Introduction: The study assessed the prevalence and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with epilepsy (PWE). Additionally, the course of COVID-19 and its impact on seizure control was investigated.
Material And Methods: Subjects with definite (confirmed by positive RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab or serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies) and probable COVID-19 were identified via telephone survey among PWE treated at the university epilepsy clinic.
Results: Of 252 screened subjects, 17 (6.7%) had definite and 14 (5.5%) probable COVID-19. The percentage of PWE with definite COVID-19 was much higher than the percentage of subjects with confirmed COVID-19 in Polish general population (3.65%). In the heterogenous population of PWE, including patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, physical/intellectual disability, and comorbidities, we were not able to identify any risk factors for contracting COVID-19. The course of infection was mild or moderate in all subjects, not requiring oxygen therapy or respiratory support. The most common symptoms were fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, and loss of smell/taste and continued for approximately 7-21 days, except for loss of smell/taste which lasted usually several weeks. Seizure exacerbation was noted in only one pregnant patient with confirmed COVID-19 and it was likely related to decreased serum level of levetiracetam in the third trimester.
Conclusion: The study provided reassuring findings related to the low risk of seizure exacerbation in PWE during the course of COVID-19. Patients with epilepsy may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Epilepsy characteristics are not likely to modify the risk of COVID-19.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8064834 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.107996 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Electrophysiological characterization of human KCNT1 channel modulators and the therapeutic potential of hydroquinine and tipepidine in KCNT1 mutation-associated epilepsy mouse model.
Acta Pharmacol Sin
January 2025
Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
Patients suffering epilepsy caused by the gain-of-function mutants of the hKCNT1 potassium channels are drug refractory. In this study, we cloned a novel human KCNT1B channel isoform using the brain cDNA library and conducted patch-clamp and molecular docking analyses to characterize the pharmacological properties of the hKCNT1B channel using thirteen drugs. Among cinchona alkaloids, we found that hydroquinine exerted the strongest blocking effect on the hKCNT1B channel, especially the F313L mutant.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPulsatile dexamethasone in patients with Infantile Spasms: A retrospective analysis of a unique therapy regime.
Neuropediatrics
January 2025
Pediatric Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
Objective Infantile Spasms (IS) are an age-specific epilepsy syndrome associated with poor outcome. Sustained and early spasm-control remains the main goal of therapy. We aimed to evaluate a unique pulsatile dexamethasone therapy regime in children with IS, applying a prolonged first pulse in cases of insufficient spasm-control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrediction of Pharmacoresistance in Drug-Naïve Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Using Ictal EEGs Based on Convolutional Neural Network.
Neurosci Bull
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Xinhua Hospital), Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
Approximately 30%-40% of epilepsy patients do not respond well to adequate anti-seizure medications (ASMs), a condition known as pharmacoresistant epilepsy. The management of pharmacoresistant epilepsy remains an intractable issue in the clinic. Its early prediction is important for prevention and diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Prognostic Factors in Children With Status Epilepticus and Status Epilepticus Severity Score Scales.
Behav Neurol
January 2025
Department of Pediatric Psychology, College of Medicine, Balcalı Hospital, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
According to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) 2015 classification, status epilepticus (SE) is a seizure that lasts longer than 5 min or a frequency of more than one seizure within 5 min, without returning to a normal level of consciousness between episodes. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic factors of SE and compare our patients with those of patients treated internationally with the modified status epilepticus severity score (mSTESS) to determine the reliability of this scoring system. The medical records of patients aged 1 month-17 years with SE who were treated at Çukurova University-Balcalı Training and Research Hospital between September 2018 and September 2021 and who were followed in the intensive care unit were included in the study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTemporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS) is associated with a complex genetic architecture, but the translation from genetic risk factors to brain vulnerability remains unclear. Here, we examined associations between epilepsy-related polygenic risk scores for HS (PRS-HS) and brain structure in a large sample of neurotypical children, and correlated these signatures with case-control findings in in multicentric cohorts of patients with TLE-HS. Imaging-genetic analyses revealed PRS-related cortical thinning in temporo-parietal and fronto-central regions, strongly anchored to distinct functional and structural network epicentres.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!