Responses of people with epilepsy to the COVID-19 pandemic in the time of national lockdown.

The aim of our study was to gather information on how people with epilepsy (PwE) responded to the COVID-19 pandemic during the national lockdown. An online questionnaire was therefore offered to the visitors of the Croatian Association for Epilepsy's website. The 22-items questionnaire was designed to acquire information from adults with epilepsy living in Croatia on demographic data, cognitive, emotional and behavioral responses to the pandemic, and communication problems between patients and their neurologists during the lockdown.

Simultaneous tonic and phasic REM sleep without atonia best predicts early phenoconversion to neurodegenerative disease in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.

Study Objectives: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep without atonia (RWA) is the main polysomnographic feature of idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) and is considered to be a promising biomarker predicting conversion to manifested synucleinopathy. Besides conventionally evaluated tonic, phasic and any RWA, we took into consideration also periods, when phasic and tonic RWA appeared simultaneously and we called this activity "mixed RWA." The study aimed to evaluate different types of RWA, to reveal the most relevant biomarker to the conversion.

Labels and epilepsy - An online survey of patients and those close to them.

Publications on the topic of appropriate labels for someone with diagnosed epilepsy have so far almost exclusively consisted of views of professionals in this field. We conducted an online study of patients treated for epilepsy and persons close to them with the aim of identifying which label they prefer, whether they oppose the term "epileptic", and which characteristics are related with their preferences. In total, 328 responses were analyzed.

Fragmentary myoclonus in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder.

Fragmentary myoclonus is a result of muscle activity consisting of brief potentials in surface electromyography during polysomnography. Excessive fragmentary myoclonus is defined by increased intensity of the potentials. A few studies report excessive fragmentary myoclonus occurrence in neurodegenerative diseases.

Women with epilepsy in childbearing age: Pregnancy-related knowledge, information sources, and antiepileptic drugs.

Pregnancy-related issues in epilepsy (PRIE) are essential for management of epilepsy in women. We conducted a study among women with epilepsy (WWE) aged 15-45years about their knowledge, sources, and needs for information regarding PRIE, which included their current antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) usage. Women with epilepsy, visitors of Croatian Association for Epilepsy webpage, were offered an online questionnaire, and 200 responses were analyzed.

Online epilepsy counseling in Croatia: What do users want to know?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to better understand which specific epilepsy-related issues are cause for seeking out professional advice online.

Method: An online epilepsy counseling service introduced by the Croatian Epilepsy Association allows users to anonymously submit questions related to epilepsy via e-mail or online contact form, which are later answered by an epilepsy professional. The questions were classified both by inquirers and by content.

How does the label "epileptic" influence attitudes toward epilepsy?

Purpose: The purpose of our research was to study the possible differences in attitudes toward epilepsy based on the label used: "person"/"child with epilepsy" vs. "epileptic"/"epileptic child".

Methods: Two randomly assigned groups of college-preparatory high school students were questioned using anonymous questionnaires about their demographics, knowledge on epilepsy and attitudes toward epilepsy.

Bilateral subclavian steal syndrome in an intensive care unit. A case report.

We report the case of a 56-year-old man who presented with arterial hypotension, lightheadedness, vomiting, a sense of tingling in his right arm, and a right-beating horizontal nystagmus. He was initially admitted to the Intensive care unit and treated with standard vasopressor agents. A neurosonological examination showed the steal phenomenon on both vertebral arteries; the neuroradiological examination revealed occlusion of the left subclavian artery and subtotal stenosis of the innominate artery.

Factors associated with perceived stigma of epilepsy in Croatia: a study using the revised Epilepsy Stigma Scale.

Purpose: It is believed that a large number of factors influence feelings of stigma, but their relative contribution is not yet entirely clear. Most studies to date were conducted using the Epilepsy Stigma Scale (ESS); only one used a revised version of the ESS (rESS). The following study aims to determine factors contributing to epilepsy stigma in outpatients with chronic epilepsy in Croatia, and to analyze some psychometric properties of the Croatian translation of the rESS.