Psychiatric comorbidities before and after cannabidiol treatment in adult patients with drug resistant focal epilepsy.

Cannabidiol oil (CBD) has been approved as an antiseizure medication for the treatment of drug -resistant epilepsy in pediatric patients in 2018 for some special types of epilepsy. Since this time its use was extended to other forms of epilepsy. However, to date, there are few publications on the use of CBD in adult patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy and psychiatric comorbidities.

Psychiatric comorbid disorders and impulsivity in patients with drug-resistant temporal and extra-temporal focal epilepsies.

Purpose: To analyze patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy from temporal (TLE) and extra-temporal origin (ETE) and to compare the prevalence of psychiatric comorbid disorders and impulsivity between them and a control group.

Methods: Consecutively studied patients with TLE and ETE confirmed with Video-EEG were included. Standardized psychiatric assessment was conducted using the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I and II diagnosis of DSM-IV (SCID I-II), the Barrat-11 scale for impulsivity, and Beck inventory for depression.

Impact of surrounding tissue-type and peri-electrode gap in stereoelectroencephalography guided (SEEG) radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF-TC): a computational study.

Purpose: To use computational modeling to provide a complete and logical description of the electrical and thermal behavior during stereoelectroencephalography-guided (SEEG) radiofrequency thermo-coagulation (RF-TC).

Methods: A coupled electrical-thermal model was used to obtain the temperature distributions in the tissue during RF-TC. The computer model was first validated by an model based on liver fragments and later used to study the impact of three different factors on the coagulation zone size: 1) the difference in the tissue surrounding the electrode (gray/white matter), 2) the presence of a peri-electrode gap occupied by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and 3) the energy setting used (power-duration).

Language lateralization in temporal lobe epilepsy: A behavioral screening tool for surgical planning.

Objective: Temporal lobe epilepsy can disturb eloquent areas, affecting language. We applied a visually-mediated task to measure lateralization of language recognition in drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy.

Method: Patients with left ( = 26), right ( = 28) temporal lobe epilepsy and controls ( = 30) were administered the translingual lexical decision task.

Stereo-EEG features of temporal and frontal lobe seizures with loss of consciousness.

The loss of consciousness (LOC) during seizures is one of the most striking features that significantly impact the quality of life, even though the neuronal network involved is not fully comprehended. We analyzed the intracerebral patterns in patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsy, both with and without LOC. We assessed the localization, lateralization, stereo electroencephalography (SEEG) patterns, seizure duration, and the quantification of contacts exhibiting electrical discharge.

Dancing epilepsy: A stereo encephalography case report.

Ictal semiology is essential to identify the epileptogenic zone (EZ), especially in drug-resistant focal epilepsy (DRE), as its accurate identification determines the surgical prognosis. Dancing is highly unusual ictal semiology, and its underlying neural networks remain somehow unclear since both temporal and frontal lobe (FL) have been implicated in its generation. We present a 21-year-old male with DRE characterized by dancing seizures.

Cannabidiol as an adjuvant treatment in adults with drug-resistant focal epilepsy.

Cannabidiol oil (CBD) has been approved as an anti-seizure medication for the treatment of uncommon types of epilepsy, occurring in children: Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. There are few publications in relation to use the CBD in adult patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, safety, and quality of life, of adjuvant treatment with CBD, in adult patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy for at least 6 months.

Perceived stress, resilience, and stress coping in patients with drug resistant epilepsy and functional dissociative seizures.

Purpose: Depression and anxiety are psychiatric disorders related to chronic stress, commonly found in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) and functional dissociative seizures (FDS). The present study compares the levels of perceived stress, resilience, and the styles of stress coping among patients with DRE (n=60), FDS (n=28), and controls (n=31).

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study.

Daily rhythms in right-sided and left-sided temporal lobe epilepsy.

Introduction: Epilepsy is closely related to daily rhythms, such as the sleep-wake cycle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and the parameters related to the sleep-wake cycle, seizure time and epilepsy laterality.

Methods: Consecutive patients admitted to the video electroencephalogram unit with a diagnosis of TLE were enrolled.

Comorbid impulsivity after one year of epilepsy surgery.

Background: Psychiatric comorbidities in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) are frequently observed before and after epilepsy surgery. Impulsivity, defined as behaviors that are poorly conceived, are also frequent among patients with epilepsy. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of comorbid impulsivity in patients with DRE after one year of epilepsy surgery.

Patients' Explanatory Models about drug-resistant epilepsy in Argentina. A thematic analysis.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore explanatory models (EM) about epilepsy in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Design: A qualitative approach gathered data through semi-structured interviews, oriented to gain an in-depth and contextual understanding of EM about epilepsy of patients with DRE. Data collection and analysis were followed by an inductive and interpretive approach informed by the principles of thematic analysis.

Improvements on spatial coverage and focality of deep brain stimulation in pre-surgical epilepsy mapping.

Electrical stimulation mapping (ESM) of the brain using stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) intracranial electrodes, also known as depth-ESM (DESM), is being used as part of the pre-surgical planning for brain surgery in drug-resistant epilepsy patients. Typically, DESM consists in applying the electrical stimulation using adjacent contacts of the SEEG electrodes and in recording the EEG responses to those stimuli, giving valuable information of critical brain regions to better delimit the region to resect. However, the spatial extension or coverage of the stimulated area is not well defined even though the precise electrode locations can be determined from computed tomography images.

Differential Semiology Based on Video Electroencephalography Monitoring Between Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures and Temporal Lobe Epileptic Seizures.

Background: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) are disruptive changes in behavior without ictal correlate of epileptic activity and high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity. Differential diagnosis is difficult particularly with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), which is also associated with high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity. Although video electroencephalography is the gold standard for differential diagnosis, clinical semiology analysis may help the clinician in general medical practice.

Reduced expression of the glucocorticoid receptor in the hippocampus of patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy and comorbid depression.

Objective: Depressive disorders are common among about 50% of the patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The underlying etiology remains elusive, but hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation due to changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein expression could play an important role. Therefore, we set out to investigate expression of the GR in the hippocampus, an important brain region for HPA axis feedback, of patients with drug-resistant TLE, with and without comorbid depression.

Depression and Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Expression Pattern of Calbindin Immunoreactivity in Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus of Patients Who Underwent Epilepsy Surgery with and without Comorbid Depression.

Purpose: Changes in calbindin (CB) expression have been reported in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) with controversial implications on hippocampal functions. The aim of this study was to determine the CB immunoreactivity in hippocampal dentate gyrus of patients who underwent epilepsy surgery for drug-resistant TLE with and without comorbid depression and/or memory deficits.

Methods: Selected hippocampal samples from patients with TLE who underwent epilepsy surgery were included.

Benign thyroid nodule unresponsive to radiofrequency ablation treated with laser ablation: a case report.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation and laser ablation are safe and effective techniques for reducing thyroid nodule volume, neck symptoms, and cosmetic complaints. Therapeutic success is defined as a nodule reduction > 50% between 6 and 12 months after the procedure, but a percentage of nodules inexplicably do not respond to thermal ablation.

Case Presentation: We describe the case of a young Caucasian woman with a solid benign thyroid nodule who refused surgery and who had undergone radiofrequency ablation in 2013.

Quality of Life in Patients Treated with Percutaneous Laser Ablation for Non-Functioning Benign Thyroid Nodules: A Prospective Single-Center Study.

Objective: While many studies have reported that laser ablation (LA) for benign non-fuctioning thyroid nodules is efficacious in reducing nodular volume and neck symptoms, none have described changes in quality of life (QoL). The purpose of this study was to report post-LA changes in QoL in our cohort of patients.

Materials And Methods: Fourteen patients with benign thyroid nodules were involved in a prospective, single-center study and underwent a single session of LA.

A comparison of laser with radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules: a propensity score matching analysis.

Purpose: To compare technique efficacy and safety of laser ablation (LA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treatment of benign thyroid nodules.

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained, and patients' consent was waived. 601 nodules were treated from May 2009 to December 2014 at eight centres, 449 (309 females, age 57 ± 14 years) with LA and 152 (107 females, age 57 ± 14 years) with RFA.

To what extent does depression influence quality of life of people with pharmacoresistant epilepsy in Argentina?

Introduction: Depression is the most frequent psychiatric co-morbidity in patients with epilepsy. Lifetime prevalence of depression is reported more frequently in temporal lobe epilepsy and is estimated at 35%. This co-morbidity appears to be related with various mechanisms.