Lacosamide tolerability in adult patients with partial-onset seizures: Impact of planned reduction and mechanism of action of concomitant antiepileptic drugs.

Objective: We evaluated the impact of planned dose reduction and mechanism of action of concomitant AEDs on tolerability in adults with partial-onset seizures undergoing lacosamide (LCM) titration.

Methods: Data were collected at baseline and 3-6 and 12-24 months post-LCM initiation. Subjects were categorized as having planned reduction of concomitant AEDs or not; AEDs were categorized as traditional sodium channel blockers (TSCB) or non-TSCB (NTSCB).

Pathologic findings associated with invasive EEG monitoring for medically intractable epilepsy.

Invasive electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring is often needed for presurgical evaluation in patients with medically intractable epilepsy (MIE). This study retrospectively reviews the pathologic changes associated with EEG monitoring. Two hundred twenty-six patients who underwent invasive monitoring (53.

Seizure outcome and its predictors after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery in patients with normal MRI.

Purpose: To characterize seizure outcomes following temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) surgery in patients with normal preoperative brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: We reviewed adult patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy and normal MRI who underwent TLE surgery (1996-2009). Seizure outcomes were analyzed using survival and multivariate regression with Cox proportional hazard modeling.

De novo sustained refractory status epilepticus and encephalopathy: a retrospective case series.

Refractory status epilepticus is a devastating persistent seizure state with a poor prognosis that requires emergency medical management. Recent studies have reported de novo, idiopathic refractory status epilepticus of unclear etiology in healthy young patients followed by severe neurologic sequelae. We present a series of 7 cases of de novo sustained refractory status epilepticus.

Neurodegeneration and neuroprotective agents in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune/ inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS affects more than two million people worldwide and has been recognized as the leading cause of neurological disability in young adults. MS has long been considered as a CNS disease of demyelination and inflammation.