Diagnóstico e tratamento de convulsões / Diagnosis and treatment of convulsions

As características, as causas, os cursos e os tratamentos dos vários tipos de convulsões serão aqui apresentados. Os tipos mais comuns de desordens convulsivas são: 1. grande mal, às vezes chamada tônico-clônica generalizada; 2. ausência ou pequeno mal; 3. psicomotora ou complexa parcial; 4. mioclônica ou espasmo convulsivo; e 5. febril, em crianças pequenas. Os tipos de convulsões mais raras são: status epilepticus; atônica; parcial; jacksoniana; e espasmo infantil.

The characteristics, causes, treatment and courses of various types of convulsive disorders are presented here. The most common types of convulsive disorders are: 1. great evil, sometimes called generalized tonic-clonic; 2. absence or petit mal; 3. psychomotor or complex partial; 4. myoclonic or convulsive spasm; and 5. febrile, illness in young children. The types of convulsions are rare: status epilepticus; atonic; partial; jacksonian; and infantile spasms.

Eficiencia y seguridad entre la molecula original y la genérica de oxcarbazepina en niños con epilepsia parcial de reciente diagnóstico / Effectiveness and safety between the original and generic oxcarbacepine molecule in children with partial epilepsy of recent diagnosis

Antecedentes: Los antiepilépticos genéricos como la oxcarbacepina (OXC) se han propuesto como alternativa para niños latinoamericanos con problemas de apego al tratamiento antiepiléptico por motivos económicos. Nos propusimos comparar la eficacia y seguridad de la OXC genérica intercambiable con la original en niños con epilepsia parcial en el Servicio de Neurología del Hospital Infantil de México “Federico Gómez”. Pacientes y Métodos: Ensayo piloto realizado entre Junio 2009 a Junio 2010 en pacientes pediátricos de 2 a 16 años de edad con diagnóstico reciente (1 mes) de epilepsia parcial. Resultados: 22 de 27 pacientes completaron el seguimiento, tenían entre 2 a 13 años de edad y 55% eran varones. Las crisis más frecuentes fueron las parciales complejas (73%), parciales simples 18% y secundariamente generalizadas(9%). Se dio molécula original a 11 pacientes, con control de crisis en 9 (81.8%); el 27.2% (3 pacientes) presentó reacciones adversas. Se dio la molécula genérica a otros 11 pacientes, el control de crisis se dio en 6 pacientes (54.5%), en este grupo 4 pacientes (36.3%) presentó reacciones adversas. Conclusión: El presente estudio piloto mostró tendencia pero sin significancia estadística por el tamaño de la muestra, a un mejor control de crisis y menos efectos adversos en pacientes que tomaron la molécula original. Se requiere de estudio doble-ciego controlado para evaluar mejor la bioequivalencia de ambas moléculas de OXC en nuestros pacientes...

Transsphenoidal encephalocele presenting as complex partial seizure disorder

A 47-year-old man presented with history of recurrent complex partial seizures of 10 years duration with normal clinical findings. Imaging showed a suspected destructive mass lesion in the sphenoid sinus with widespread erosion of the surrounding bone including the temporal base. Transnasal endoscopic sphenoidotomy showed an encephalocele mass, a rare variant of basal encephalocele. Unusual presentation of an encephalocele as a seizure disorder is described

Trans-cortical sub-pial amygdalo-hippocampectomy: technical aspects

To highlight the technical details involved and their impact on seizure control and accordingly the quality of life in patients with complex partial seizures caused by various pathologies during surgical resection of the amygdala and the hippocampus using a simple transcortical transventricular sub-pial approach to the region. Eleven patients presenting with complex partial seizures not responding to medical treatment caused by various pathologies including mesial temporal lobe sclerosis, benign and malignant temporal lobe tumors were operated upon by trans-cortical sub-pial amygdalo-hippocampectomy either alone or combined with other approaches in the period between January 2005 to November 2007. Pre-operatively all patients' symptoms and signs along with medications used for seizure control were documented. Patients were not taken into surgery unless an adequate level of anti-epileptics was documented in serum. An MRI with and without contrast was performed in all patients before surgery. All patients were operated through a standard trans-cortical approach to the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle. Following identification of hippocampus and choroidal fissure and plexus a subpial disconnection of the hippocampus was done from anterior to posterior followed by a subpial amygdalectomy and then the surgical specimen was removed either alone or combined with the tumor. No cortical mapping was used. An awake craniotomy was used in 3 patients with dominant hemisphere lesions. Post operatively all patients were clinically assessed; all neurological deficits were noted and documented. The need for anti-epileptic therapy as well as seizure control was documented. A follow-up MRI was performed 2 months after surgery in all patients to document the extent of resection of amygdala and hippocampus. Functional and radiological outcome were then correlated with surgical technique by analyzing the operative details for each individual case. Patients were followed-up for periods ranging from 6 months to 2 years. Seizure control was classified into four classes according to Engel. Class I were patients no longer having seizures whether or not on treatment. Class II were patients who experienced only one or several seizures, class III patients who were still having seizures but with a less frequency than before and class IV were patients who showed no seizure control following surgery. 11 patients with complex partial seizures caused by various pathologies have been operated using a standard trans-cortical trans-ventricular completely sub-pial approach to the amygdala and the hippocampus for various pathological lesions of the temporal lobe. There were no mortalities or major neurological deficits. One patient developed meningitis, one developed ventriculitis, one developed a temporary partial third nerve palsy. Two patients exhibited a short term memory deficit. Eight patients showed an Engel class I seizure control, two patients showed an Engel class II seizure control and one patient showed an Engel class III seizure control. The trans-cortical trans-ventricular completely sub-pial approach to the amygdala and the hippocampus offers a simple and reliable as well as safe technique for the surgical resection of the amygdala and the hippocampus with results comparable to those of other reported series using more complex approaches to the region

Heart rate analysis differentiates dialeptic complex partial temporal lobe seizures from auras and non-epileptic seizures

The distinction of non-epileptic from epileptic events is difficult even for experienced neurologists. We retrospectively evaluated 59 dialeptic events from 27 patients admitted for video EEG monitoring to check whether heart rate (HR) analysis could help in differentiating dialeptic complex partial temporal lobe seizures (TLS) from dialeptic simple partial TLS, and non-epileptic dialeptic events. Baseline HR was increased in the simple partial TLS in comparison to complex partial TLS and non-epileptic groups (p<0.05). HR increase accompanied each individual dialeptic complex partial TLS (100 percent of the events, p<0.05) bur HR returned to baseline in the post-ictal phase. Ictal HR was not altered in the non-epileptic or simple partial TLS groups. Our findings suggest that ictal centrally mediated tachycardia is characteristic of dialeptic TLS (both tachycardia and bradycardia have been reported during TLS). This finding may be used as a criterion to distinguish dialeptic complex partial TLS from simple partial and non-epileptic dialeptic events.

A distinção entre eventos não epilépticos de epilépticos é difícil mesmo para neurologistas experientes. Analisamos 59 eventos dialéticos de 27 pacientes internados para monitorização por video-EEG para checar se a análise da frequência cardíaca (FC) poderia auxiliar na diferenciação de crises dialépticas parciais complexas de crises dialépticas parciais simples e eventos dialépticos não epilépticos. A freqüência cardíaca basal estava aumentada nos pacientes com crises parciais simples em comparação com o período basal dos grupos parcial complexa e não epiléptico (p<0,05). Houve aumento da freqüência cardíaca em cada crise dialéptica parcial complexa (100 por cento dos eventos, p<0,05), mas a FC retornou aos níveis basais na fase pós-ictal. A FC ictal não foi alterada nos grupos de crises não epiléticas e nos pacientes com crises parciais simples. Nossos achados sugerem que a taquicardia ictal com mediação central é característica de crises parciais complexas dialépticas (tanto taquicardia quanto bradicardia têm sido relatados durante crises temporais parciais complexas). Tal achado poderá ser utilizado como critério para diferenciar crises dialépticas parciais complexas de crises dialépticas parciais simples e eventos dialépticos não epilépticos.

Probable causal link between epilepsy and sleep apnea: case report

Patients with epilepsy were reported to have concomitant sleep apnea, but it has been rarely linked to the epilepsy itself. We present a case of a 28-year-old, obese man with secondary medically resistant partial complex epilepsy due to a brain trauma, with progressive snoring, and sleep agitation, apneas, and important daytime somnolence. It was noticed in the polysomnographic study that he had several sleep respiratory events, probably due both to the epileptic seizures and the sleep apnea syndrome as a co-morbidity. Apnea and epilepsy will be discussed. A careful video-EEG-polysomnography study is important in evaluating refractory epileptic patients and/or epileptic patients with snoring.

Pacientes com epilepsia e concomitante apnéia do sono já foram descritos na literatura, mas raramente foram associados à epilepsia como fator causal desta apnéia. Nós apresentamos o caso de um homem com 28 anos, obeso, com epilepsia parcial complexa farmacorresistente secundária a trauma crânio encefálico e roncos progressivos, sono agitado, apnéias, além de importante sonolência diurna. Foram observados, durante estudo polissonográfico, freqüentes eventos respiratórios durante o sono, provavelmente secundários a crise epilética, além da síndrome de apnéia obstrutiva do sono como uma co-morbidade. Um exame cuidadoso de vídeo-EEG-polissonografia do caso é importante na avaliação de pacientes com epilepsia fármaco resistente e/ou epilépticos com roncos.

value of seizure semiology in lateralizing and localizing partially originating seizures

Diagnosis epilepsy depends heavily on a detailed, and accurate description of the abnormal transient neurological manifestations. Observing the seizures yields important semiologic features that characterize epilepsy. Video-EEG monitoring allows the identification of important lateralizing [left versus right], and localizing [involved brain region] semiologic features. This information is vital for identifying the seizure origin for possible surgical interventions. The aim of this review is to present a summary of important semiologic characteristics of various seizures that are important for accurate seizure lateralization and localization. This would most likely help during reviewing video-EEG recorded seizures of intractable patients for possible epilepsy surgery. Semiologic features of partial and secondarily generalized seizures can be grouped into one of 4 categories including; automatism, speech, motor, and autonomic features. These features will be discussed in detail in this review. However, seizure semiology should be correlated with EEG and MRI findings. Accurate identification of the seizure origin is more likely if focal EEG onset and MRI findings were concordant with the clinical semiology

Recurrent postictal depression with Cotard delusion.

Depression is a common occurrence among epileptic patients and constitutes, along with anxiety disorders, the most frequent psychiatric condition in these patients. However, little work is done in the area of post-ictal depression especially in children with epilepsy. Here, the authors report an adolescent boy who developed recurrent depression associated with Cotard's delusion following complex partial seizure at the age of 7 years. Trial of antidepressant drug and lithium worsened the clinical picture but ultimately he responded well to carbamazepine. This case is unique in its presentation due to recurrent depression itself is rare at this age and secondly rarity of onset of Cotard delusion in prepubertal phase. This case also showed that post-ictal depression is biological process rather than psychological and social reaction. Prompt identification and management of underlying cause would definitely prevent further complication and would also prevent the child from exposing unnecessary with various pharmacological treatments.

Lesão transitória no esplênio do corpo caloso em criança epiléptica com glioma cerebral de baixo grau / Transient lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum in epileptic child with cerebral low grade glioma

Trata-se do relato de caso de menino de sete anos com crises epilépticas parciais complexas secundárias à presença de glioma de baixo grau em região fronto-temporal esquerda, cuja ressonância magnética evidenciou, lesão transitória focal do esplênio do corpo caloso. A revisão bibliográfica através de pesquisa no database MedLine resultou no encontro de descrição de lesão transitória do esplênio do corpo caloso foi relatada em três estudos anteriores, em pacientes portadores de epilepsia. Portanto, a lesão transitória observada no corpo caloso desta criança, provavelmente, tem correlação com as crises epilépticas do lobo temporal e não à presença do glioma de baixo grau cerebral.

The Effects of Hippocampal Sclerosis Revealed by MRI on the Pharmacoresistance of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy / 대한간질학회지

PURPOSE: Hippocampal sclerosis is known to strongly correlate with medical intractability of temporal lobe epilepsy. However, the informations about this have been biased due to improper selection of the sampling obtained from severe cases of tertiary epilepsy center and surgical epilepsy field. We tried to investigate the influence of hippocampal sclerosis on the pharmacoresistance in temporal lobe epilepsy by group comparison study. METHODS: The fifty patients with complex partial seizures of temporal lobe origin, and temporal spike on EEG and/or hippocampal sclerosis on brain MRI were selected. Follow-up period of them were more than 2 years. The patients who had a seizure or seizures during the last 1-year period and had already been in adequate doses of two or more antiepileptic drugs were considered to be poorly controlled epileptics. RESULTS: Five of 17 patients without hippocampal sclerosis (29. 4%) and 24 of 33 patients with hippocampal sclerosis (72.7%) were poorly controlled by medication and the difference was significant (p=0.003, chi-square). Other factors, including sex, age of onset, febrile convulsion, secondary generalization, familial history of epilepsy, duration of disease, and delay of initial therapy had no significant effects on medical response (p>0.05). The only independent predictor of intractable epilepsy after multiple logistic regression analysis was also hippocampal sclerosis (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Medical response in temporal lobe epilepsy was significantly associated with hippocampal sclerosis. Hippocampal sclerosis on brain MRI itself may be a crucial factor determining pharmacoresistance of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Intelligence functions disorders in patients with complex partial epilepsy

OBJETIVO: Comparar o desempenho de pacientes com epilepsia parcial complexa e de sujeitos-controles quanto ao desempenho nos subtestes de um instrumento para avaliação das funções da inteligência. MÉTODO: Foram estudados 50 pacientes epilépticos em série consecutiva, com idade entre 19 e 49 anos. Também foram avaliados 20 sujeitos-controles, sem enfermidades neuropsiquiátricas, para efeito comparativo. Foi aplicado teste de inteligência para adultos de Wechsler-Bellevue em dois grupos, de pacientes e controles. Este teste é constituído de vários subtestes que avaliam funções cognitivas específicas. Os procedimentos de análise estatística foram efetuados segundo testes não-paramétricos. RESULTADOS: Em todos os subtestes do Wechsler-Bellevue, os pacientes apresentaram desempenho das funções da inteligência significativamente inferior ao dos controles (p<0,05), resultados corroborados pelas queixas dos mesmos quanto às funções cognitivas. CONCLUSAO: Pacientes com epilepsia parcial complexa apresentaram resultados significativamente inferiores no teste de inteligência quando comparados aos dos sujeitos sem epilepsia.

Recurrent seizures: an unusual manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The present report highlights an unusual presentation of vitamin B12 deficiency--recurrent seizures in a 26-year-old man. His symptoms responded to parenteral vitamin B12 therapy. The relevant literature is reviewed.

Attentional disorders in patients with complex partial epilepsy

A study of concentrated attention patterns in epileptic patients was conducted with the objectives: characterization of the patients' epileptic condition; assessment of the concentrated attention levels in epileptic and nonepileptic individuals; comparison of the attention levels of the two groups. An evaluation was performed of 50 adult outpatients with complex partial seizures and 20 non-epileptic individuals (comparative group) at the Neuroepilepsy Ambulatory Unit, State University of Campinas SP, Brazil. METHOD: characterization of seizure types, frequency and duration; concentrated attention assessment (Concentrated Attention Test - Toulouse-Piéron); comparison of the epileptic with non-epileptic individuals. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was observed between the groups with regard to Correct Response, Wrong Response and No Response. A difference was observed in relation to Time, but it was statistically insignificant. The epileptic patients presented inferior cognitive performance in relation to concentrated attention when compared with the non-epileptic individuals, findings compatible with the clinical complaints

The lateralizing significance of version of head and dystonic limb posturing in epileptic seizures.

Several clinical signs have been described for lateralization and localization of seizure focus in complex partial seizures; however, the specificity of each of these has been widely debated upon. The present study was done to evaluate 'dystonic unilateral limb posturing' and 'versive head movements' for lateralization and localization of epileptic foci in patients with intractable partial complex seizures, being investigated with long term Video-EEG monitoring. Fifteen patients with 46 seizures, studied with long term Video EEG, had either one or both of these signs. The video recordings of the clinical behaviour were noted and later compared with the corresponding EEG. Unilateral dystonic limb posturing and versive head movements had good lateralising value in complex partial seizures, suggestive of temporal lobe origin, contralateral to the seizure focus, with a specificity of 87.5% and 86% respectively. In addition, turning of the whole body to one side was associated with a contralateral seizure focus in 100% cases. Appendicular automatisms were found to be of no lateralising significance, as they occurred on either side with equal frequency. These motor phenomena should, therefore, be enquired about in detail, during history taking for lateralization or localization of seizure focus.

Depression and dementia of cerebrovascular origin

We report the case of a patient who presented various psychiatric syndromes at the time of evaluation - partial complex epileptic seizures, personality change, and severe depression, which eventually progressed to dementia - resulting from multiple cerebral infarctions of probable neuro-angiopathic origin, of unknown etiology. Aspects related to depression following cerebrovascular accidents, as well as how cerebrovascular accidents can result in different disorders depending on the variables, are discussed based on the data from current literature

Auditory Auras in Complex Partial Epilepsy: Correlation of EEG and MRI Findings / 대한간질학회지

BACKGROUND: Auditory auras are rare but may have localizing value in patients presenting with epilepsy. We conducted the study to correlate the clinical characteristics, EEG and MRI findings in patients with auditory auras. METHODS: We identified 44 epileptic patients (23 male, 21 female) with auditory auras from Yonsei epilepsy registry between 1989 and 2000. All had routine EEG and MRI. These patients were subjected for the classification of lobar epilepsies based on the clinical-EEG-MRI correlations, which aimed at demonstrating 1) the association of auditory auras with temporal lobe epilepsy and 2) the localizing value of auditory auras to the neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy. RESULTS: Auditory auras were elementary in twenty-three, complex in eighteen, and both in three. Twenty patients described auditory aura only, and 24 patients described other associated auras including cephalic sensation, emotional, experiential, autonomic, epigastric, visual, vestibular, and somatosensory phenomena. The classification based on the Clinic-EEG-MRI correlations revealed that 33 of 44 patients (75%) were classified as temporal lobe epilepsy, however, it did not suggest any strong correlations with neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy. CONCLUSION: Auditory aura was strongly related with the temporal lobe epilepsy but it did not provide any further localizing value of seizure origin in patients with TLE.