A survey of the prevalence and patterns of neuropsychological assessment practices across epilepsy surgery centers in India: Toward establishing a national guideline.

Neuropsychology plays an important role in optimizing epilepsy management, but there are no practice guidelines for low- and middle-income countries with emerging services. The National Epilepsy Surgery Support Activity Network (NESSAN), a national working group that supports and optimizes epilepsy surgery programs in India, explored the present status of pre- and post epilepsy surgery neuropsychological assessment practices across India as an initial step in developing national evidence-based test guidelines. An online survey was conducted using two questionnaires, one for neurologists and the second for neuropsychologists and speech-language pathologists working in epilepsy surgery centers.

Spinal Cord Infarction Thrombolysed at Seven Hours: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

We report a case of acute spinal cord infarction treated with intravenous (IV) thrombolysis at seven hours from symptom onset. Nineteen previously thrombolysed cases are reviewed. The patient underwent a clinical assessment, followed by an MRI of the spine.

Treatment outcomes in drug resistant juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: Valproate resistance may not be the end of the road.

Objective: To determine treatment responses to various antiseizure medicines (ASMs) in patients with drug resistant juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (DRJME) METHODS: We reviewed records of all JME patients attending epilepsy clinics at 5 centers during a 5-year period. We used International Consensus Criteria to diagnose JME and International League Against Epilepsy Criteria to define drug resistance and sustained seizure freedom. We only used broad spectrum medicines which included valproate, lamotrigine, topiramate, levetiracetam, clobazam, phenobarbitone, clonazepam, and zonisamide.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on epilepsy practice in India: A tripartite survey.

Objective: To assess the impact of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on epilepsy care in India.

Methods: We conducted a three-part survey comprising neurologists, people with epilepsy (PWE), and 11 specialized epilepsy centers across India. We sent two separate online survey questionnaires to Indian neurologists and PWE to assess the epilepsy practice, seizures control, and access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early versus late antiepileptic drug withdrawal following temporal lobectomy.

Purpose: To compare the seizure outcome following early and late complete antiepileptic drug (AED) withdrawal following anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE).

Method: All the patients who were seizure free for one year following ATL were offered early or late AED withdrawal. AEDs were discontinued starting at one year in those who opted for early withdrawal.

Establishment of low cost epilepsy surgery centers in resource poor setting.

Purpose: To prospectively assess the feasibility of establishing low cost epilepsy surgery programs in resource poor settings.

Method: We started epilepsy surgery centers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India in private hospitals. This model is based on the identifying and operating ideal epilepsy surgery candidates on the basis of clinical history, interictal and ictal video-EEG data, and 1.

Optimal timing and differential significance of postoperative awake and sleep EEG to predict seizure outcome after temporal lobectomy.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of postoperative EEGs to estimate post anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) seizure outcome.

Methods: We studied postoperative EEGs in 325 consecutive patients who had minimum five years of post-ATL followup. Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) present only during sleep were classified as sleep IEDs.

Outcome after seizure recurrence on antiepileptic drug withdrawal following temporal lobectomy.

Objective: To study the long-term outcome following seizure recurrence on antiepileptic drug (AED) withdrawal after anterior temporal lobectomy for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Methods: We retrospectively studied the AED profile of patients who had a minimum of 5 years of postoperative follow-up after anterior temporal lobectomy for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Only those patients with hippocampal sclerosis or normal MRI were included.

"Eating" epilepsy revisited- an electro-clinico-radiological study.

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, video electroencephalographic and MRI attributes of patients with eating epilepsy (EE). Consecutive patients who were diagnosed with EE and underwent potential pre-surgical work-up from 2003 to 2012 formed the study cohort. Their electro-clinico-radiological and seizure outcome data were obtained from our prospectively maintained medical records.

Nested PCR Assay for Eight Pathogens: A Rapid Tool for Diagnosis of Bacterial Meningitis.

Purpose: Bacterial meningitis is a dreadful infectious disease with a high mortality and morbidity if remained undiagnosed. Traditional diagnostic methods for bacterial meningitis pose a challenge in accurate identification of pathogen, making prognosis difficult. The present study is therefore aimed to design and evaluate a specific and sensitive nested 16S rDNA genus-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using clinical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for rapid diagnosis of eight pathogens causing the disease.

Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex Encephalitis by ELISA Using Antipeptide Antibodies Against Type-Common Epitopes of Glycoprotein B of Herpes Simplex Viruses.

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) represents one of the most severe infectious diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). As effective antiviral drugs are available, an early, rapid, and reliable diagnosis has become important. The objective of this article was to develop a sensitive ELISA protocol for herpes simplex viruses (HSV) antigen detection and quantitation by assessing the usefulness of antipeptide antibodies against potential peptides of HSV glycoprotein B (gB).

Determination of Toll-like receptor-induced cytokine profiles in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of Chikungunya patients.

Background: Chikungunya infection caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an inflammatory disease affecting the joints and may also lead to neurological complications. We investigated a panel of human Toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced cytokines in Chikungunya patients with and without neurological complications.

Methods: In a case-control study, a panel of 12 cytokines and chemokines, TNF-α, IFN-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12, IL-17A, IL-8, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, RANTES, interferon (IFN)-γ-induced protein (IP)-10, monokine induced by IFN-γ (MIG) and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), was analysed using a conventional ELISA protocol in the serum samples of Chikungunya patients without neurological complications and in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and paired serum samples of Chikungunya patients with neurological complications.

Leukodystrophy presenting as acute-onset polyradiculoneuropathy.

Background: Sulfatides, the most abundant glycosphingolipids, are a major component of myelin. They are degraded by the combined action of sphingolipid activator protein and arylsulfatase A. Deficiency of either of these entities causes metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD).

Electrophysiological study in neuromuscular junction disorders.

This review is on ultrastructure and subcellular physiology at normal and abnormal neuromuscular junctions. The clinical and electrophysiological findings in myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), congenital myasthenic syndromes, and botulinum intoxication are discussed. Single fiber electromyography (SFEMG) helps to explain the basis of testing neuromuscular junction function by repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS).

Limb-shaking transient ischemic attack.

Limb shaking Transient Ischemic Attack is a rare manifestation of carotid-occlusive disease. The symptoms usually present with seizure like activity and often misdiagnosed as focal seizures. Only on careful history the important clinical clues-which may help in differentiating from seizure-are revealed: Lack of Jacksonian march or aura; precipitation by maneuvers that lead to carotid compression.

Recurrent meningitis due to epidermoid.

Aseptic meningitis is characterized by noninfective serous inflammation of the meninges. It can occur in a recurrent fashion when associated with dermoid and epidermoid cysts due to rupture of cyst contents into subarachnoid space resulting in aseptic chemical meningitis. Bacterial meningitis in association with these tumors is commonly related to a coexisting dermal sinus tract and the most common organism is Staphylococcus aureus.

Atonic variant of benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (atonic-BECTS): a distinct electro-clinical syndrome.

Purpose: To describe the clinical and electroencephalographic features, treatment strategies and outcome in a series of children with the atonic variant of benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (atonic-BECTS).

Material And Methods: Out of the 148 patients with BECTS reviewed from January 2005 to June 2010 in our Institute, there were seven (5%) with atonic-BECTS. All underwent video EEG, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neuropsychological evaluation and language assessment.

A critical appraisal on the utility of long-term video-EEG monitoring in older adults.

Background: World-over, the majority of patients undergoing video-EEG monitoring (VEM) are in their second or third decades. Although elderly represent the fastest growing segment of population with epilepsy, only few of them undergo VEM. We critically evaluated the utility of VEM in the diagnosis and long-term management of older adults with paroxysmal behavioral events.

Post-irradiation "acquired cavernous angiomas" with drug resistant seizures.

Cavernomas are well-known congenital vascular lesions with presumably high epileptogenicity. We report two patients who developed cavernomas; both were in remission from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia following standard chemo-radiotherapy. They developed drug-resistant focal epilepsy secondary to cavernomas and were subjected to surgical/medical management.