Religiosity and spirituality in patients with epilepsy.

Objective: Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) are widely regarded as important allies against illness and suffering in general. Findings in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) suggest the temporal lobe as the anatomical-functional basis of religious experiences. Both R/S are relevant in patients with epilepsy (PWE) since epilepsy can lead to psychosocial issues for a significant portion of patients and their families.

Control perceptions in epilepsy: A transcultural case-control study with focus on auras.

Objective: General Locus of Control (GLoC) is used to measure the extent to which people perceive life events as results of their own actions or external factors. This study analyzes the relationship between GLoC and people with epilepsy's (PWE) clinical characteristics, levels of anxiety, depression, religiosity/spirituality, and quality of life, with particular attention to possible influences of auras.

Methods: A case-control study was carried out with 186 consecutive patients with a definite diagnosis of epilepsy in Brazil and Lithuania.

Cross-cultural adaptation of Rotter's General Locus of Control instrument.

Objective To perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the General Locus of Control (GLoC) questionnaire, which measures where people place causation of events in their lives, i.e., if they interpret events as being the result of their own actions or external factors.

Postsurgical infection after myelomeningocele repair: a multivariate analysis of 60 consecutive cases.

Objective: We investigate the demographic, clinical and surgical variables associated with wound and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt infections in a well-defined group of patients submitted to neurosurgical myelomeningocele repair.

Methods: We analyzed the data of sixty consecutive patients with a myelomeningocele diagnosis submitted to neurosurgical repair between January 2002 and December 2005. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified clinical, demographic and neurosurgical variables that were independently associated with the occurrence of wound and VP shunt infections.

Mid-term clinical and angiographic results of cerebral aneurisms treated with matrix2(®) coils.

Objective: To evaluate 1 year results of endovascular treatment (EVT) of intracranial aneurisms using Matrix second generation detachable coils (MSG(®)).

Patients And Methods: Between January and December 2006, 32 patients with 32 intracranial aneurisms were treated by coiling using MSG(®), with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Data were acquired prospectively.

Endovascular treatment of 174 middle cerebral artery aneurysms: clinical outcome and radiologic results at long-term follow-up.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the immediate safety and efficacy as well as the clinical outcome and long-term angiographic results of endovascular treatment (EVT) of middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective review of patients in whom coiling of MCA aneurysms was attempted over a 7-year period. Institutional review board approval and informed written consent were obtained.

Clinical epidemiology for childhood primary central nervous system tumors.

This work was conducted by the French Brain Tumor Data Bank (FBTDB) and aims to prospectively record all primary central nervous system tumors (PCNST), in France, for which histological diagnosis is available. Results concerning children are presented. This study analyzes the childhood cases (0-19 years) of newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed PCNST (during the years 2004-2006) which have been recorded by the FBTDB.