An incident case-control study of first unprovoked afebrile seizures in children: a population-based study of pre- and perinatal risk factors.

Purpose: The aim of this prospective incident community-based study was to assess the influence of pre- and perinatal risk factors in children in whom an unprovoked afebrile epileptic seizure later developed.

Methods: From November 1, 1985, until June 30, 1987, 75 children aged 0-15 years with a first unprovoked afebrile seizure were identified. After exclusion of cases with neonatal seizures (n = 14), two controls per case were selected from the same province in northern Sweden matched by age and sex.

Antiepileptic drug-related cognitive complaints in seizure-free children with epilepsy before and after drug discontinuation.

The cognitive complaints reported by children and their parents, as subjectively associated with antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment, were evaluated in seizure-free children before and after drug discontinuation. The aim of the design was to isolate the cognitive side effects of AEDs from other factors, such as the effect of seizures. Our inventory explored the following areas: "alertness," "concentration," "activation/ tiredness," "memory," "drowsiness," "depression," "aggressiveness," and "hyperactivity," using a 5-point Likert scaling procedure.

A follow-up of an incident case-referent study of febrile convulsions seven years after the onset.

A cohort of 92 children with an initial febrile convulsion (FC), prospectively identified in a community-based study 1985-1987, was compared with a cohort of 185 age- and sex-matched referents from the same study area. The median time of follow-up was 6.7 years (range: 5.

Muscle morphology and mitochondrial investigations of a family with autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia and retinal degeneration mapped to chromosome 3p12-p21.1.

The autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias (ADCA) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders with ataxia and dysarthria as early and dominant signs. In ADCA type II, retinal degeneration causes severe visual impairment. ADCA type II has recently been mapped to chromosome 3p by three independent groups.

Prevalence and characteristics of epilepsy in children in northern Sweden.

Active epilepsy was assessed in all children aged 0-16 years in an area of northern Sweden with about 250,000 inhabitants and around 50,000 children in the age group. One hundred and fifty-five children fulfilled the criteria of active epilepsy giving a prevalence rate of 4.2/1000.

Localization of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia associated with retinal degeneration and anticipation to chromosome 3p12-p21.1.

We present linkage analysis on a large Swedish five-generation family of 15 affected individuals with autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) associated with retinal degeneration and anticipation. Common clinical signs in this family include ataxia, dysarthria and severely impaired vision with the phenotype ADCA type II. Different subtypes of ADCA have proven difficult to classify clinically due to extensive phenotypic variability within and between families.

Withdrawal of antiepileptic medication in children. Correlation of cognitive function and plasma concentration--the multicentre 'Holmfrid' study.

Eighty-three patients with epilepsy and 83 matched controls completed 12 computerized cognitive tests while on antiepileptic drugs and six months later when they had been medication-free for three to four months. All patients had been seizure-free for more than one year and were on monotherapy with carbamazepine (CBZ, n = 56), valproate (VPA, n = 17), or phenytoin (PHT, n = 10). The tests and plasma concentration collection were done at noon.

A community-based prospective incidence study of epileptic seizures in children.

During a 20-month period, an attempt was made to find all children with unprovoked non-febrile seizures. The first attendance and incidence rates were 95 and 89/100,000, respectively, in the age group 0-15 years. These figures are lower than those found 10 years earlier in the same area.

Withdrawal of antiepileptic medication in children--effects on cognitive function: The Multicenter Holmfrid Study.

We present 100 children diagnosed with epilepsy who were seizure-free for more than 1 year and still on monotherapy of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). We matched each child with a healthy classmate and performed neuropsychological testing and EEG before and after complete withdrawal of the AEDs. The withdrawal phase lasted 3 months, but the dose decrease was individualized for each patient.

Attitudes of rural people in central Ethiopia towards leprosy and a brief comparison with observations on epilepsy.

To find out public attitudes toward leprosy a door-to-door survey was carried out in 1546 sampled households in the rural farming community of Meskan and Mareko in central Ethiopia, where the prevalence of leprosy is estimated to be 1:1000. Attitudes toward leprosy were compared with attitudes to epilepsy, studied in a previously performed survey in the same community. Eighty-seven per cent of the respondents were above the age of 25, and 59.

Pre- and perinatal factors in febrile convulsions.

In a community based study, 110 children with febrile convulsions (FC) were identified prospectively. Pre- and perinatal risk factors were compared with 213 age and sex matched controls sampled from the community. During pregnancy, proteinuria and preeclampsia/eclampsia occurred more often in mothers of cases.

Attitudes of rural people in central Ethiopia towards epilepsy.

In the farming community of the sub-district of Meskan and Mareko in central Ethiopia, where the prevalence of epilepsy is known to be 5.2/1000, a door-to-door survey was undertaken in 1546 sampled households to find out public attitudes to epilepsy. Nearly 64% of the respondents were in the age group of 14-50 years, and 58.

Clinical and electroencephalographic characteristics of epilepsy in rural Ethiopia: a community-based study.

A community-based epidemiological study of neurological disorders was performed in a rural area in Ethiopia. The most prevalent neurological disorder identified was epilepsy, found in 316 persons. The prevalence of epilepsy was 5.

An incident case-referent study of febrile convulsions in children: genetical and social aspects.

In a prospective community-based study of 103 children with febrile convulsions (FC), social and genetical factors were compared with 193 age and sex matched referents sampled from the community. FC were found more often among parents of cases than referents (odds ratio 21.0; p less than 0.

Epilepsy in a population of mentally retarded children and adults.

All mentally retarded (MR) subjects in a northern Swedish county were assessed for the occurrence of active epilepsy on a prevalence day. Active epilepsy was found in 299 subjects (20.2% of those with MR) corresponding to a crude prevalence rate of 1.

Community-based study of neurological disorders in Ethiopia: development of a screening instrument.

This paper describes the development of a screening instrument for a community-based neuroepidemiological survey in a rural community in Ethiopia. A pilot study in 1984 to pre-test the questionnaires developed revealed that epilepsy, poliomyelitis, mental retardation and speech disturbances were the most common neurological disorders among the 3,000 rural inhabitants surveyed. The study suggested that a base-population of about 50,000 was required for a future major epidemiological survey to identify rare neurological disorders.

A prospective incidence study of febrile convulsions.

A prospective epidemiological study of febrile convulsions (FC) was performed during a 20-month period. 128 children with FCs were identified. The annual first attendance rate and annual incidence rate were 500/100,000 and 460/100,000 respectively, in the age group 0-4 years.

Discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs in children who have outgrown epilepsy: effects on cognitive function.

Cognitive function is frequently impaired in children with epilepsy, compared with age-matched controls. It can be hard to evaluate the significance of various contributory factors. The effects of antiepileptic drugs may be studied in children who have outgrown their epilepsy but are still being treated.

Community-based study of neurological disorders in rural central Ethiopia.

Between 1986 and 1988 a door-to-door survey was conducted on a stable rural population of 60,820 in central Ethiopia. Trained lay health workers made a complete census and identified cases with symptoms and signs of neurological disorders, using specially designed questionnaires which, in a previous pilot study, were found to have a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 85%. Neurological disorders in the rural population were epilepsy, postpoliomyelitis paralysis, mental retardation, peripheral neuropathy (mainly due to leprosy), and deaf-mutism with prevalence rates (cases/100,000 population) of 520, 240, 170, 150 and 130, respectively.

Folate treatment of diphenylhydantoin-induced gingival hyperplasia.

It has recently been reported that folic acid supplementation reduced DPH-induced gingival hyperplasia in cat and in a pilot study also in man. The present study was performed to further evaluate this therapy in man. Twenty-three children with DPH-treatment for more than 1 yr, and eight children with short-time DPH-treatment were randomly assigned to groups with and without daily supplementation of folic acid (5 mg Folacin) for 1 yr.

Oral function in the physically handicapped with or without severe mental retardation.

Neuromotor handicaps and mental retardation have been associated with various types of dental malocclusions and oral dysfunction. In this study the specific role of mental status on oral functions was examined. For this, oral function capacity was compared between two groups of physically handicapped children and young adults, one with a physical handicap alone, the other with mental retardation.

Malocclusions in physically and/or mentally handicapped children.

The purpose of this work was to study the morphological characteristics of dental occlusion in groups of physically and/or mentally handicapped children, taking into consideration the need of a detailed classification of medical diagnosis and degree of mental capacity. The material consisted of physically handicapped children with normal intelligence, including the subgroups Cerebral palsy and Others (other medical diagnoses), and severely mentally retarded children with or without a physical handicap, including the subgroups Down's syndrome, Cerebral palsy and Others. Totally 115 children (3-17 years) were studied with respect to occlusion, space conditions, hypodontia and received orthodontic treatment, and compared to matched control groups of healthy children.

Benign epilepsy of children with centrotemporal EEG foci: a follow-up study in adulthood of patients initially studied as children.

A group of patients with benign epilepsy of children with centrotemporal EEG foci, consisting of 40 patients reported 10 years ago, has been reinvestigated. Thirty-seven of these patients were reinvestigated. They were 26-34 years old (mean, 29 years).

Sjögren-Larsson syndrome: physical and neurological features. A survey of 35 patients.

Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is characterized by congenital ichthyosis, mental retardation and spastic di- or tetraplegia. All patients older than one year have glistening dots in the fundus of the eye. SLS has autosomal recessive inheritance.

Cranial CT in the Sjögren-Larsson syndrome.

Cranial computed tomography was performed on five patients with the Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (SLS). No specific morphological abnormalities were found, nor was there any indication of a reduction of brain mass. This result is in keeping with the findings on gross examination of brain specimens of subjects with SLS but not with some previously reported PEG findings.