The diagnostic value of continuous EEG for the detection of non-convulsive status epilepticus in neurosurgical patients - A prospective cohort study.

Objective: To prospectively compare the diagnostic yields of standard EEG and continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring for the diagnosis of non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) in neurosurgical patients in the intensive care unit.

Methods: We included 50 consecutive patients with clinical suspicion of NCSE due to unexplained coma or subtle clinical phenomena such as discrete myoclonus. The initial 30-minute EEG recording and the following cEEG were analyzed separately for seizure activity.

Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus: Validating the Salzburg Criteria Against an Expert EEG Examiner.

Purpose: Rapid and correct diagnosis of nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is crucial for optimal treatment. However, electroencephalographic diagnosis can be challenging. Salzburg Consensus Criteria (SCC) have been proposed to facilitate correct diagnosis, but their validity needs to be further established.

A quantitative EEG and MRI analysis of intermittent temporal slowing in the elderly.

Objective: Whereas the correlation between diffuse slowing of EEG activity and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease is well established, intermittent slowing over the temporal regions, which is a frequent finding in the elderly, does not have a specific clinical correlate. In this study, we compared quantitative EEG parameters between patients with temporal slowing with no signs of neurological disease and controls to evaluate cortical function in the temporal lobes and other cerebral regions. We also compared the width of the temporal lobes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood and a pathogenic variant of ATP1A3: a case report and pathophysiological considerations.

We describe a case of a child suffering from alternating hemiplegia with a heterozygous p. E815K pathogenic variant of ATP1A3. The patient started to present abnormal eye movements in the first days of life, followed by the appearance at 2 months of dystonic episodes, and later on, by recurrent episodes of alternating hemiplegia more often on the right side.

Pharmacodynamics of remifentanil. Induced intracranial spike activity in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Patients with medically refractory epilepsy may benefit from resective epilepsy surgery. However even the best centers experience surgical failures. It is therefore important to find techniques that may aid in neurosurgical planning of epileptic focus resection.

Danish experience with paediatric epilepsy surgery.

Introduction: Epilepsy surgery is increasingly used to treat children with medically intractable epilepsy. This study investigates the aetiology and seizure outcome in Danish children operated between 1996 and 2010.

Methods: Retrospectively collected data on structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnoses, surgical procedures and seizure outcomes classified according to the Engel Classification were used.

Heart rate variability in infants with West syndrome.

Purpose: West syndrome (WS) is a severe age-related acute epileptic encephalopathy of infancy characterized by infantile spasms, hypsarrhythmia and psychomotor delay. The aim of this study was to investigate if patients with WS had an altered autonomic output to the heart.

Methods: In 23 patients with WS the heart rate variability (HRV) was investigated by examining time- and frequency-domain parameters of HRV at the time of the diagnosis of hypsarrhythmia and compared to 22 age-matched controls.

Incidence and mechanisms of cardiorespiratory arrests in epilepsy monitoring units (MORTEMUS): a retrospective study.

Background: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of death in people with chronic refractory epilepsy. Very rarely, SUDEP occurs in epilepsy monitoring units, providing highly informative data for its still elusive pathophysiology. The MORTEMUS study expanded these data through comprehensive evaluation of cardiorespiratory arrests encountered in epilepsy monitoring units worldwide.

Outcome of accidental hypothermia with or without circulatory arrest: experience from the Danish Præstø Fjord boating accident.

Background: Resuscitation guidelines for the treatment of accidental hypothermia are based primarily on isolated cases. Mortality rates are high despite aggressive treatment aimed at restoring spontaneous circulation and normothermia.

Methods: The present report is based on a boating accident where 15 healthy subjects (median age 16 (range 15-45) years) were immersed in 2 °C salt water.

Clinical course and variability of non-Rasmussen, nonstroke motor and sensory epilepsia partialis continua: a European survey and analysis of 65 cases.

Purpose: To gain new insights into the clinical presentation, causes, treatment and prognosis of epilepsia partialis continua (EPC), and to develop hypotheses to be tested in a prospective investigation.

Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study, all cases were included that fulfilled these criteria: constantly repeated fragments of epileptic seizures, with preserved consciousness, lasting ≥ 1 h and representing locally restricted motor or sensory epileptic activity. Single episodes were included when they lasted for a minimum of 1 day.

Cognitive performance, symptoms and counter-regulation during hypoglycaemia in patients with type 1 diabetes and high or low renin-angiotensin system activity.

Introduction: High basal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity is associated with increased risk of severe hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes. We tested whether this might be explained by more pronounced cognitive dysfunction during hypoglycaemia in patients with high RAS activity than in patients with low RAS activity.

Materials And Methods: Nine patients with type 1 diabetes and high and nine with low RAS activity were subjected to hypoglycaemia and euglycaemia in a cross-over study using an intravenous insulin infusion protocol.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and cognitive impairment during hypoglycaemia in healthy humans.

Introduction: In type 1 diabetes increased risk of severe hypoglycaemia is associated with high angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity. We tested in healthy humans the hypothesis that this association is explained by the reduced ability of subjects with high ACE activity to maintain normal cognitive function during hypoglycaemia.

Methods: Sixteen healthy volunteers selected by either particularly high or low serum ACE activity were subjected to hypoglycaemia (plasma glucose 2.

The diagnostic efficiency of biomarkers in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease compared to Alzheimer's disease.

Laboratory markers have a prominent place among the diagnostic criteria for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). Here we investigate the capability of protein 14-3-3, total-tau (t-tau), threonin-181-phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) together with the prion protein gene genotype to discriminate patients with sCJD (n=21) from neurological controls (n=164) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients (n=49). Low p-tau/t-tau ratio was the best single marker for sCJD with 90% specificity against neurological controls at 86% sensitivity whilst NSE was the least accurate with 79% sensitivity at 90% specificity.

Nonconvulsive status epilepticus after electroconvulsive therapy.

We describe three cases of nonconvulsive status epilepticus induced by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Nonconvulsive status epilepticus is an important differential diagnosis in patients who develop prolonged confusion after ECT. The present cases exemplify the difficulty in defining the diagnosis on the basis of the clinical manifestations.

[Epilepsy surgery of Danish children 1996-2002].

Introduction: Epilepsy surgery is done in order to obtain seizure freedom or to reduce the number of epileptic seizures in selected patients not responding to medical treatment. Few Danish children have had this treatment, most probably because of some restrictions imposed by The Danish National Health Board. We present the results of the first 22 Danish children who have had epilepsy surgery.