception for women with epilepsy.

The choice of a contraceptive drug can be challenging for women with epilepsy due to possible interactions between antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and hormonal contraception. Enzyme-inducing AEDs can cause hormonal contraception to fail and can increase the risk of teratogenicity. Higher doses of oral contraceptives can overcome pharmacologic failure but may create additional risks.