The duration of an ambulatory electroencephalogram (aEEG) necessary to record epileptic seizures was studied in neurological patients. A total of 2221 aEEG recordings were made for 2035 inpatients. Ambulatory EEG lasting 1 to 8 days (mean, 1.6 days) included seizures or typical undiagnosed symptomatic attacks in 750 recordings (34%), and 266 of them were epileptic in origin. Symptomatic attacks without simultaneous EEG discharges were exhibited in 27% of the epileptic patients. Of the total number of epileptic seizures, 81% were encountered during the first 24 hours, an additional 10% during the next 24 hours, and 7% during the third 24-hour period. Our conclusion was that, in patients exhibiting epileptic seizures during the aEEG recording, the diagnosis will be confirmed by a 2-day recording in the vast majority of the cases.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Common dopaminergic mechanism for epileptic photosensitivity in progressive myoclonus epilepsies.

We studied the effect of apomorphine, a dopamine receptor agonist, on epileptic photosensitivity in 7 patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME). Specific diagnoses included Baltic PME (Unverricht-Lundborg disease), Lafora disease, Kufs' disease, juvenile neuroaxonal dystrophy, and action myoclonus-renal failure syndrome; 2 patients had PME of uncertain etiology. Apomorphine blocked the epileptic photosensitivity in all patients and also reduced intention myoclonus in a patient with Baltic PME. There is a common deficit of dopaminergic inhibitory neurotransmission at the level of the striate cortex in patients with PME, regardless of the nature of the specific underlying neuropathologic process.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

[The clinical importance of EEG examinations in seizures].

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Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

The importance of the electrocardiogram in ambulatory electroencephalographic recordings.

The role of an ambulatory electroencephalogram performed simultaneously with an electrocardiogram was studied in 861 neurologic inpatients. In total, 123 patients (14%) had interictal cardiac rhythm abnormalities, and 31 (4%) had neurologic symptoms considered to be of cardiac origin. The occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias was related to medical history of cardiovascular disease, but not to organic cerebral disorders. The ictal increase of heart rate was significantly higher and more abrupt in epileptic seizures than in psychogenic attacks. The ictal electroencephalogram/electrocardiogram may thus be applicable to the differential diagnosis between the epileptic and psychogenic seizures.

Ambulatory Care↗

PubMed1989

Cardiac arrhythmias in the differential diagnosis of epilepsy.

Symptomatic attacks or seizures associated with cardiac arrhythmias may cause difficulty in differential diagnosis. Two patients are reported in whom disturbances of cardiac conduction induced attacks which clinically resembled attacks of psychogenic and epileptic origin and were abolished after implantation of a demand-type pacemaker. A third patient is described who had epileptic seizures resulting in cardiac arrhythmias. In the differential diagnosis of these cases, simultaneous ambulatory EEG and ECG recording was essential.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Vigabatrin in epilepsy in mentally retarded patients.

1. The anticonvulsant potency of vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA, GVG) was studied in an open trial in a group of 21 mentally handicapped patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. 2. With this treatment one third of these patients had more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency. The anticonvulsant effect appeared during the first month of therapy and was maintained during a 7-month study. The side effects were mild: mainly tiredness, aggressiveness, and ataxia. Other anticonvulsant drugs remained at baseline levels during GVG therapy. GVG was not found to modulate EEG recordings. 3. According to our results, GVG is effective for treating intractable epilepsy in mentally handicapped patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Effect of vigabatrin on epilepsy in mentally retarded patients: a 7-month follow-up study.

We studied the antiepileptic potency of vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA, GVG) as an open trial in a group of 36 mentally handicapped patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (30 had seizures of partial onset and 6 had primary generalized [PG] tonic-clonic convulsions). With this treatment, 13 (43%) of the patients with seizures of partial onset and 2 (33%) with PG had more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency. The antiepileptic effect appeared during the first month of therapy and continued throughout the 7-month study. The side effects were mild: tiredness, aggressiveness, and ataxia. Other antiepileptic drugs remained at baseline levels during GVG therapy. GVG did not alter EEG recordings. Our results suggest that GVG is effective for treatment of intractable epilepsy, especially the partial type, in mentally retarded patients. Longer follow-up is needed, however, to determine that the clinical effect is maintained and that no severe side effects appear.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

[The differential diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias and epilepsy].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

The effects of carbamazepine and sodium valproate on SEPs and BAEPs.

SEPs and BAEPs were studied in 36 previously untreated epileptics receiving either carbamazepine (CBZ) or sodium valproate (VPA) monotherapy. CBZ prolonged central conduction times in SEPs and BAEPs. SEP latency prolongation correlated with serum CBZ levels. VPA had minimal effects on evoked potentials. The present study gives evidence of similar effects of carbamazepine and phenytoin on central neural conduction.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

Prolonged cortical somatosensory evoked potential latencies in progressive myoclonus epilepsy.

In 9 mildly affected and 7 severely affected patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy, we observed a distinct slowing in the short-latency median nerve SEP components N 19 (5.2% and 24.7%), P 22 (14.6% and 37.1%) and N 30 (4.8% and 17.1%, respectively). The P 22-N 30 amplitude increased in mild but decreased again in severe disease. These findings are indicative of mild affection of the peripheral and spinal sensory connections, and more severe involvement of the thalamocortical pathways. In controls, a clear correlation between the height and the latency of the N 19 and P 22 components was observed. We also often observed a small additional negative SEP component adjoining the P 22 component.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The influence of height, age and gender on the interpretation of median nerve SEPs.

Median nerve SEPs were studied in 120 normal subjects. Highly significant correlations with height and age were found for all SEP peak latencies, but not for the interpeak latency N19-N13. A significant gender difference was found for N13 and N19 peak latencies, the males having longer latencies. No sex-related correlations in central conduction time could be shown. It is emphasized that reliable SEP interpretation should include simultaneous height, age and gender corrections.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pattern-reversal VEP and cortical SEP latency prolongations in epilepsy.

Twenty ambulatory outpatients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures with primary generalized discharges and photoconvulsive response on electroencephalogram (EEG) and 11 ambulatory outpatients with partial complex seizures with or without secondary generalization were studied with pattern-reversal light-emitting diode (LED) stimulator visual evoked potential (VEPs) and short-latency median nerve cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). The patients with primary generalized epilepsy had significantly prolonged latencies of VEP components P2 and N3 and SEP component P22. The patients with partial epilepsy had significantly prolonged latency of VEP component N3. It is concluded that both functional and structural factors may cause a slowing of central impulse conduction.

Adolescent↗