Translation to Portuguese and cross-cultural adaptation of the epilepsy transition readiness checklist for use in Brazil.

Objectives: Planning for the child and adolescent to have a safe handling in the epilepsy transition process is essential. In this work, the authors translated the "Readiness Checklists" and applied them to a group of patients and their respective caregivers in the transition process to assess the possibility of using them as a monitoring and instructional instrument.

Methods: The "Readiness Checklists" were applied to thirty adolescents with epilepsy and their caregivers.

A cognitive rehabilitation program to improve hot and cool executive dysfunction in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: Preliminary findings.

Objective: Executive and attentional deficits are often described in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME). We aimed to evaluate the short-term impact of rehabilitation developed for the most frequent cognitive deficits of persons with JME.

Methods: Thirty-three patients entered this study which consisted of 12 individual sessions once a 60-minute week, divided into planning/organization, attention, and impulsivity.

The COVID-19 outbreak and PNES: The impact of a ubiquitously felt stressor.

Objective: We aimed to assess frequency of functional seizures or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) during the COVID-19 outbreak and to recognize possible factors associated with worsening in this population.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted during the second phase of the pandemic, adult patients with PNES documented by video-EEG and followed up in two tertiary epilepsy centers responded to a structured telephone survey. Data were gathered on demographics, clinical features and frequency of PNES, history of psychiatric comorbidity, access to treatment, as well as on anxiety (GAD-7 items) and depressive symptoms (NDDI-E).

Seizure control and anxiety: Which factor plays a major role in social adjustment in patients with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy?

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the presence of anxiety disorder and severity of anxiety symptoms in an extensive series of consecutive patients with JME and its association with epilepsy-related factors. In addition, we evaluated the impact of anxiety and clinical variables on social adjustment.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated 112 (56.

Clinical characteristics of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures across the lifespan: An international retrospective study.

Purpose: Previous studies from a few countries have reported semiological differences in younger children compared with adolescents or adults with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs). This study tested the hypothesis that semiological, demographic, and historical risk factors vary with different ages of PNES onset in a large cohort from different countries.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we investigated patients consecutively referred for PNES, who were admitted to epilepsy monitoring units in Iran, Brazil, Venezuela, Canada, Argentina, and USA.

Dissociation between decision making under ambiguity and risk in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

Introduction: Decision making (DM) is one aspect of impulsivity that can be defined by the ability to decide between two or more options in a given situation. To date, there are at least two types of DM that differ in the level of uncertainty, and how much information about consequences is provided. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the two domains of DM - under risk and ambiguous - with a comprehensive evaluation in a group of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), and correlate with patients' characteristics, clinical variables, and neuropsychological evaluation for executive functions.

Association between the Occurrence of Primary Hypothyroidism and the Exposure of the Population Near to Industrial Pollutants in São Paulo State, Brazil.

Background: Environmental agents interfere with thyroid function at multiple levels. This study was to investigate the association between pollutant concentrations and the primary hypothyroidism (PH) occurrence odds in residents living in the Capuava Petrochemical Complex (CPC) influence area.

Methods: This area was evaluated with the combination of the AERMOD dispersion model with the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) meteorological model (2016).

Adult-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A multicenter international study.

Purpose: The aim of this multicenter international cross-cultural study was to compare clinical variables in a large sample of people with adult-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES).

Methods: In this retrospective study, we evaluated persons with documented PNES, who were older than 16 years of age at the onset, from four countries (i.e.

Sex differences in demographic and clinical characteristics of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A retrospective multicenter international study.

Purpose: Sex-related differences have been reported in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. It is also plausible to assume that there might be differences between females and males with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES).

Methods: In this retrospective study, we investigated patients with PNES, who were admitted to the epilepsy monitoring units at centers in Iran, the USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela.

Pediatric-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A retrospective international multicenter study.

Purpose: We compared various clinical characteristics of pediatric-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) between patients from five countries. The purpose of this study was to advance our understanding of pediatric-onset PNES cross-culturally.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we compared consecutive patients with PNES with an age at onset of 16 years and younger from epilepsy monitoring units in Iran, Brazil, the USA, Canada, and Venezuela.

Higher transcription alleles of the MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism are associated with higher seizure frequency in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Background: There is evidence of an imbalance in the neuromodulatory system mediated by serotonin (5-HT) in patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). This study analyzed the monoamine oxidase A promoter variable number of tandem repeats (MAOA-uVNTR) polymorphism in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS). Therefore, we assessed the association between this genetic variant and seizure predisposition and severity in patients with TLE-HS.

BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is not related with temporal lobe epilepsy caused by hippocampal sclerosis in Brazilian population.

Purpose: Some variants of the brain derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) gene, namely the Val66Met (rs6265), may contribute the risk for epilepsy development. We aimed to investigate if this polymorphism was associated with the risk for epilepsy development in TLE-HS and its correlation with epilepsy-related factors and the presence of psychiatric disorders.

Methods: We assessed 119 patients with unequivocal TLE-HS and 112 healthy controls.

Genetic polymorphisms of the 5HT receptors are not related with depression in temporal lobe epilepsy caused by hippocampal sclerosis.

Background: Temporal lobe epilepsy caused by hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS) is the most frequent form of drug-resistant epilepsy in adults. Mood disorders are the most frequent psychiatric comorbidities observed in these patients. Common pathophysiological mechanisms of epilepsy and psychiatric comorbidities include abnormalities in the serotonin pathway.

Semiology of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: An international cross-cultural study.

Purpose: We compared the semiology of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) between patients from the USA and Brazil. This international cross-cultural comparative study may expand understanding of PNES across the borders.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated all patients with PNES admitted to one epilepsy center in the USA and one in Brazil.

The approach to patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures in epilepsy surgery centers regarding diagnosis, treatment, and education.

Previous studies, using surveys, provided an understanding about how health-care providers address patients with PNES. To date, there is limited information on the management of patients with PNES by tertiary referral centers for epilepsy. In this study, we surveyed 11 Brazilian epilepsy center directors about diagnosis, treatment, education and research on PNES.

Risk Factors for Diagnostic Delay in Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures Among Children and Adolescents.

Background: This study aims to analyze a series of pediatric patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) to establish the diagnostic gap and possible risk factors for the delayed diagnosis in this age group.

Methods: We evaluated all children with PNES documented by video electroencephalography. None had a previous diagnosis of PNES.

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: should we use response to AEDS as a red flag for the diagnosis?

Purpose: Lack of response to anti-epileptic drugs (AEDS) is considered a "red flag" pointing to a diagnosis of Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES). On the other hand, placebo effects are relevant in any medical condition with a complex psychosocial component. We aimed to evaluate the presence and frequency of a placebo response in patients with sole PNES and explore its impact on diagnostic delay.

Semiology of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: age-related differences.

The few studies addressing semiology of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) in children showed that this group differs from adults, considering the classical signs described. Our study with systematic assessment provides a direct comparison of the classical signs of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) in children and adults in order to establish the usefulness of the most important signs described for adults in children. Video-EEG recordings of patients with PNESs from 2006 to 2011 were analyzed.

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures at a tertiary care center in Brazil.

Although psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are a worldwide phenomenon, most of our knowledge addressing clinical characteristics is based on studies conducted in the USA, Europe, and Australia. There are scarce data about PNES in South American countries. This study provided a detailed analysis of the demographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics of 102 Brazilian patients with PNES.

Pancreatic insufficiency in HIV: is it possible?

Pancreatic involvement in AIDS is very important and common, but there are few studies in the literature concerning the pancreas in AIDS. Therefore, our research involves an important issue in the pancreatic field. The objective of the study was to evaluate the profile of HIV-infected patients with probable exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and its relation to the degree of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Validation of fecal elastase-1 determination using immunoenzymatic assay in HIV-infected patients.

Pancreatic elastase-1 is a proteolytic enzyme exclusively produced in the pancreas, is stable when passing through the bowel, and its determination is associated with chronic pancreatitis. The clinical diagnosis of pancreatitis is based on anamnesis, physical examination, radiological, sonographic, endoscopic, and laboratory findings. Nowadays, there is a test for the determination of fecal elastase-1, by enzymatic reaction (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA), which specifically determines human elastase-1, promoting the pancreatic function evaluation.