Raphael's last painting reveals, in the upper half of the picture, Christ's transfiguration on Mount Tabor and, in the lower half, the young boy's epileptic seizure at the foot of the mountain in the presence of the other disciples. Raphael depicts both events, which are told in succession in the Gospels, as if they took place at the same time. By synchronizing both scenes Raphael demonstrated a significant correspondence between Christ and the epileptic boy, which reveals the epileptic seizure as a symbolic representation of a transcendent event. This metaphysical aspect of epilepsy depicted by Raphael can also be found in the corresponding biblical passages. In the Gospels, the metamorphosis caused by the epileptic seizure is used as a simile for Christ's transfiguration through suffering, death, and resurrection.

Bible↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sleep microstructure and EEG epileptiform activity in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

Clinical and EEG manifestations of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) occur in a strict relationship to the sleep-wake cycle, particularly to transition phases (awakening, falling asleep, afternoon relaxation after work). JME manifestations are deactivated during sleep. Because arousal fluctuations during NREM sleep may be controlled by the same neurophysiologic mechanisms regulating awakening, we studied the relationship between the cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) and JME manifestations. All-night polysomnographic recordings of 10 JME patients were analyzed for variations of epileptiform EEG abnormalities in relation to sleep stages and to different microstructural variables (NCAP, CAP, phases A and B). CAP rates (ratio between total CAP duration and total NREM sleep duration) were also calculated. Average CAP rate was 46.70%, significantly higher than that (23%) of an age-matched control group. Macrostructural analysis showed only a trend toward a slight predominance of EEG epileptiform activity during slow wave sleep but no significant correlation between spiking rates and sleep stages. Microstructural analysis confirmed the CAP modulation of EEG epileptiform activity, with maximum appearance of epileptiform abnormalities during phase A CAP (normalized spiking rate = 4.00 +/- 0.98) and strong inhibition during phase B (0.06 +/- 00.6). Intermediate values were noted during NCAP (0.54 +/- 0.27). No correlation was noted between spiking rates during NREM sleep and CAP rates, possibly indicating that in JME patients the increased CAP rate may be partially independent of epileptiform EEG activity. Our data suggest that in JME patients CAP may be a neurophysiologic oscillator organizing expression of the epileptiform discharges independent of the tendency of the individual patient to produce epileptiform EEG discharges.

Activity Cycles↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Possible association of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy with HLA-DRw6.

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is a clearly defined subform of idiopathic generalized epilepsy with a high aggregation of epilepsy in family members. With the HLA-system used as a genetic marker, a linkage between JME and the HLA region was demonstrated. Linkage with the HLA region suggests that JME may be associated with an HLA-antigen. An association could indicate that the gene lies in the HLA region and is in linkage disequilibrium with one of the HLA-antigens. Eighty-eight unrelated patients with JME were typed for the HLA-A and HLA-B locus, 77 were typed for the HLA-C locus, and 76 were typed for the DR locus. The antigen frequency was compared with those of healthy blood donors. The highest difference was noted in the frequency of DRw6 (39.5% in patients vs. 22.1% in controls). This weak association is open to question because DRw6 is known to split into DRw13 and DRw14.

Epilepsies, Myoclonic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The EEG in primary and secondary psychomotor epilepsy].

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Electroencephalography↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Epilepsy from a metaphysical perspective: an interpretation of the biblical story of the epileptic boy and Raphael's Transfiguration].

Raphael's last painting reveals, in the upper half of the picture, Christ's transfiguration on Mount Tabor and, in the lower half, the young boy's epileptic seizure at the foot of the mountain in the presence of the other disciples. Raphael depicts both events, which are told in succession in the Gospels, as if they took place at the same time. By synchronizing both scenes, Raphael demonstrated a significant correspondence between Christ and the epileptic boy which reveals the epileptic seizure as a symbolic representation of a transcendental event. This metaphysical aspect of epilepsy depicted by Raphael can also be found in the corresponding biblical passages. In the Gospels, the metamorphosis caused by the epileptic seizure is used as a simile for Christ's transfiguration through suffering, death and resurrection.

Bible↗