Effect of Number of Previous Antiseizure Medications on Efficacy and Tolerability of Adjunctive Brivaracetam for Uncontrolled Focal Seizures: Post Hoc Analysis.

Introduction: The aim was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive brivaracetam (BRV) in adults with severely drug-resistant focal seizures versus adults with less drug-resistant disease.

Methods: Data were pooled from patients with focal seizures on 1-2 concomitant antiseizure medications (ASMs) randomized to BRV 50, 100, 200 mg/day, or placebo in 3 phase 3 trials (N01252 [NCT00490035], N01253 [NCT00464269], and N01358 [NCT01261325]) with a 12-week treatment period. Outcomes were assessed in patients with ≥ 5 and 0-4 previous ASMs (stopped before trial drug initiation).

Usefulness of saliva for perampanel therapeutic drug monitoring.

Objective: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) helps optimize drug management for patients with epilepsy. Salivary testing is both noninvasive and easy, and has several other advantages. Due to technical advances, salivary TDM has become feasible for several drugs, including AEDs, and its value has been investigated.

Outdoor artificial light at night, obesity, and sleep health: Cross-sectional analysis in the KoGES study.

Obesity is a common disorder with many complications. Although chronodisruption plays a role in obesity, few epidemiological studies have investigated the association between artificial light at night (ALAN) and obesity. Since sleep health is related to both obesity and ALAN, we investigated the association between outdoor ALAN and obesity after adjusting for sleep health.

Altered Network Characteristics of Spike-Wave Discharges in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a disease marked by hypersynchronous bursts of neuronal activity; therefore, identifying the network characteristics of the epileptic brain is important. Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) represents a common, idiopathic generalized epileptic syndrome, characterized by spike-and-wave discharge (SWD) electroencephalographic (EEG) waveforms. We compare herein the network properties of periods of SWD and baseline activity using graph theory.

Prognosis of spontaneous cervical artery dissection and transcranial Doppler findings associated with clinical outcomes.

Objectives: We categorised spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCAD) by radiological features and investigated factors associated with favourable outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 128 patients with sCAD with a median follow-up duration of 25 months. Twenty-nine constituted the aneurysm group, 52 the stenotic group, and 47 the occlusive group.

Recurrent syncope triggered by temporal lobe epilepsy: ictal bradycardia syndrome.

Ictal asystole is potentially lethal, and known to originate from the involvement of limbic autonomic regions. Appropriate treatment must include an antiepileptic drug and the implantation of a pacemaker. We report the case of a 54-year-old male with recurrent syncope secondary to ictal asystole triggered by temporal lobe epilepsy.

Leisure time physical activity in patients with epilepsy in Seoul, South Korea.

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequencies of and barriers to leisure time physical activity (LTPA) of people with epilepsy (PWE), and influencing factors, particularly those related to mood. Data were obtained from 178 PWE who visited the Seoul National University Hospital outpatient clinic in January and February 2007. Most PWE reported not being involved in LTPA as much as they wished.

Increased circulating endothelial microparticles and carotid atherosclerosis in obstructive sleep apnea.

Background And Purpose: Endothelial impairment is a linking mechanism between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiovascular diseases. Profiles of endothelial microparticles (EMPs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) reflect the degree of endothelial impairment. The aims of this study were to measure the levels of EMPs and progenitor cells in OSA, determine the correlations between these factors and OSA severity and the degree of atherosclerosis, and document any changes in these factors after therapy.

Changes in neuropsychological functioning following temporal lobectomy in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the changes in neuropsychological functioning in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) after temporal lobe resection.

Methods: Fifty-four TLE patients were evaluated before and after surgery using comprehensive neuropsychological tests to assess general intelligence, executive functioning, language, verbal and visual memory, working memory, visuo-spatial ability, attention and motor function.

Results: The patients with left TLE showed no impairment of neuropsychological functioning after surgery, with the exception of auditory immediate memory.

Reliability of semiology description.

Objective: Seizure semiology is important for classifying patients' epilepsy. Physicians usually get most of the seizure information from observers though there have been few reports on the reliability of the observers' description. This study aims at determining the reliability of observers' description of the semiology.

Clinico-electrical Characteristics of Lateral Temporal Lobe Epilepsy; Anterior and Posterior Lateral Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Background And Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether there are clinicoelectrical differences between anterior lateral temporal lobe epilepsy (ALTLE) and posterior lateral temporal lobe epilepsy (PLTLE), taking medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) as a reference.

Methods: We analyzed the historical information, ictal semiologies, and ictal EEGs of temporal lobe epilepsy patients with a documented favorable surgical outcome (Engel class I or II) at follow-up after more than one year. LTLE was defined when a discrete lesion on MRI or an ictal onset zone in invasive study was located outside the collateral sulcus.