Position Statement on the Use of Medical Cannabis for the Treatment of Epilepsy in Canada.

In Canada, recreational use of cannabis was legalized in October 2018. This policy change along with recent publications evaluating the efficacy of cannabis for the medical treatment of epilepsy and media awareness about its use have increased the public interest about this agent. The Canadian League Against Epilepsy Medical Therapeutics Committee, along with a multidisciplinary group of experts and Canadian Epilepsy Alliance representatives, has developed a position statement about the use of medical cannabis for epilepsy.

Perceived need for restrictions on activity for children with epilepsy.

Background: Children and youth with epilepsy have long been subjected to excessive restrictions on extracurricular activities due to concerns over risk of injury. Over time physicians and medical regulatory associations have liberalized the advice given for people with epilepsy to promote independence, self-esteem and general health benefits of physical activity. Current evidence suggests that few restrictions are needed for children with epilepsy beyond water-related precautions and avoidance of very high-risk activities.

Hemispheric polymicrogyria and neonatal seizures: a potentially life-threatening combination.

Polymicrogyria (PMG) is a heterogeneous malformation of cortical development characterized by excessive gyration and abnormal cortical lamination. Typically, bilateral forms have more severe developmental delay and early-onset epilepsy, but the full spectrum of severity remains ill-defined. We report two cases of right hemispheric PMG and neonatal-onset, drug-resistant seizures culminating in early death.

Alice in wonderland and other migraine associated phenomena-evolution over 30 years after headache diagnosis.

Background: The International Classification of Headache Disorders-III beta includes a number of episodic syndromes associated with migraine. Those who treat pediatric headaches are aware of a number of other phenomena (such as the Alice in Wonderland syndrome) which are thought to occur as precursors of migraine. There is no available data on the course of these phenomena over the decades following childhood headache diagnosis.

The prognosis of pediatric headaches--a 30-year follow-up study.

Background: Although headaches in childhood are common, there are few data available on their long-term prognosis. We have monitored a group of patients since diagnosis in 1983.

Methods: Patients who were part of the 20-year follow-up study in 2003 were contacted, and data were collected using a standardized telephone interview.

What do patients and families want from a child neurology consultation?

Understanding what patients and their parents want is essential to plan appropriate patient-centered care. Questionnaires were distributed to 500 consecutive children and parents seen for their first pediatric neurology consultation. Both patients and their families answered questions about their expectations of the consultation, their level of worry, and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire.

Epilepsy and activity--a population-based study.

Purpose: To compare the activity profiles of a nationally representative sample of individuals with epilepsy compared to the general population.

Methods: The Canadian Community Health Survey is a cross-sectional survey that uses a stratified cluster sample design to obtain information on Canadians 12 years of age or older. Data on activity and energy expenditure, among those aged 12-39 years, were compared for those who reported having epilepsy and the remainder of the population.

Caffeine as an adjuvant to ibuprofen in treating childhood headaches.

In adults, caffeine has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of most analgesics, including ibuprofen. This double-blind cross-over pilot study evaluated the effect of ibuprofen and caffeine compared with ibuprofen and placebo in 12 children with headaches. Patients completed diaries for both headaches.

Headaches in the pediatric population.

Headaches are an extremely common complaint encountered in the pediatric population. The headache history establishes the diagnosis in the vast majority and most importantly identifies features suggesting a secondary cause. The headache history outlined will aid in headache classification and screen for ominous causes.

Activity levels among adolescents with migraine.

Data was analyzed from the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey. A total of 17,549 adolescents reported whether they had "migraine headaches" (response rate 99.9%) and in what exercise activities they participated.