ABSTRACT
In patients after craniocerebral trauma 24-hour EEG and routine EEG records were obtained. 44 cases were studied between 6 and 38 days after trauma and 45 cases were examined between 6 and 12 months after trauma. The diagnosis of brain commotion in early phase based on neurological examination and computed tomography was made in 22 cases, while in 22 cases late posttraumatic phase was diagnosed. Brain contusion in early and late phase was diagnosed in 22 and 23 cases, respectively. Early after craniocerebral trauma the study demonstrated changes in routine EEG in 8 cases (18.1%), while 24-hour EEG demonstrated them in 26 cases (59.0%), that is three times more as frequently. Changes in 24-hour EEG were found nearly twice as frequently than in routine EEG 6-12 months after trauma (51.0% and 28.9% respectively). In patients with brain commotion in the first week after trauma only 24-hours EEG revealed changes. Late after trauma 24-hour EEG could demonstrate seizure activity more frequently than routine EEG.
Subject(s)
Brain Injuries/physiopathology , Cerebral Cortex/physiopathology , Action Potentials/physiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Brain Concussion/diagnostic imaging , Brain Concussion/physiopathology , Brain Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Cerebral Cortex/diagnostic imaging , Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Electroencephalography/methods , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Monitoring, Physiologic , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
In autumn 1982 during an epidemic of meningitis caused by Coxsackie A9 and ECHO4 viruses 36 patients, usually young, were hospitalized. After 3-4 years 22 of them were subjected to control examinations, carrying out medical examination. EEG, ACG, motor nerve conduction velocity measurements and psychological examinations by the tests od Eysenck, Bender-Koppitz and Wechsler. The studied group comprised 14 men and 8 women with mean age 29.8 years.
Subject(s)
Coxsackievirus Infections/complications , Disease Outbreaks , Echovirus Infections/complications , Meningitis, Viral/complications , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nervous System Diseases/etiology , Poland , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Forty children of epileptic fathers were followed-up for 5 years. The mean age of the children was 10.2 years. Two girls (5%) had mild epilepsy, one child (2.5%) had a major anomaly, and 12 had minor anomalies (30%). Permanent mental impairment was found in 2 children (5%) with infantile cerebral palsy, and another 2 (5%) had borderline mental retardation. During this five-year observation of mental development this development was normal in the remaining children, and in 15% of them the IQ exceeded 116. Emotional disturbances were present in one-fourth of this group and they were connected with poor socioeconomic conditions and family breakdown. Abnormal EEG tracings were found in half the children, and in 40% of them seizure activity was present. The observed regression of seizure activity was related to age. In 60% of the children the general health state (somatic development, frequent infections) was not satisfactory.
Subject(s)
Child Development , Epilepsy/genetics , Fathers , Psychomotor Performance/physiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
The period of survival in the group of 36 boys and 18 girls with SSPE, as well as the condition of 13 living persons were examined. 30 children were treated with isoprinosine. A 3 years-long period of survival was significantly more frequent in the group of 18 children with long-term therapy by isoprinosine in comparison to 24 children without isoprinosine administration. The best results were observed in children with subacute course of the illness and many epileptic seizures. The 13 living persons are strongly damaged. One girl is decerebrated and 5 patients are completely helpless. The indications to isoprinosine therapy in SSPE are discussed.
Subject(s)
Inosine Pranobex/therapeutic use , Inosine/analogs & derivatives , Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis/drug therapy , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Clinical Trials as Topic , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
EEG tracings were analysed in 100 children of 58 fathers with epilepsy. A group of children aged up to 18 years was isolated and in 40 of them serial EEG investigations were carried out during 4-5 years. In this group abnormal tracings were found in 51% of cases, with seizure activity in 31%. In five children (5%) epilepsy was diagnosed. Seizure activity was significantly more frequent in girls than in boys (42.8% vs 19.6%). Seizure activity occurred with similar frequency in children born before or after manifestation of the disease in the father (30.1% and 31.9%). The observation of evolution of seizure activity during 4-5 years suggests that the greatest penetration is at the age of 4-7 years (52.6%) and then it decreases gradually. Non-seizure pathological activity with features of bioelectric immaturity was observed most frequently in the youngest children aged 1-3 years, especially in boys. The evolution of these changes was bidirectional: in most cases the tracings became normal within 4-5 years, in a lower number of cases seizure activity appeared.
Subject(s)
Cerebral Cortex/physiopathology , Epilepsy/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Electroencephalography , Epilepsy/diagnosis , Epilepsy/physiopathology , Fathers , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
In a representative group of 243 epileptic men the frequency of marriages was evidently lower than in the general population: 50.6% and 71.8% respectively, and it was lower than in the group of epileptic women. Men with epilepsy onset prior to 20 years of age and with unfavourable course of the disease married in only about 10% of cases. The number of children in the families of epileptic men--1.3 on average--was lower than in the general population. In the last decade there was a decreasing tendency in the number of marriages contracted and in the number of children in these marriages, which is related, probably, to socioeconomic conditions in industrial regions.
Subject(s)
Epilepsy/psychology , Family Characteristics , Adult , Child , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Poland , Social Adjustment , Social Isolation , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
In a group of 134 children of epileptic mothers abnormal EEG tracings were found in 39.6% of cases, 7 of these children (5.2%) had epileptic seizures. In 92% of cases EEG changes had the character of paroxysmal dysrythmia, and they were significantly more frequent in children aged 5 to 14 years and significantly more frequent in the children of mothers who had had epilepsy before the age of 20 years. Pathological EEG changes were more frequent in daughters than in sons, and in the daughters generalized discharges of centrencephalic type were significantly more frequent. In all families with more than two children at least one child had pathological EEG tracings.
Subject(s)
Electroencephalography , Epilepsy/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Maternal-Fetal Exchange , Pregnancy , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
Seven cases of SLE with concomitant neurological syndromes are reported. In 2 cases brain stroke with right-sided hemiplegia and aphasia developed, in the remaining cases brain-stem stroke with subarachnoid haemorrhage, progressive hemiparesis and signs of intracranial hypertension, chorea, status epilepticus in terminal uraemia were observed. In one case myasthenia coexisted. Severe neurological syndromes were preceded by signs of involvement of other organs and in most cases by low-grade signs of central nervous system involvement. Treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants resulted in significant improvement without complete remission. A retrospective survey of clinical material showed that modern therapeutic methods have improved the prognosis in systemic lupus erythematosus independently of central nervous system involvement.
Subject(s)
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/complications , Nervous System Diseases/etiology , Adult , Cerebrovascular Disorders/etiology , Chorea/etiology , Female , Hemiplegia/etiology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Myasthenia Gravis/etiology , Status Epilepticus/etiology , Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/etiologyABSTRACT
Retrospective inquiry investigations of 263 women with epilepsy at the age above 15 years demonstrated that the reproductive functions in these women were twice lower than in the general population of this region. The number of unmarried was 7% above that in the population, 25% of married epileptic women had no children, and most married women controlled the birth rate resorting frequently to artificial abortions. The index of perinatal mortality of the newborns, dead fetuses and early deaths) was over three times higher than in the population: 88.2 and 25.6 respctively. The risk of spontaneous abortion was 11.3%, the risk of stillbirth 3.9%, the risk of early neonatal death 4.6%. The risk of spontaneous abortion and early neonatal death was higher in the group of women taking anticonvulsants during pregnancy.
Subject(s)
Epilepsy/physiopathology , Fertility , Abortion, Spontaneous/chemically induced , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Anticonvulsants/adverse effects , Epilepsy/drug therapy , Female , Fetal Death/chemically induced , Humans , Middle Aged , Parity , Poland , Population Surveillance , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications/drug therapy , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
The authors describe a boy aged 14 years who had identical signs as those described in 1976 in cases of isolated temporary pharyngeal paralysis (Edin et al). In this syndrome Sullivan and Carlson (1976) observed a rise in the titre of antibodies to Herpes simplex virus, and Nussey (1977) found in it infection caused by Coxsackie type A9 virus. In the presently reported case full serological and virological investigations were not done.
