Differences in factors associated with insomnia symptoms between patients with epilepsy with and without depressive symptoms.

Objective: To determine if insomnia-related factors differ depending on the presence of depression in patients with epilepsy.

Methods: This cross-sectional multicenter study collected data on depressive symptoms, insomnia symptoms, and excessive daytime sleepiness, which were defined as a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score of ≥ 10, an Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score of ≥ 15, and an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) of ≥ 11, respectively. Further, uncontrolled seizures were defined as one or more seizures per month during antiseizure medications treatment.

Optic neuritis associated with seronegative autoimmune encephalitis: a case report.

Optic neuritis is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder that primarily affects the optic nerve and is often associated with multiple sclerosis. While it is rare for optic neuritis to be accompanied by autoimmune encephalitis, it can occur in some cases. A 65-year-old woman with bipolar disorder presented with a progressively altered mentality.

Insomnia during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Korea: a National sleep survey.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused widespread increase in stress and affected sleep quality and quantity, with up to 30% prevalence of sleep disorders being reported after the declaration of the pandemic. This study aimed to assess perceived changes due to the pandemic in the prevalence of insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Korea, and identify the associated factors. An online survey was conducted among 4000 participants (2035 men and 1965 women) aged 20-69 years enrolled using stratified multistage random sampling according to age, sex, and residential area, between January, 2021 and February, 2022.

Sex differences in the relationship between aggression and symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults with refractory focal epilepsy.

Purpose: To determine whether sex affects the relationship between aggression and symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults with refractory focal epilepsy.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 85 adults with refractory focal seizures, which are defined as one or more seizures recurring per month even when the patient is treated with two or more antiseizure medications. We used the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to evaluate aggression and symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively.

Comparisons of impulsivity among patients with different subtypes of epilepsy.

Purpose: This study assessed whether patients with epilepsy have a higher level of impulsivity than healthy controls, and compared impulsivity among patients with different subtypes of epilepsy.

Methods: The multicenter study included 108 subjects with epilepsy and 56 healthy volunteers. Subjects were evaluated by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, with BIS-11 scores analyzed as both dichotomized and continuous variables.

Insomnia moderates the association between recurrent seizures and emotional instability in persons with epilepsy.

Purpose: We investigated the moderating effect of sleep disturbance on the association between seizure recurrence and emotional instability in patients with epilepsy, independent of psychological distress.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Patients completed the short form of the Affective Lability Scale (ALS-18), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7).

Increasing Trends in the Incidence and Prevalence of Epilepsy in Korea.

Background And Purpose: There have been few reports on recent trends in the occurrence of epilepsy. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of epilepsy and analyze their annual trends in Korea over the period 2009-2017.

Methods: This nationwide population-based study was carried out using the National Health Insurance Service of Korea database.

Cefepime-Induced Encephalopathy in a Tertiary Medical Center in Korea.

Background And Purpose: Cefepime is a widely used fourth-generation cephalosporin. It is commonly used as a first-line antibiotic to treat various infectious diseases such as hospital-acquired pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and bacterial meningitis. The primary outcome of this study was the development of cefepime-induced encephalopathy (CIE) at a tertiary medical center in Korea.

Lower Glucose Level Associated With Increased Risk for Post-Dural Puncture Headache.

Objective And Background: Post-dural puncture headache is the most common significant adverse event following lumbar puncture. In this study, we investigated the possible systemic factors associated with risk for post-dural puncture headache (PDPH).

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study in 969 patients who underwent diagnostic lumbar puncture following a standardized protocol.

Pregnancy and Epilepsy: a Korean Tertiary Epilepsy Center Review.

Background: Pregnancy in women with epilepsy (WWE) is known to have a higher risk for fetal development complications, which may include congenital malformations. Unfortunately, information pertaining to pregnancy in WWE is difficult to obtain because there are considerable ethical issues preventing these studies from being conducted on pregnant women. Therefore, this study investigated the pregnancies of Korean WWE in a tertiary epilepsy center to observe data resulting from the outcome of the pregnancies.

Effect of perampanel on aggression in patients with refractory focal epilepsy: A 6-month longitudinal study.

Purpose: Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of perampanel for the treatment of epilepsy. However, patients treated with this and other antiepileptic drugs often exhibit aggressive behaviors. We investigated the clinical factors contributing to aggression in patients with refractory focal epilepsy during 6 months of adjunctive perampanel treatment.

Protective effects of REM sleep without atonia against obstructive sleep apnea in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.

Background: This study investigated the protective effect of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep without atonia against obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).

Methods: In this case-control study, patients with idiopathic RBD and OSA (RBD-OSA) were consecutively enrolled and OSA controls without RBD were matched for age, sex, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Clinical and polysomnographic characteristics were compared between RBD-OSA patients and OSA controls.

Factors contributing to anxiety and depressive symptoms in adults with new-onset epilepsy.

Purpose: We investigated factors contributing to anxiety and depressive symptoms over a 1-year period in Korean adults with new-onset epilepsy.

Methods: This longitudinal multicenter study included adults diagnosed with epilepsy within 12 months of a first seizure. Using stepwise regression analyses, we determined whether Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) scores could be predicted by demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables at baseline and at 12 months.

Intraoperative use of transcranial motor/sensory evoked potential monitoring in the clipping of intracranial aneurysms: evaluation of false-positive and false-negative cases.

Objective: Somatosensory and motor evoked potentials (SEPs and MEPs) are often used to prevent ischemic complications during aneurysm surgeries. However, surgeons often encounter cases with suspicious false-positive and false-negative results from intraoperative evoked potential (EP) monitoring, but the incidence and possible causes for these results are not well established. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and reliability of EP monitoring in the microsurgical treatment of intracranial aneurysms by evaluating false-positive and false-negative cases.

High spirituality may be associated with right hemispheric lateralization in Korean adults living with epilepsy.

Purpose: Although it is known that epilepsy and spirituality are related, spirituality in epilepsy has received relatively little clinical and scientific attention. Therefore, we investigated which epilepsy-related factors are associated with high spirituality in Korean adults living with epilepsy.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in two university hospitals in Korea.

Associations between religiosity and anxiety, depressive symptoms, and well-being in Korean adults living with epilepsy.

Purpose: Religiosity can be important in the everyday life of persons with epilepsy (PWE). How PWE live with religiosity can be influenced by their cultural background. We determined whether religiosity is associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and well-being in Korean adults with epilepsy.

Attitudes toward epilepsy and perceptions of epilepsy-related stigma in Korean evangelical Christians.

Purpose: The scriptural description of Jesus driving out an evil spirit from a boy with epilepsy supported the idea of the spiritual nature of epilepsy for centuries. Korea has a shorter history of Christianity than the Western world. We determined whether there are differences in attitudes toward epilepsy and perception of epilepsy-related stigma between people with and without belief in evangelical Christianity in Korea.

Augmentation in restless legs syndrome patients in Korea.

Purpose: Augmentation has been known as the major complication of long-term dopaminergic treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS). However, there have been no reports on the prevalence of augmentation in Korea. Thus, we aimed to assess the rate of augmentation and evaluate related factors in Korean RLS patients.

A case of temporal onset partial seizure induced by photic stimuli.

There are only a few case reports of photic stimulation induced partial seizures arising from the temporal lobe. A 12-year-old female with a history of three convulsions was admitted for a diagnostic evaluation. During continuous video-electroencephalogram monitoring, a complex partial seizure with secondary generalization was induced immediately after a photoparoxysmal response with a 15-Hz photic stimulation.