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PubMed1983

Effect of ketamine enantiomers on sound-induced convulsions in epilepsy prone rats.

Epilepsy prone rats (Jobe et al, 1982) which had previously been determined to experience relatively mild seizures in response to a sound stimulus were used in this study in order to provide a model which would reveal either proconvulsant or anticonvulsant drug activity. Animals were administered dextrorotatory (+), levorotatory (-), or racemic (+/-) ketamine hydrochloride by intravenous (tail vein) injection and subsequently challenged with a 120 db broad spectrum sound stimulus. Evaluation of drug effect was based on presence/absence of seizure, seizure severity, and convulsive latency (time from onset of stimulus to onset of convulsive episode). Potencies relative to protection against seizure susceptibility were: (+) greater than (+/-) greater than (-), with the ratio of activity of the (+) and (-) isomers comparing to the ratio of activity found by other investigators relative to other effects produced by the isomers. Of all animals which were not fully protected, there were no instances of decrement of seizure severity. At low doses, there was a slight decrease in convulsive latency, which was the only indication of a proconvulsant effect. This effect is probably prevented at the higher doses by the anticonvulsant tendency of the drug.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2003

Inhibition of acute hyperammonemia-induced convulsions by systemically administered gamma aminobutyric acid in rats.

The present study has investigated the effects of intraperitoneally administered gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) on ammonium chloride-induced hyperammonemia and convulsions in rats. Systemically administered GABA did not alter the concentration of GABA in the brain of control as well as hyperammonemic animals. However, hyperammonemia-induced convulsions were inhibited by GABA in a dose-dependent manner. This was accompanied by a dose-dependent decrease in the concentrations of ammonia in both blood and brain and an elevation of glutamine in the blood. These results suggest that GABA has the potential to prevent acute hyperammonemia by increasing detoxification of ammonia to glutamine. As a result, the diffusion of ammonia from blood into the brain has been decreased. This accounts for an inhibition of convulsions by systemically administered GABA in hyperammonemic animals.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1981

Placebo-controlled study of phenobarbitone and phenytoin in the prophylaxis of febrile convulsions.

Of 138 children who had a first febrile convulsion before their second birthday, 48 were treated with phenobarbitone, 47 with phenytoin, and 43 with a placebo for 12 months. Drug levels were monitored and adverse effects of the drugs were noted. Compared with placebo, phenobarbitone significantly reduced recurrences among children under 14 months old at the time of their first convulsion, but nor among older children. Phenytoin was an ineffective prophylactic agent. Ideal drug levels were difficult to maintain, and many recurrences occurred when concentrations were suboptimal. Behavioural disturbance in children taking phenobarbitone was not a serious problem. The decision to give continuous prophylaxis for febrile convulsions is complex, and each case must be judged on its merits. For children who have a first seizure before 14 months of age prophylaxis may be advisable and phenobarbitone is effective.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2002

Convulsive disorder and the genetics of signal transduction; a study of a low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase in a pediatric sample.

Recent studies point to an involvement of kinases and phosphatases in ionic channel regulation and in physiopathologic mechanisms leading to convulsive disorders. Acid phosphatase locus 1 (ACP1), also named cytosolic low molecular weight phosphotyrosine phosphatase, is a highly polymorphic phosphatase that is especially abundant in the central nervous system and is known to be involved in several signal transduction pathways. We studied ACP1 in 122 children with idiopathic generalized tonic-clonic seizures, 80 children with febrile convulsions, and 417 controls from the population of Rome. Low activity phenotypes of ACP1 (*A/*A and *A/*B) were found to be over-represented while high activity phenotypes (*C/*C and *B/*C) were under-represented in generalized seizures cases compared to controls (P < 0.005). No significant difference was observed between febrile convulsion cases and controls. These observations suggest a protective role of the high activity ACP1 phenotypes against seizures in children.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Influence of oxygenated fuel additives and their metabolites on the binding of a convulsant ligand of the gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) (GABA(A)) receptor in rat brain membrane preparations.

As a foundation for evaluating potential mechanisms of the neurological effects (e.g. headache, nausea, dizziness) of some octane boosters, we studied the gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) (GABA(A)) receptor in a series of binding assays in membranes from rat brain. The GABA(A) receptor was probed using the radioligand [3H]t-butylbicycloorthobenzoate ([3H]TBOB) which binds to the convulsant recognition site of the receptor. The results demonstrated that the short-chain t-ethers and their t-alcohol metabolites inhibit binding at the convulsant site of the GABA(A) receptor. The potency of the inhibition tended to correlate with carbon chain length. For agents having an equal number of carbon atoms, potency of inhibition of [3H]TBOB binding was greater in magnitude for the alcohols than for the ethers. The descending rank order of potency for the ethers and alcohols were as follows, t-amyl alcohol (TAA); t-amyl-methyl ether (TAME); ethyl-t-butyl ether (ETBE)>t-butyl alcohol (TBA)>methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE)>ethanol. In additional saturation binding assays, MTBE reduced apparent density of convulsant binding (B(max)).

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2000

Infantile convulsions and paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis in a patient with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism.

We reported a 15-year-old boy with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism who presented with paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis at age 10. Calcium levels were low and intact parathyroid hormones were undetectable in serum. Computed tomography showed calcifications in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebral white matter. He had a history of infantile convulsions with a benign outcome. The convulsions occurred in clusters at age 2.5 months, but they never recurred. This patient's clinical features were phenotypically indistinguishable from those of infantile convulsions and choreoathetosis (ICCA) syndrome

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Clinical features of benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis.

The aim of this study is to reveal the detailed clinical features of benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis (CwG). We studied 114 consecutive episodes in 105 patients with CwG between January 1995 and March 2000. CwG was defined as when a patient met the following two conditions: (a) seizures accompanied the symptoms of gastroenteritis without clinical signs of dehydration or electrolyte derangement and (b) the body temperature remained less than 38.0 degrees C before and after the seizures. Patients with meningitis, encephalitis/encephalopathy or apparent history of epilepsy were excluded. The age of onset ranged from 8 to 52 months (mean, 21.1 +/- 8.4 months). Six patients (6%) had a family history of afebrile convulsions and seven (7%) had one of febrile convulsions. The average interval between the onset of gastroenteritis and that of seizures was 2.3 +/- 1.1 days (range, 1-6 days). The average number of seizures during a single episode was 2.6 +/- 1.5 (range, 1-7). Two or more seizures occurred in 86 (75%) of the 114 episodes. Seizures induced by pain and/or crying were seen in 35 (43%) of 82 episodes. Antiepileptic drugs were administered for 96 episodes. Seizures did not cease after the administration of one kind of antiepileptic drug in 56 episodes (58%). Epilepsy developed in none of the patients. All patients exhibited normal psychomotor development. CwG is characterized by a cluster of seizures that are sometimes induced by pain and/or crying. The seizures are rather refractory to antiepileptic treatment, although the seizure and development outcomes are good.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed2001

Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in children with febrile convulsions.

The production of interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and IL-10 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells was examined in 13 children with and 11 children without any history of febrile convulsions. The results revealed an increase in all types of cytokine production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mononuclear cells from individuals of both groups. However, the secretion of IL-6 and IL-10 in response to lipopolysaccharide was higher in those with a previous history of convulsions. Because IL-1 beta production precedes that of IL-10, a cytokine known to suppress IL-1 beta generation, it is possible that its secretion was inhibited partially by the significantly higher amount of IL-10 found after 24 hours of incubation. If this were the case, these findings may explain the comparable levels of IL-1 beta produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from children of both groups. The higher level of IL-1 beta produced by mononuclear cells from children with history of convulsion after 5 hours of incubation with lipopolysaccharide supports this assumption.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical features and surgical outcome of medial temporal lobe epilepsy with a history of complex febrile convulsions.

PURPOSE: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is frequently associated with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and complex febrile convulsions (CFC). The causal relationship between TLE, HS, and CFC is unclear. There is also contradictory data whether CFC-associated TLE is a distinct epilepsy syndrome and has different surgical outcome than other medial TLEs. METHODS: We investigated 133 patients (aged 16-59 years) with HS-associated TLE. Thirty-six patients with CFC (CFC group) versus 97 patients without febrile convulsions (NFC group) were compared for clinical history, video-EEG recorded seizure semiology, and surgical outcome. RESULTS: In the CFC group the right-sided HS (67% versus 32%) occurred more frequently than in the NFC group (P<0.001). The two groups did not differ according to the clinical features, both groups share the typical symptoms and findings of the medial TLE. In the CFC group, seizure-freedom 2 years after surgery was 91%, while in the NFC group it was only 64% (P=0.023). This difference was significant even after considering the other known predictive factors for medial TLE. CONCLUSIONS: Medial TLE with CFC is not a distinct epilepsy syndrome. The surgical outcome, however, is much more favorable in these patients in comparison with medial TLE patients who had no history of febrile convulsions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Focal and secondarily generalised convulsive status epilepticus induced by thiocolchicoside in the rat.

The objective of this study was to document the convulsant properties of thiocolchicoside in rats, and to characterise the electroclinical pattern of epileptic seizures. Experiments were carried out in three groups of male Wistar rats: in group A, thiocolchicoside was applied topically to the pia, or given by microinjection to the cerebral cortex (2 microg/microl); in group B, the drug was administered parenterally (6 mg/kg) to rats with minimal lesions of the dura and arachnoid membranes; in group C, thiocolchicoside was administered parenterally (up to 12 mg/kg) to intact rats. In all animals, electroclinical activity was continuously monitored for at least 3 hours after thiocolchicoside injection or application. In group A, electrographic and behavioural activity of focal motor seizures occurred in 100% of animals, developing into a focal status epilepticus; in group B, a multifocal epileptic pattern with secondary generalisation, clinically characterised by clonic or tonic-clonic seizures occurred in 100% of animals, until a secondarily generalised convulsive status epilepticus; in group C, none of animals showed either electrographic or behavioural seizure activity. Our study documents that thiocolchicoside has a powerful convulsant activity in the rat, perhaps due to an antagonistic interaction of the compound with a cortical subtype of the GABA(A) receptor.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of transcranial micropolarization on the severity of convulsive fits in children.

A total of 18 children with cerebral palsy and organic brain lesions underwent sessions of transcranial micropolarization with the aim of decreasing the frequency of convulsive fits. Transcranial micropolarization of the posterior temporal and parietal areas of the cerebral cortex was found to provide a marked decrease in the frequency of convulsive fits and to normalize the EEG pattern. This effect was due to the targeted effects of direct currents passed through the respective morphofunctional connections of cortical zones to the structures responsible for forming and controlling the convulsive activity of the brain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Isocortical hyperemia and allocortical inflammation and atrophy following generalized convulsive seizures of thalamic origin in the rat.

1. Generalized convulsive seizures can be elicited by a single unilateral microinjection of the cholinergic muscarinic agonist, carbachol, into the specific sites of the thalamus including ventral posterolateral and the reticular thalamic nuclei. The implication of the thalamic specific and reticular neurons is reviewed and discussed. 2. On the basis of the c-fos regional expression and well-known efferent and afferent pathways linking these regions, a neuronal network relating the limbic, thalamo-striatal-cortical, and central autonomic systems, was constructed. 3. The pattern of Fos immunoreactivity associated with long-lasting isocortical vasodilatation elicited by generalized convulsive seizures in anesthetized rat following cholinergic stimulation of the thalamus can be attributed to both the electrocortical activity and the long-lasting increase in cortical blood flow. We propose that the sustained cerebral cortical blood flow response during convulsive epileptic seizures may implicate intracerebral vasodilatory and vasoconstrictory neural mechanisms. Double-labeled NADPH-d and Fos-positive neurons implicated in maintaining the sustained isocortical vasodilatory response were found in the anterior lateral hypothalamic area. Inhibition of these neurons prevented the increase in cortical blood flow despite an increased metabolic demand manifested by the ictal electrocortical activity. 4. Medial temporal lobe atrophy, including hippocampus, amygdala, and parahippocampal gyrus (piriform and entorhinal cortices) are the most common pathology in man. However the origin of medial lobe atrophy remain uncertain. Our results provide evidence that the allocortical microvascular inflammation may be in origin of the neurovascular degenerative processes leading to atrophy.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Intrastriatal malonate administration induces convulsive behaviour in rats.

Malonic acidaemia is an inborn error of metabolism that accumulates malonate, a competitive succinate dehydrogenase (SDH; EC 1.3.99.1) inhibitor. The present study investigated the behavioural effects of unilateral intrastriatal administration of malonate (0.6, 1.8 or 6 micromol) in adult male Wistar rats (n=10-13). Low doses of malonate (1.8 micromol) decreased exploratory activity and caused ipsiversive rotational behaviour. High doses of malonate (6 micromol) induced contralateral rotational behaviour and convulsive episodes. Malonate competitively inhibited SDH in mitochondrion-enriched fractions from striatum ( Ki=0.034+/-0.008 mmol/L). Interestingly, methylmalonate, which is a weaker SDH inhibitor than malonate (Ki=4.22+/-1.3 mmol/L), induced more convulsions than malonate at equimolar doses and did not cause ipsiversive rotational behaviour. It is suggested that the potency of SDH inhibition in vitro does not correlate positively with the convulsant potential of these inhibitors in vivo.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of age on benzodiazepine-induced behavioural convulsions in rats.

The benzodiazepines are a class of drugs used to alleviate anxiety. As such they constitute one of the most commonly prescribed compounds, due in part to their efficacy and safety. The physiological effect of these drugs is probably through interactions with a low affinity benzodiazepine binding site and two (types 1 and 2) higher affinity sites. The ontogenesis of these latter two binding sites in the rat differs, with the type 2 binding site being predominant at birth and the type 1 binding site increasing in number after the second week after birth. The differential development of these two receptor types is important because the immature organism may have different physiological and behavioural responses from the adult. Here we demonstrate an important difference: that a prototypic benzodiazepine, chlordiazepoxide, and a water-soluble benzodiazepine, flurazepam, produce behavioural convulsions in the preweanling rat. The convulsions are antagonized by the benzodiazepine blocker Ro-15-1788. The triazolopyridizine CL-218872, specific to the type 1 receptor, does not share this action. We suggest that this paradoxical convulsant effect of chlordiazepoxide and flurazepam is due to activation of the type 2 receptor in the absence of the type 1 receptor in the immature rat.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

The histories of withdrawal convulsions and delirium tremens in 1648 alcohol dependent subjects.

A small proportion of alcohol-dependent men and women experience delirium tremens (DTs) and/or convulsions during alcohol withdrawal. While some characteristics of individuals most likely to show these severe sequelae of the abstinence syndrome have been described, it is not clear whether these risk factors operate independently in their association with severe withdrawal. The Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA) interview was used to evaluate 1648 alcohol dependent men and women (including 540 women). The background characteristics and drinking histories of the 160 men and 51 women (12.8% of the subjects) who reported ever having had at least one episode of DTs and/or convulsions during withdrawal were compared with the characteristics of the remaining alcohol dependent individuals. Compared to other alcohol-dependent subjects, those with histories of severe withdrawal reported a greater maximum number of drinks in any 24-hour period (40.9 +/- 25.71 versus 24.9 +/- 17.72), more withdrawal episodes (28.2 +/- 33.74 versus 15.9 +/- 26.84), more non-medicinal use of sedative-hypnotics (56.4% versus 32.9%) and a greater number of medical problems. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis revealed that the most powerful differences between those with histories of more and less severe withdrawals related to the maximum number of drinks per day and the total number of withdrawal episodes. The remaining variables still added significantly to the relationship to more severe withdrawal. The etiology of DTs and convulsions is complex and involves the interaction of diverse characteristics representing relatively unique domains. It is hoped that these data will help clinicians identify individuals most likely to have experienced severe withdrawal syndromes and will aid researchers attempting to understand more about the etiology of these problems.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Convulsions associated with epidural analgesia during sevoflurane anaesthesia.

A three-year-old girl who underwent an operation for adrenal neuroblastoma was anaesthetized with sevoflurane and epidural analgesia. In the immediate recovery period she had convulsions. The convulsions were successfully treated with thiopentone and sevoflurane, there were no neurological sequelae. The convulsions were considered to be a manifestation of mepivacaine toxicity because of a high plasma mepivacaine concentration. Complications of paediatric regional analgesia and manifestations of mepivacaine toxicity under sevoflurane anaesthesia are discussed.

Analgesia, Epidural↗
PubMed1999

Febrile convulsions in a Serbian region: a 10-year epidemiological study.

The first population-based study in the central region of the Republic of Serbia (total population 283,103) was carried out to assess some epidemiological features of febrile convulsions among children of between 6 months and 5 years of age. During the 10-year period, 1986 to 1995, there were 570 cases of the first febrile convulsions (287 males and 283 females). The average annual incidence rate was 3/1000 (2.9/1000 in males and 3.0/1000 in females), with the highest in 1995. During the study period, a significantly increased linear regression trend was observed. During the follow-up period of 5 years for children who had their first febrile convulsions in 1989 and 1990 (total 154 cases), 27 (17.5%) had a recurrence of the disorder, and ten (6.5%) had one or more afebrile seizures, of whom seven children (4.5% of total sample) developed epilepsy (recurrent afebrile seizures).

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2002

Effects of educational intervention on changing parental practices for recurrent febrile convulsions in Taiwan.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of educational interventions on parental practices for recurrent febrile convulsions (FC). METHODS: A 2-year follow-up, nonequivalent comparison group design was used to evaluate the intervention effects. Two educational interventions were provided for FC parents in southern Taiwan. The 326 parents voluntarily chose either to receive a mailed pamphlet (n=196) or to attend a 2-h educational program (n=130). Five telephone interviews focused on investigating FC episodes and parental practices for seizures were conducted at months 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 after the interventions. RESULTS: Of the 326 FC children, 78 (23.9%) had recurrent FCs within the 2-year follow-up. Parents who only received pamphlets did not show significant improvements. Parents who attended the educational program demonstrated significant improvements in the recommended practices, particularly in protecting the convulsing child (8.3 vs. 36.1%; p=0.02 by McNemar) and placing the child on his or her side (19.4 vs. 47.2%; p=0.01). Nonrecommended practices including rushing the convulsing child to the hospital (88.9 vs. 30.6%; p < 0.01) and putting protective devices in the child's mouth (38.9 vs. 8.3%; p < 0.01) significantly decreased. By generalized estimating equation analyses, the types of interventions are the single significant factor influencing parental practice changes from initial to recurrent FCs. CONCLUSIONS: Most parents used inappropriate practices for their child's initial FC. Compared with the mailed pamphlet, the educational program had significant improvements in recommended and nonrecommended practices from initial to recurrent FCs.

Adult↗