Long-Term Home EEG Recording: Wearable and Implantable Devices.

SUMMARY: Electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring has served as a cornerstone in the diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of epilepsy since its development. This has been accomplished with short-term inpatient video-EEG hospitalization enabling observation of both the semiological and the electrographic features of seizures or with short-term home ambulatory EEG or video-EEG. The advantages of inpatient video-EEG monitoring are limited by high cost, inconvenience, and inability to monitor patients for long periods (weeks or months) as might be done in the outpatient setting. This limitation has impelled the development of wearable EEG devices, which aim to capture high-quality long-term EEG data in a user-friendly and unobtrusive manner. This review article aims to summarize three broad categories of wearable EEG devices, including scalp, subcutaneous, and intracranial EEG. In this review, we will discuss the features of each type of device and the implications for the management of epilepsy. This review does not aim to describe every wearable EEG device on the market but instead seeks to provide a broad overview of the various categories of device that are available, giving examples of each and those in development (with no intention to recommend or advocate for any particular product).

Discerning the Role of Autoimmunity and Autoantibodies in Epilepsy: A Review.

Importance: The literature on neural autoantibody positivity in epilepsy has expanded over the last decade, with an increased interest among clinicians in identifying potentially treatable causes of otherwise refractory seizures. Observations: Prior studies have reported a wide range of neural autoantibody positivity rates among various epilepsy populations, with the highest frequency reported in individuals with focal epilepsy of unknown cause and new-onset seizures. The antibodies in some cases are of uncertain significance, and their presence can cause conundrums regarding therapy. Conclusions and Relevance: There is likely some role for neural autoantibody assessment in patients with unexplained epilepsy who lack clear evidence of autoimmune encephalitis, but the clinical implications of such testing remain unclear owing to limitations in previous published studies. A framework for study design to bridge the current gaps in knowledge on autoimmune-associated epilepsy is proposed.

A review of a diazepam nasal spray for the treatment of acute seizure clusters and prolonged seizures.

INTRODUCTION: Some people with epilepsy experience acute repetitive seizures (ARS), also termed seizure clusters, which have a negative impact on patient and caregiver quality of life, emotional wellbeing, daily function, and may pose risk of injury or death. In addition, these events increase healthcare utilization in emergency departments and hospitals, which might be avoided with use of an at-home rescue medication. Intranasal formulations of benzodiazepines used as rescue medications provide a means of delivering rescue medication that is socially acceptable and more easily administered than rectal drug. AREAS COVERED: This article provides a review of intranasal diazepam covering development, pharmacokinetics, dosing, safety, adverse effects, and efficacy. The authors compare it with rectal diazepam and intranasal midazolam. EXPERT OPINION: Intranasal rescue drugs are a valuable treatment modality for seizure clusters and prolonged seizures that are effective and well tolerated with the potential to enhance patient quality of life, reduce the incidence of seizure-related injury, and lessen the need for hospital visits. The literature does not provide evidence comparing the various rescue agents, and head-to-head comparison studies are needed. An inhaled benzodiazepine as a seizure rescue drug is currently undergoing clinical trials.