A comparative study of fatigue and processing speed in patients with multiple sclerosis treated with natalizumab or rituximab.

Background: Fatigue is the most debilitating symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Natalizumab and rituximab are the most used MS disease modifying therapies in Sweden, but comparative data on the effect on fatigue is sparse.

Objective: Primary objective was to compare fatigue levels between patients on natalizumab and rituximab.

Reduced long-term mortality after successful resective epilepsy surgery: a population-based study.

Background: We investigated all-cause and epilepsy-related mortality in patients operated with resective epilepsy surgery and in non-operated patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Our hypothesis was that patients who proceed to surgery have lower mortality over time compared with non-operated patients.

Method: Data from 1329 adults and children from the Swedish National Epilepsy Surgery Register and 666 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who had undergone presurgical work-up but not been operated were analysed.

Structural association between heterotopia and cortical lesions visualised with 7 T MRI in patients with focal epilepsy.

Purpose: To analyze structural characteristics of malformations of cortical development (MCD) at 7T and 3T MRI.

Methods: Twenty-five patients were examined with a 7T MRI-scanner in addition to 3T examinations performed for epilepsy evaluation. 7T sequences included a 3D-T1-weighted (T1w) MPRAGE, 3D-T2w FLAIR, and heavily T2w axial and coronal high-resolution (0.

Inflammatory reaction in the retina after focal non-convulsive status epilepticus in mice investigated with high resolution magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging.

Pathophysiological consequences of focal non-convulsive status epilepticus (fNCSE) have been difficult to demonstrate in humans. In rats fNCSE pathology has been identified in the eyes. Here we evaluated the use of high-resolution 7 T structural T-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 9.

7T Epilepsy Task Force Consensus Recommendations on the Use of 7T MRI in Clinical Practice.

Identifying a structural brain lesion on MRI has important implications in epilepsy and is the most important factor that correlates with seizure freedom after surgery in patients with drug-resistant focal onset epilepsy. However, at conventional magnetic field strengths (1.5 and 3T), only approximately 60%-85% of MRI examinations reveal such lesions.

First-line therapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a Swedish nation-wide real-world study on 1053 consecutive patients treated between 2007 and 2013.

The aim of this study was to investigate long-term outcome following first-line therapy in consecutive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients in a well-defined geographic area: Sweden. All patients diagnosed with CLL (2007-2013) (n=3672) were identified from national registries, screening of patient files identified all (100%) treated first line (n=1053) and for those, an in-depth analysis was performed. End points were overall response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety.

Test-specific differences in verbal memory assessments used prior to surgery in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Objective: To study the relationship between two commonly used verbal memory tests in presurgical evaluation for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in Sweden, the Claeson-Dahl Test for verbal learning and retention (CDT) and the Swedish version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT).

Methods: Fifty-nine patients with TLE (male: 41%, mean: age 41.7 ± 12.

[Diagnosing epileptic seizures and epilepsy].

There are many episodic conditions which may be confused with epileptic seizures. The diagnosis of epileptic seizures is still dependent on a good history and witness report, as well as good knowledge of seizure semiology, and of the symptoms of a variety of differential diagnostic conditions. The principal differential diagnoses in adults and children are outlined in this review.

Verbal memory decline from hippocampal depth electrodes in temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy.

Objective: To explore whether patients with refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy risk aggravated verbal memory loss from intracranial electroencephalography (EEG) recording with longitudinal hippocampal electrodes in the language-dominant hemisphere.

Methods: A long-term neuropsychological follow-up (mean 61.5 months, range 22-111 months) was performed in 40 patients after ictal registration with left hippocampal depth electrodes (study group, n = 16) or no invasive EEG, only extracranial registration (reference group, n = 24).

Impact of generic substitution on levetiracetam serum concentration-A prospective study in an outpatient setting.

Background: Switching patients from a branded antiepileptic drug (AED) to a generic is often challenging. Several studies have shown that considerable proportions of patients report deteriorated seizure control or increased adverse effects, enforcing a switchback to the original drug. Since tolerability and seizure control usually correlate with AED serum concentrations, we examined the fluctuation of levetiracetam (LEV) serum concentrations in patients with epilepsy before and after generic substitution.

A Functional MRI-Based Model for Individual Memory Assessment in Patients Eligible for Anterior Temporal Lobe Resection.

Title: A functional (f) MRI-based model for individual memory assessment in patients eligible for temporal lobe resection.

Aim: To investigate if pre-operative fMRI memory paradigms, add predictive information with regard to post-surgical memory deficits.

Methods: Fourteen pharmacoresistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) patients accepted for Anterior Temporal Lobe Resection (ATLR) were included.

fMRI memory assessment in healthy subjects: a new approach to view lateralization data at an individual level.

We present a comprehensive and clinically applicable fMRI test-including both a verbal and a visuospatial task-for assessment of hemispheric specific memory in the medial temporal lobe (MTL). fMRI data was collected from 15 healthy right-handed volunteers. Whole-brain activation was analyzed as well as activation in two regions of interest: the MTL and the anterior speech area.

Melphalan and prednisone plus thalidomide or placebo in elderly patients with multiple myeloma.

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 363 patients with untreated multiple myeloma were randomized to receive either melphalan-prednisone and thalidomide (MPT) or melphalan-prednisone and placebo (MP). The dose of melphalan was 0.25 mg/kg and prednisone was 100 mg given daily for 4 days every 6 weeks until plateau phase.

Pre-surgical epilepsy evaluation using 3T MRI. Do surface coils provide additional information?

Purpose: To assess if 3T MRI can be further improved by adding surface coil imaging, in the context of detection and characterization of cerebral lesions in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Methods: Twenty five patients with drug-resistant epilepsy undergoing evaluation for epilepsy surgery were examined with high resolution 3T MRI. The patients were MRI-negative (n = 15), or had unclear findings (n = 10), on previous MRI at 1.