Purpose: To evaluate the long-term efficacy, tolerability, and safety of oxcarbazepine (OXC) in children with epilepsy.
Methods: We enrolled 36 patients (median age 7.75) with new diagnosis of partial epilepsy in an open prospective study. All type of epilepsy were included: 25 patients were affected by idiopathic epilepsy, eight by symptomatic epilepsy and three by cryptogenic epilepsy. Patients were then scheduled to come back for controls at 3 months (T1), 12 months (T2) and 24 months (T3) after the beginning of OXC-monotherapy (T0). At each control we evaluated patients through their seizure diary, a questionnaire on side effects, their level of 10-monohydroxy (MHD) metabolite and laboratory analysis.
Results: At T1, 21/36 patients (58.3%) were seizure-free, 3/36 patients (8.3%) showed an improvement higher than 50%, 3/36 (8.3%) lower than 50%, while 2/36 worsened (5.6%). In 7/36 (19.5%) patients, no improvement was reported. At T2 13/18 patients (72.2%) were seizure-free, 1/18 showed a response to therapy higher than 50% while 2/18 worsened (11%). In two patients no improvement was reported. A correspondence between MHD plasmatic levels and clinical response (r=0.49; p<0.05) was only registered at T1. An EEG normalization was observed in 25% of cases. Side effects were reported in 25% of cases, but symptoms progressively disappeared at follow-up.
Conclusions: We can therefore conclude that OXC can be considered, for its efficacy and safety, as a first line drug in children with epilepsy.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seizure.2006.02.017 | DOI Listing |
JMIR Form Res
January 2025
Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States.
Background: Social media has become a widely used way for people to share opinions about health care and medical topics. Social media data can be leveraged to understand patient concerns and provide insight into why patients may turn to the internet instead of the health care system for health advice.
Objective: This study aimed to develop a method to investigate Reddit posts discussing health-related conditions.
JMIR Form Res
January 2025
Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.
Background: Patient recruitment and data management are laborious, resource-intensive aspects of clinical research that often dictate whether the successful completion of studies is possible. Technological advances present opportunities for streamlining these processes, thus improving completion rates for clinical research studies.
Objective: This paper aims to demonstrate how technological adjuncts can enhance clinical research processes via automation and digital integration.
JMIR Serious Games
January 2025
School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Optus Chair Digital Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Background: This review explores virtual reality (VR) and exercise simulator-based interventions for individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Past research indicates that both VR and simulator-based interventions enhance cognitive functions, such as executive function and memory, though their impacts on attention vary.
Objective: This study aimed to contribute to the ongoing scientific discourse on integrating technology-driven interventions into the management and evaluation of ADHD.
JMIR AI
January 2025
Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.
Background: In the contemporary realm of health care, laboratory tests stand as cornerstone components, driving the advancement of precision medicine. These tests offer intricate insights into a variety of medical conditions, thereby facilitating diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments. However, the accessibility of certain tests is hindered by factors such as high costs, a shortage of specialized personnel, or geographic disparities, posing obstacles to achieving equitable health care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJMIR Med Inform
January 2025
Department of Systems Design Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
Background: While expert optometrists tend to rely on a deep understanding of the disease and intuitive pattern recognition, those with less experience may depend more on extensive data, comparisons, and external guidance. Understanding these variations is important for developing artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can effectively support optometrists with varying degrees of experience and minimize decision inconsistencies.
Objective: The main objective of this study is to identify and analyze the variations in diagnostic decision-making approaches between novice and expert optometrists.
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