Vigabatrin therapy implicates neocortical high frequency oscillations in an animal model of infantile spasms.

Abnormal high frequency oscillations (HFOs) in EEG recordings are thought to be reflections of mechanisms responsible for focal seizure generation in the temporal lobe and neocortex. HFOs have also been recorded in patients and animal models of infantile spasms. If HFOs are important contributors to infantile spasms then anticonvulsant drugs that suppress these seizures should decrease the occurrence of HFOs.

Brief group psychoeducation for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: a neurologist-initiated program in an epilepsy center.

Objective: To evaluate therapeutic efficacy upon augmenting the initial communication to patients regarding the diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) with a novel, brief group psychoeducation administered by the same team that provided the video-electroencephalography (VEEG) confirmed diagnosis and within 4 weeks of the diagnosis.

Methods: Prior to discharge from the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU), a standardized communication strategy was utilized to explain the diagnosis of PNES to all patients prior to enrollment. Enrolled patients were then randomized to either participation in three successive and monthly group psychoeducational sessions (intervention group), or routine seizure clinic follow-up visits (control group).

Infantile spasms.

Infantile spasms are a unique disorder of infancy and early childhood. The average age at onset of infantile spasms is 6 months and the average incidence of the disorder is approximately 0.31 per 1000 live births.

Intact vs. impaired ictal sensorium: does it affect outcome of psychogenic nonepileptic events following disclosure of diagnosis?

It remains uncertain whether particular ictal manifestations of psychogenic nonepileptic events (PNEE) can reflect distinctive psychological processes or prognostic outcomes. We hypothesize that the integrity of ictal sensorium may affect the clinical outcome of PNEE following disclosure of diagnosis. We prospectively studied 47 veterans who were diagnosed with video-EEG-confirmed PNEE, presented with the diagnosis utilizing a standardized communication strategy, and followed for their clinical progress.

Interictal high frequency oscillations in an animal model of infantile spasms.

While infantile spasms is the most common catastrophic epilepsy of infancy and early-childhood, very little is known about the basic mechanisms responsible for this devastating disorder. In experiments reported here, spasms were induced in rats by the chronic infusion of TTX into the neocortex beginning on postnatal days 10-12. Studies of focal epilepsy suggest that high frequency EEG oscillations (HFOs) occur interictally at sites that are most likely responsible for seizure generation.