The prevalence of epilepsy and pharmacoresistant epilepsy in adults: a population-based study in a Western European country.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of epilepsy in a defined adult population and identify the frequency and principal features of pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

Methods: From a population over 15 years of age residing in a medium-sized French city, all patients with epilepsy on June 30, 1995 were identified from multiple sources. Pharmacoresistance was defined as failure to control epilepsy by at least two first-line antiepileptic drugs, with a seizure frequency of at least one per month for 18 months.

Angiogenesis is associated with blood-brain barrier permeability in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Previous studies from our group, focusing on neuro-glial remodelling in human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), have shown the presence of immature vascular cells in various areas of the hippocampus. Here, we investigated angiogenic processes in hippocampi surgically removed from adult patients suffering from chronic intractable TLE, with various aetiologies. We compared hippocampi from TLE patients to hippocampi obtained after surgery or autopsy from non-epileptic patients (NE).

Lamotrigine associated with exacerbation or de novo myoclonus in idiopathic generalized epilepsies.

Five patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGE) treated with lamotrigine (LTG) experienced exacerbation or de novo appearance of myoclonic jerks (MJ). In three patients, LTG exacerbated MJ in a dose-dependent manner with early aggravation during titration. MJ disappeared when LTG dose was decreased by 25 to 50%.

Increased number of neural progenitors in human temporal lobe epilepsy.

An increased neurogenesis is reported in animal models of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) but the fate of newborn cells is unknown. Here, we attempted to demonstrate neurogenesis in adult epileptic tissue obtained after hippocampectomy. MTLE hippocampi showed increased expression of division markers and of Musashi-1, a marker of neural progenitors, compared to control hippocampi.

GABA receptor 1 polymorphism (G1465A) and temporal lobe epilepsy.

Purpose: To reevaluate the genetic contribution of the polymorphism G1465A of the gene coding for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(B) receptor 1 subunit [GABA(B)(1)] in a sample of French patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and to perform an exploratory analysis in other phenotypic subgroups.

Methods: The 134 patients were genotyped for the polymorphism G1465A. This sample was divided in two groups.