A European questionnaire survey on epilepsy monitoring units' current practice for postoperative psychogenic nonepileptic seizures' detection.

Background: In cases undergoing epilepsy surgery, postoperative psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) may be underdiagnosed complicating the assessment of postsurgical seizures' outcome and the clinical management. We conducted a survey to investigate the current practices in the European epilepsy monitoring units (EMUs) and the data that EMUs could provide to retrospectively detect cases with postoperative PNES and to assess the feasibility of a subsequent postoperative PNES research project for cases with postoperative PNES.

Methods: We developed and distributed a questionnaire survey to 57 EMUs.

Intraoperative ultrasonography (ioUS) characteristics of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type II b.

Purpose: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is one of the major causes of drug-resistant epilepsy. Surgery has proved to be the treatment of choice, however up to a third of patients experience only partial resection. Ill-defined borders and lesions embedded in eloquent areas are two of the main drawbacks of FCD surgery.

PARADISE 24 instrument: An observational study on psychosocial difficulties, quality of life, and disability levels in patients with epilepsy.

Aim: The aim of this observational study was to test the effectiveness of the PARADISE 24 instrument in describing the psychosocial difficulties (PSDs) reported by people with epilepsy, their relation with disability, and quality-of-life (QoL) levels and, overall, to explore a horizontal epidemiology methodology applied to a sample of patients with epilepsy.

Methods: A convenience sample of 80 adult patients with epilepsy was included in this cross-sectional study. Patients were interviewed using a structured protocol composed of demographic, clinical, and patient-reported outcome measures to collect PSDs associated with epilepsy.

Long-term outcome after limited cortical resections in two cases of adult-onset Rasmussen encephalitis.

Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) is a progressive inflammatory disorder characterized by brain hemiatrophy, unilateral focal deficits, and drug-refractory focal epilepsy. Epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) is a hallmark of the disease. Several immunomodulatory treatments may slow but not halt the disease progression.

Engagement of the medial temporal lobe in verbal and nonverbal memory: assessment with functional MR imaging in healthy subjects.

Background And Purpose: The hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus have a central role in the acquisition of new memories. Although functional MR imaging (fMRI) can provide information on the functional status of these brain regions, it has not reached widespread use in the presurgical assessment of patients undergoing temporal lobectomy. We aimed to evaluate whether simple memory-encoding paradigms could be used to elicit robust activations in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus and to determine the lateralization of verbal and nonverbal memory.

Nodular heterotopia: a neuropathological study of 24 patients undergoing surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy.

Purpose: Despite the availability of detailed electroclinical and imaging data, only a few neuropathological studies of nodular heterotopia have been published. The aim of this study was to describe the neuropathological features of various types of nodular heterotopia obtained from patients undergoing surgery for intractable epilepsy.

Methods: Specimens of heterotopic nodules taken from 24 patients were neuropathologically investigated using routine and immunocytochemical procedures, and the data were compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroclinical findings, and surgical outcomes.

Adult-onset Rasmussen's encephalitis: anatomical-electrographic-clinical features of 7 Italian cases.

Purpose: A limited number of cases of adult-onset Rasmussen's encephalitis (A-RE) have been reported, but the features of the syndrome are still unclear. The aim of this study was to verify the clinical features of A-RE, and outline a noninvasive approach that may allow its early diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: Retrospective evaluation of extensive noninvasive work-up of seven patients with A-RE, including repeat clinical, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging investigations.

Prolonged focal negative motor seizures: a video-EEG study.

Purpose: Focal negative motor (akinetic) seizures are rare ictal events that are diagnostically challenging because they are difficult to differentiate from postictal Todd paresis, transient ischemic attacks, migraine events, and psychogenic episodes.

Methods: We describe a 45-year-old man in whom, after surgical drainage of a right frontoparietal subdural hematoma, prolonged episodes developed with flaccid paralysis of the left arm.

Results: A video-EEG recording demonstrated a close relation between the focal motor impairment and a clear-cut epileptic ictal discharge involving the right perirolandic cortical areas.