Preventing Teratogenicity in Women with Epilepsy.

Over the last 50 years there has been a significant increase in our understanding of the issues faced by women with epilepsy, in both planning and undertaking pregnancy. The risks of teratogenicity associated with antiseizure medications have emerged slowly. The major pregnancy registers have substantially contributed to our knowledge about teratogenic risk associated with the commonly used antiseizure medications.

What can Google Trends and Wikipedia-Pageview analysis tell us about the landscape of epilepsy surgery over time?

Background: Epilepsy surgery is an effective treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. Some centers have noticed changes in referral patterns.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine if online infodemiological data related to epilepsy surgery reflect reported changes in referrals to surgical centers.

Structured testing during seizures: A practical guide for assessing and interpreting ictal and postictal signs during video EEG long term monitoring.

Background: Ictal and postictal testing carried out in long-term epilepsy monitoring units is often sub-optimal. Recently, a European consensus protocol for testing patients during and after seizures was developed by a joint taskforce of the International League Against Epilepsy - Commission on European Affairs and the European Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Association.

Aim: Using this recently developed standardised assessment battery as a framework, the goal of this narrative review is to outline the proposed testing procedure in detail and explain the rationale for each individual component, focusing on the underlying neurobiology.

Investigative practice into sudden death in epilepsy: A global survey.

Objectives: Sudden death is a recognized consequence of epilepsy. Little is known about the practice of confirming the cause of sudden death from most nations. We sought to determine how often autopsy is undertaken, clinician confidence in cause of death and identify the factors which may influence autopsy utilization.

Online behavior of people visiting a scientific website on epilepsy.

We investigated the online behavior of Internet users consulting the website of the Italian Chapter of the International League Against Epilepsy (Lega Italiana Contro l'Epilessia [LICE]). We obtained the visualization statistics of the LICE website using AWStats (https://awstats.sourceforge.

Changing antiepilepsy drug-prescribing trends in women with epilepsy in the UK and Ireland and the impact on major congenital malformations.

Objectives: After 20 years of data collection, pregnancy registers have informed prescribing practice. Various populations show trends for a reduction in valproate prescribing, which is associated with an increased risk of anatomical teratogenesis and neurodevelopmental effects in those exposed in utero. Our aim was to determine if any shifts in prescribing trends have occurred in the UK and Ireland Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register cohort and to assess if there had been any change in the overall major congenital malformation (MCM) rate over time.

Non-convulsive status epilepticus: mimics and chameleons.

Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is an enigmatic condition with protean manifestations. It often goes unrecognised, leading to delays in its diagnosis and treatment. The principal reason for such delay is the failure to consider and request an electroencephalogram (EEG), although occasional presentations have no scalp or surface electroencephalographic correlate.

A self-completed questionnaire study of attitudes and perceptions of paramedic and prehospital practitioners towards acute seizure care in Northern Ireland.

Introduction: Paramedics are increasingly expected to take on wider roles in the management of epilepsy in the community by making nonconveyance decisions after patients have had seizures. Studies have identified barriers to the successful implementation of this clinical role. We sought to determine levels of confidence, training, perceived barriers, and self-identified learning needs and methods to address these needs regarding seizure management.

An update on the recognition and treatment of non-convulsive status epilepticus in the intensive care unit.

Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is a complex and diverse condition which is often an under-recognised entity in the intensive care unit. When NCSE is identified the optimal treatment strategy is not always clear. Areas covered: This review is based on a literature review of the key literature in the field over the last 5-10 years.

Pruritus: an overview. What drives people to scratch an itch?

Pruritus is a common complaint associated with many conditions. It negatively impacts sleep, quality of life, and mortality. Itch is transmitted along both histaminergic and non-histaminergic pathways with a complex interplay between keratinocytes, immune cells and cutaneous neurons.

Nocturnal Pruritus: The Battle for a Peaceful Night's Sleep.

Chronic pruritus is a debilitating condition with numerous etiologies. Many patients suffer from nocturnal pruritus, which can decrease quality of life and affect mortality in hemodialysis patients. Nocturnal pruritus may occur in all sleep stages but is most prevalent in stages N1 and N2.

Plasma levels of intermedin (adrenomedullin-2) in healthy human volunteers and patients with heart failure.

Intermedin/adrenomedullin-2 (IMD) is a member of the adrenomedullin/CGRP peptide family. Less is known about the distribution of IMD than for other family members within the mammalian cardiovascular system, particularly in humans. The aim was to evaluate plasma IMD levels in healthy subjects and patients with chronic heart failure.