New-onset lesional and nonlesional epilepsy in the US population: Patient characteristics and patterns of antiepileptic drug use.

Purpose: Describe treatment patterns in patients from the United States with new-onset epilepsy, comparing those with and without lesional epilepsy.

Methods: In this observational study we used Truven Health MarketScan databases derived from commercial health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid claims covering at least 5 years, commencing in 2008. We identified incident epilepsy cases based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes indicating epilepsy or recurrent seizures, taking into account antiepileptic drug (AED) claims, consistent with International League Against Epilepsy Commission on Epidemiology recommendations.

Expression of interleukin-18 in muscle tissue of patients with polymyositis or dermatomyositis and effects of conventional immunosuppressive treatment.

Objectives: To investigate the expression of IL-18 in symptomatic and asymptomatic muscle tissues of patients with PM and DM and the effects of conventional immunosuppressive treatment on such expression.

Methods: Two cohorts of patients were included in this study. The first cohort consisted of 10 new-onset myositis patients.

Patient characteristics and treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy: A US database analysis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine patient characteristics and antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy in a United States (US) population followed for ≥180 days.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, Commercial, Supplemental Medicare, and Medicaid insurance claims from US-based Truven Health MarketScan® claims database were analyzed for incident epilepsy cases (index date: January 2010-June 2013; prior baseline of 2 years [1 year for ages 1 to <2 years; none for those <1 year]). Cases met epilepsy criteria consistent with the International League Against Epilepsy diagnostic guidelines, with continuous medical and pharmacy enrollment without an epilepsy or seizure diagnosis or AED prescription during baseline.

The primary prevention of epilepsy: A report of the Prevention Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy.

Among the causes of epilepsy are several that are currently preventable. In this review, we summarize the public health burden of epilepsy arising from such causes and suggest priorities for primary epilepsy prevention. We conducted a systematic review of published epidemiologic studies of epilepsy of 4 preventable etiologic categories-perinatal insults, traumatic brain injury (TBI), central nervous system (CNS) infection, and stroke.

Early-life febrile seizures worsen adult phenotypes in Scn1a mutants.

Mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene SCN1A, encoding the Na1.1 channel, are responsible for a number of epilepsy disorders including genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) and Dravet syndrome (DS). Patients with SCN1A mutations often experience prolonged early-life febrile seizures (FSs), raising the possibility that these events may influence epileptogenesis and lead to more severe adult phenotypes.