Topiramate for Treatment in Patients With Migraine and Epilepsy.

Background: Antiepileptic drugs (AED) are often considered first line for monotherapy in treatment of patients with migraines, and also those with comorbid migraine and epilepsy. Topiramate, a newer generation AED, has broad mechanism of action and evidence of benefit in patients with either episodic or chronic migraine along with epilepsy, both generalized and focal.

Methods: Our goal is to review the relevant mechanisms of action along with any supportive evidence published to date on the use of topiramate (TPM) in patients with both migraine headache and epilepsy.

Fall prevention and bathroom safety in the epilepsy monitoring unit.

Falls are one of the most common adverse events occurring in the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) and can result in significant injury. Protocols and procedures to reduce falls vary significantly between institutions as it is not yet known what interventions are effective in the EMU setting. This study retrospectively examined the frequency of falls and the impact of serial changes in fall prevention strategies utilized in the EMU between 2001 and 2014 at a single institution.

Amantadine for patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a critically appraised topic.

Background: Research into traumatic brain injury (TBI) has increased significantly. Diagnostic testing and therapeutics for patients with severe TBI are 2 areas on which there is increasing focus. Amantadine hydrochloride is one treatment considered to have potential therapeutic value in this patient population.

The influence of staffing on diagnostic yield of EMU admissions: a comparison study between two institutions.

Patients with recurrent, stereotyped neurological events of unclear etiology often warrant admission for continuous video-EEG monitoring in an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) for diagnosis. Epilepsy monitoring unit admission duration has been reported to range from days to weeks. To date, there are limited data on the average duration of admission for patients admitted to the EMU for spell classification.

Autonomic dysfunction in adult-onset alexander disease: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Alexander disease (AxD) is an astrogliopathy, resulting from a mutation in the glial fibrillary astrocytic protein gene. Different clinical subtypes have been described, including infantile, juvenile, and adult onset, based upon the age at which symptoms begin. Patients with the adult-onset form, develop a progressive, spastic paraparesis, palatal myoclonus, ataxia, and bulbar weakness.

Determination of hemispheric language dominance in the surgical epilepsy patient: diagnostic properties of functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Presurgical evaluation for refractory epilepsy typically includes assessment of cognitive and language functions. The reference standard for determination of hemispheric language dominance has been the intracarotid amobarbital test (IAT) but functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly used.

Objective: To critically assess current evidence regarding the diagnostic properties of fMRI in comparison with the IAT for determination of hemispheric language dominance.

Ganglion cell regeneration following whole-retina destruction in zebrafish.

The retinas of adult teleost fish can regenerate neurons following injury. The current study provides the first documentation of functional whole retina regeneration in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, following intraocular injection of the cytotoxin, ouabain. Loss and replacement of laminated retinal tissue was monitored by analysis of cell death and cell proliferation, and by analysis of retina-specific gene expression patterns.