Fenfluramine: New Treatment for Seizures in Dravet Syndrome.

Investigators for the FAiRE DS Study Group assessed the efficacy and safety of Fenfluramine for treating seizures in patients less than 18 y.o. with Dravet Syndrome in an international double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 119 patients (mean age 9.0 y, 54% male) were enrolled in the study.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Seizure Recurrence After a First Unprovoked Seizure in 815 Neurologically and Developmentally Normal Children.

Limited data exist for health care providers regarding seizure recurrence after a first unprovoked seizure in previously neurologically and developmentally normal children. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess seizure recurrence after a first unprovoked seizure by performing an electronic search in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. Six studies from 2817 met the inclusion criteria. The sample size consisted of 815 neurologically and developmentally normal children (1 month-17.5 years) on no antiepileptic drugs. This systematic review and meta-analysis estimated a recurrence rate within 3 years of 45% (95% CI: 37%, 60%). This estimate provides a touchstone for health care providers who are managing this particular population of children.

The Relative Impact of Sleep and Circadian Drive on Motor Skill Acquisition and Memory Consolidation.

Study Objectives: Sleep during the biological night facilitates memory consolidation. Here we determined the impact of sleep and wake on motor skill learning (acquisition) and subsequent off-line skill improvement (memory consolidation), independent of circadian phase, and compared this to the impact of the endogenous circadian system, independent of whether sleep occurred during the biological night or day. Methods: Participants completed two 8-day sleep laboratory visits, adhering on one visit to a circadian aligned ("normal") sleep schedule for the full duration of the protocol, and on the other to a circadian misaligned (12-hour inverted) schedule, with alignment during the first 3 days, a 12-hour 'slam shift' on Day 4, followed by circadian misalignment during the last 4 days of the protocol. Participants were repeatedly trained and tested on different versions of the finger-tapping motor sequence task across each visit. Results: Sleep facilitated offline memory consolidation regardless of whether it occurred during the biological day or night, while circadian phase had no significant impact. These sleep-related benefits remained after accounting for general motor speed, measured in the absence of learning. In addition, motor skill acquisition was facilitated when the training session followed shortly after sleep, without significant impact of circadian phase (biological morning vs. evening). This effect was largely driven by heightened acquisition in participants who slept during the day and were trained shortly thereafter, that is, when acquisition occurred during the biological evening. These benefits were also retained after controlling for general motor speed. Conclusions: Sleep benefits both the acquisition and consolidation of motor skill regardless of whether they occur during the biological day or night. After controlling for general motor speed, a critical adjustment that few studies perform, these sleep benefits remain intact. Our findings have clear implications for night shift workers who obtain their sleep during the day.

Together but apart: Caring for a spouse with dementia resident in a care facility.

This longitudinal, exploratory study was designed to better understand the lived experience of spousal caregivers age 60 and older providing care to partners with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias resident in a care facility. Twenty eight spousal caregivers were interviewed up to three times over a period of 2 years, and long-term care facility staff from four locations across British Columbia (BC), Canada participated in four focus groups. Thematic analysis of interview and focus group transcripts revealed a central, unifying theme 'together but apart'. The results identify key targets for policy makers and service providers to support positive health and well-being outcomes for spousal caregivers providing care to their partners diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia and living in care facilities.