Follow-up of tuberous sclerosis complex complicated by epilepsy in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the treatment outcome and risk factors for intractable seizures in children with tuberous sclerosis complex(TSC)complicated by epilepsy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The medical data of 66 cases of TSC were retrospectively studied.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 66 children with TSC, 47 cases were available for follow-up. The follow-up period ranged from 7 months to 9.3 years (average 4.5 + or - 2.6 years). The patients' present average age was (7.7 + or - 4.1) years (median 8 years). Among the 47 cases, 19 (40%) had infantile spasms, 24 (51%) had tonic seizures, 15 (32%) had partial seizures, and 3 (6%) had tonic-clonic seizures, and additionally, multifocal seizures, atonic seizures, atypical absence seizures and hypomotor seizures each appeared in 1 case (2%) respectively. The average number of antiepileptic drugs used was 1.9 + or - 0.86 (median 1). Among the 47 patients, 12 (26%) still had epileptic seizures and 33 (70%)were seizure-free, and 4% were dead. Three cases underwent surgery and continued to receive medication after surgery. The three patients were seizure-free in a 1.5 years follow-up. Among the 30 children over 7 years old, 17 cases (57%) were enrolled in ordinary schools, 3 cases (10%) in special schools and the other 10 cases were off-school for disabilities of intelligence and speech. The non-conditional logistic regression showed that the age of onset (RR=1.8, 95% CI 1.0- 3.2, P=0.050), administration of multiple antiepileptic drugs (RR=4.8, 95% CI 1.2-18.6, P=0.024), tonic seizures (RR=0.003, 95% CI 0.0- 0.2, P=0.04) and sex (RR=0.016, 95% CI 0.0-0.5, P=0.017) were risk factors for intractable seizures.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The majority (70%) of children with TSC complicated by epilepsy can be seizure-free with suitable treatment. The risk factors of poor outcome in seizure control may involve in the early onset age, tonic seizures and the administration for multiple anti-epileptic drugs.</p>

Controlling methods of clinical research on acu-moxibustion commonly used of abroad / 中国中西医结合杂志

With the application of scientific studying methods, the level of clinical study has been improved greatly, and people has been paid more attention to scientific evaluation of the clinical effect of Chinese medicine and acu-moxibustion. Formerly, because of lack in acceptance and application of modern scientific studying methods in Chinese clinical acu-moxibustion researchers, their achievements weren't approved by the international academy for the faulty model of study. Randomized Control Trial (RCT) is the golden standard method widely accepted at present, so it is of great importance for clinical acu-moxibustion researchers to exert control methods correctly and effectively. The commonly used controlling methods of overseas clinical acu-moxibustion studies were discussed in this article in order to give some suggestion and benifits to the internal acu-moxibustion clinical researchers.