The effect of serum levetiracetam concentrations on therapeutic response and IL1-beta concentration in patients with epilepsy.

Objective: Assessment of the relevance between serum drug concentration to its therapeutic response is a valid monitoring strategy for the clinical efficacy of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Levetiracetam (LEV) is a broad spectrum AED with a possible anti-inflammatory effect. We aimed to determine the relationship between LEV concentrations and its therapeutic response, and the effect of LEV on IL1-beta concentrations in patients with epilepsy.

Genetic resistance to kindling associated with alterations in circuit function.

How a seizure spreads from a focal onset zone to other regions of the brain is not well understood, and animal studies suggest that there is a genetic influence. To understand how genetic factors may influence seizure spread, we examined whether the kindling resistance of WAG/Rij rats, which are slow to develop kindled motor seizures, is independent of the site of seizure induction and thus a global phenomenon, or whether it is circuit specific. We compared the kindling rates (number of stimulations to induce kindled motor seizures) of WAG/Rij rats to the rates of kindling in Sprague Dawley rats.

Effective Valsalva maneuvering during TCCD and unrevealed etiology of RLS.

Either transcranial color-coded Doppler (TCCD) or contrast echocardiography (CE) is the bests of clinically applicable and reproducible methods to evaluate the functionality of right-to-left shunts that can be found in different localization on atrial septum. As the anatomical features of right-to-left shunts could vary in many forms, detection of RLS by functional tests may aid the clinician to do risk prediction and management of patients. Sensitivity of TCDD or CE can be increased by performing effective Valsalva maneuvering during the test procedure.

Splinting is effective for night-only symptomatic carpal tunnel syndrome patients.

[Purpose] Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common entrapment neuropathy of the median nerve. Splinting is one of the most used conservative treatment methods for carpal tunnel syndrome. The aim of this study was to show the effectiveness of splinting in carpal tunnel syndrome patients who were divided into two groups according to their level of symptoms.

A model of posttraumatic epilepsy after penetrating brain injuries: effect of lesion size and metal fragments.

Objective: Penetrating brain injury (PBI) has the highest risk for inducing posttraumatic epilepsy, and those PBIs with retained foreign materials such as bullet fragments carry the greatest risk. This study examines the potential contribution of copper, a major component of bullets, to the development of epilepsy following PBI.

Methods: Anesthetized adult male rats received a penetrating injury from the dorsal cortex to the ventral hippocampus from a high speed small bit drill.

Flow diverter as a rescue therapy for a complicated basilar angioplasty.

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease is a major cause of ischemic stroke. Stenting and aggressive medical management for preventing recurrent stroke in intracranial stenosis was terminated prematurely due to a high stroke and death rate in patients randomized for intracranial stent placement. However, for some patients, angioplasty and/or stent placement remains the best approach.

Serum asymmetric dimethylarginine levels in diabetic patients with neuropathy.

Objective: The goal of our study was to evaluate the role of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in patients with diabetic neuropathy.

Materials And Methods: In this study, 58 diabetic patients and 26 healthy volunteers were included. In both groups ADMA measurements were performed together with other biochemical examinations.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in an airline pilot.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common types of peripheral vertigo, characterized by violent whirling vertigo after a positional change. Although the condition is termed "benign," the clinical presentation can be incapacitating for pilots in certain maneuvers. We present a case of an airline transport pilot with the complaint of vertigo for 5 d.