bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Successful treatment for refractory convulsive status epilepticus by non‐parenteral lacosamide
Authors: Tilz Christian , Resch Roland , Hofer Thomas , Eggers Christian 
Published: August 2009

SummaryLacosamide (Vimpat) is a newly licensed novel antiepileptic drug. We report a case of refractory convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) that was successfully controlled with lacosamide. The 38‐year‐old male patient was admitted for a series of complex partial seizures with secondary generalization leading to refractory CSE. During the transport to the hospital the patient was given 22.5 mg diazepam, 12.5 mg etomidate, and 5 mg midazolam without success. An additional dose of 4 mg lorazepam and a dose of 1,500 mg levetiracetam after admission were yet without clinical effect. A further treatment with lacosamide (300 mg via percutaneous gastric fistula) resulted in complete clinical remission of the epileptic activity within 30 min. The application of lacosamide resulted in cessation of CSE and was well tolerated. To our knowledge, this is the first case of successful treatment of refractory CSE with lacosamide. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of lacosamide in treatment of SE.
Spatial distribution of intracranially recorded spikes in medial and lateral temporal epilepsies
Authors: Goncharova Irina I. , Zaveri Hitten P. , Duckrow Robert B. , Novotny Edward J. , Spencer Susan S. 
Published: August 2009

SummaryPurpose:  Although seizures and interictal spikes are not always colocalized, there may be valuable localizing information in the spatial distribution of spikes. To test this hypothesis, we studied the spatial distribution of intracranially recorded interictal spikes in patients with medial temporal (MT) and lateral temporal (LT) neocortical seizure onset.Methods:  A total of 21 patients (MT n = 12, LT n = 9) who completed intracranial monitoring were selected for this study. Two 4‐h intracranial electroencephalography (icEEG) epochs were analyzed, one during wake and one during sleep, both at least 6 h removed from seizures. Spikes detected automatically in medial temporal structures [hippocampal formation (H) and entorhinal cortex (EC)], and in five cortical areas (occipital, frontal, parietal, lateral temporal, and inferior temporal) were tabulated.Results:  Interictal spikes occurred broadly over medial temporal structures and cortical areas in MT and LT patients. The patients differed with a greater number of spikes in medial temporal structures in the MT group (p < 0.05 for H and p < 0.001 for EC) and a greater number of spikes in parietal (p < 0.01) and frontal (p < 0.001) areas in the LT group. There were sleep‐related increases in spike rates in inferomedial temporal structures in both groups. The two groups could be separated with a classifier based on medial temporal and parietal and frontal spikes (p < 0.0001).Discussion:  MT and LT patients have different spatial distributions of interictal spikes and can be distinguished by the relative spike rates in medial temporal and extratemporal areas during sleep and wake.
Histologic and morphologic effects of valproic acid and oxcarbazepine on rat uterine and ovarian cells
Authors: Cansu Ali , Erdogan Deniz , Serdaroglu Ayse , Take Gülnur , Coskun Zafer K. , Gurgen Seren G. 
Published: August 2009

SummaryPurpose:  To determine the histologic and morphologic effects of valproic acid (VPA) and oxcarbazepine (OXC) on rat uterine and ovarian cells.Methods:  Fifty‐six female prepubertal Wistar rats (21–24 days old and weighing between 47.5 and 58.1 g) were divided equally into four groups, which were given drinking water (controls), 300 mg/kg/day of VPA, 100 mg/kg/day of OXC or VPA + OXC via gavage, for 90 days. Ovaries and uteri of rats on proestrous and diestrous phases of estrous cycle were extirpated and placed in a fixation solution. The tissue specimens were assessed with apoptosis (TUNEL) staining protocols, eosinophil counting, and electron microscopic techniques.Results:  In uteri, apoptosis in stroma, mitochondrial swelling, and cristolysis were observed in the VPA group, and OXC led to negative effects on epithelial cell and intracellular edema. In ovaries, both drugs increased apoptosis and intracytoplasmic edema. Organelle structure disruption was also observed in the OXC group. More conspicuous degenerative modifications were determined in the VPA + OXC group. In uteri, the number of TUNEL‐positive luminal epithelial cells was 7.20 ± 1.32 in controls, and significantly increased to 29.60 ± 1.58, 34.20 ± 2.53, and 54.80 ± 2.04 in VPA, OXC, and VPA + OXC groups, respectively (p < 0.001). The highest number of TUNEL‐positive glandular epithelium cells was observed in the VPA + OXC group; however, the number of TUNEL‐positive stroma cells was highest in the VPA group. The highest number of eosinophils in stroma was in the VPA group.Conclusion:  VPA and OXC trigger apoptotic and degenerative effects on rat uterine and ovarian cells. VPA also prevents implantation of embryo to the uterus and causes abortion via endometrial eosinophil infiltration.
Spike–wave discharges are necessary for the expression of behavioral depression‐like symptoms
Authors: Sarkisova Karine Yu , Kuznetsova Galina D. , Kulikov Michael A. , Van Luijtelaar Gilles 
Published: August 2009

SummaryPurpose: The WAG/Rij strain of rats, a well‐established model for absence epilepsy, has comorbidity for depression. These rats exhibit depression‐like behavioral symptoms such as increased immobility in the forced swimming test and decreased sucrose intake and preference (anhedonia). These depression‐like behavioral symptoms are evident in WAG/Rij rats, both at 3–4 and 5–6 months of age, with a tendency to aggravate in parallel with an increase in seizure duration. Here we investigated whether the behavioral symptoms of depression could be prevented by the suppression of absence seizures.Methods: Ethosuximide (ETX; 300 mg/kg/day, in the drinking water) was chronically applied to WAG/Rij rats from postnatal day 21 until 5 months. Behavioral tests were done before the cessation of the treatment. Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings were made before and after cessation of treatment to measure seizure severity at serial time‐points.Results: ETX‐treated WAG/Rij rats exhibited no symptoms of depression‐like behavior in contrast to untreated WAG/Rij rats of the same age. Moreover, treated WAG/Rij rats did not differ from control age‐matched Wistar rats. ETX treatment led to almost complete suppression of spike‐wave discharges (SWDs) in 5–6 month old WAG/Rij rats. Discontinuation of chronic treatment was accompanied by a gradual emergence of SWDs; however, a persistent reduction in seizure activity was still present 47 days after discontinuation of the chronic treatment.Discussion: The results suggest that seizure activity is necessary for the expression of depression‐like behavioral symptoms and confirm that epileptogenesis can be prevented by early and chronic treatment.
Improved seizure control by alternating therapy of levetiracetam and valproate in epileptic rats
Authors: Van Vliet Erwin A. , Edelbroek Peter M. , Gorter Jan A. 
Published: August 2009

SummaryPurpose: Tolerance to drug treatment is a serious problem in the treatment of epilepsy. We previously showed that tolerance to levetiracetam (LEV) developed within 4 days after the start of the treatment in a rat model for spontaneous seizures after electrically induced status epilepticus. In the current study we tested whether the development of tolerance to LEV could be prevented by alternating between LEV and valproate (VPA) treatment.Methods: Before starting the alternating therapy with LEV and VPA (3 day LEV–3 day VPA, two cycles), we assessed the efficacy of VPA monotherapy by administering VPA to chronic epileptic rats via osmotic minipumps during 7 days. The anticonvulsive effects were determined by continuous video‐EEG (electroencephalography) monitoring, and the concentration of VPA and LEV was measured in plasma using gas chromatography.Results: VPA significantly suppressed spontaneous seizures in chronic epileptic rats for 5 days. Hereafter, seizure frequency increased to pretreatment values despite adequate VPA blood levels. Seizure duration was reduced for 6 days during treatment. Seizure severity was reduced throughout the 7‐day treatment period. Alternating treatment of LEV and VPA did not prevent development of tolerance; however, seizures were suppressed significantly longer compared to VPA and LEV monotherapy.Conclusions: Because alternating treatment with LEV and VPA led to a prolonged effective seizure control in the animal model, it would be worthwhile to explore the possibilities of using an alternating treatment protocol in pharmacoresistant patients in whom an effective treatment is hampered by tolerance to antiepileptic drugs.
Precipitous induction of audiogenic kindling by activation of adenylyl cyclase in the amygdala
Authors: Tupal Srinivasan , Faingold Carl L. 
Published: August 2009

SummaryPurpose: Kindling of audiogenic seizure (AGS) involves ≥14 AGS over 1–2 weeks in genetically epilepsy‐prone rats (GEPR‐9s) and induces gradual seizure duration increases, epileptiform electroencephalography (EEG), and emergence of post tonic clonus (PTC), which are long‐lasting.N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA)–receptor activation in lateral amygdala (LA) is implicated in AGS kindling initiation. However, the persistence of AGS kindling appears to be dependent on molecular mechanisms initiated by NMDA‐receptor activation, which may involve adenylyl cyclase (AC). This study attempted to mimic AGS kindling persistently in nonkindled GEPR‐9s by one‐time activation of AC in LA.Methods: The effects of a single focal bilateral microinjection into LA of an AC activator, MPB forskolin {7‐Deacetyl‐7‐[O‐(N‐methylpiperazino)‐γ‐butyryl]‐forskolin dihydrochloride} (25–100 pmol/side), on seizure behavior in GEPR‐9s were evaluated.Results: One‐time bilateral microinjection of MPB forskolin in GEPR‐9s precipitously induced an AGS kindling–like effect, which involved significant increases in seizure duration and long‐lasting susceptibility to AGS that culminates in PTC. This effect occurred at 24 h after MPB forskolin microinjection and lasted ≥5 weeks. The effect was seen when AGS was initiated at 1 and 12 h after microinjection, but not if AGS was induced only at 24 h, indicating the importance of the temporal proximity of AGS induction to the MPB forskolin microinjection.Discussion: These findings indicate that one‐time activation of AC within the NMDA receptor–mediated molecular cascade results in precipitous induction of AGS kindling. These data further suggest that AC activation in the LA may be an important epileptogenic mechanism that subserves the long‐lasting persistence of AGS kindling.
Language development before and after temporal surgery in children with intractable epilepsy
Authors: De Koning Trudi , Versnel Huib , Jennekens‐Schinkel Aag , Van Schooneveld Monique M. J. , Dejonckere Philippe H. , Van Rijen Peter C. , Van Nieuwenhuizen Onno ,   on behalf of the Dutch Collaborative Epilepsy Surgery Programme (DuCESP)
Published: August 2009

SummaryPurpose:  To obtain systematic knowledge of language development before and after epilepsy surgery in regions that, if damaged, are known to entail language impairment in adults.Methods:  Twenty‐four children (mean age 11 years; range 5.8–15.7 years) with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy participated prior to (the majority) anterior temporal lobectomy and 6, 12, and 24 months thereafter. Reception and production of lexicon (vocabulary) and syntax (sentence structure including grammar) were examined using developmental language tests that provide normative data.Results:  Prior to surgery the mean language delay varied from 1.7 years (productive syntax) to 3.5 years (productive lexicon). For lexicon, language delay was larger, the older the children; for syntax it was smaller in children with mothers with higher education. Over the 2 years following surgery, the children developed in all four language components. Development was, however, slower than normal, that is, language delay increased, in three of the four components: in productive lexicon it continued to increase, and in receptive lexicon and productive syntax it appeared to stabilize during the second year. Receptive syntax developed at a normal pace. The development of productive lexicon was remarkably slow when surgery and language mediation were both in the left hemisphere.Discussion:  Pharmacologically intractable epilepsy of the temporal lobe, or the underlying condition, is a significant risk factor for delayed language development. Temporal epilepsy surgery does not result in acceleration of language development. If language is still mediated in the operated left hemisphere, development of particular language components may slow down after surgery.
Black and White Adult Family Members' Attitudes Toward a Dementia Diagnosis
Authors: Connell Cathleen M , Roberts J. Scott , McLaughlin Sara J. , Carpenter Brian D. 
Published: August 2009

OBJECTIVES: To examine potential benefits of and barriers to diagnosis from the perspective of black and white adults directly affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD).DESIGN: Telephone survey.SETTING: Convenience sample recruited from two U.S. metropolitan areas.PARTICIPANTS: One hundred seventy‐eight family members of people with AD, including current and former AD caregivers and immediate blood relatives of someone with AD.MEASUREMENTS: Respondents were asked to rate the importance of eight benefits of and 16 barriers to obtaining a diagnosis.RESULTS: Family members strongly endorse several benefits of obtaining a diagnosis, including getting information, finding out what is wrong with their relative, and prompting future planning. A majority of survey respondents did not endorse any barriers examined. Lack of a cure for AD and the belief that little can be done for someone with AD were the most frequently endorsed barriers. Black respondents endorsed five of the eight benefits more frequently than white respondents.CONCLUSION: Black and white adults with a family member who has received an diagnosis of AD perceive a range of benefits and few barriers to the diagnostic process examined in this study. Their positive experiences might be instructive to families considering pursuing a diagnosis and to physicians who may be reluctant to offer screening or referral because of the belief that families have little to gain.
Clinical Features, Treatment Practices, and Hospital and Long‐Term Outcomes of Older Patients Hospitalized with Decompensated Heart Failure: The Worcester Heart Failure Study
Authors: Saczynski Jane S. , Darling Chad E. , Spencer Frederick A. , Lessard Darleen , Gore Joel M. , Goldberg Robert J. 
Published: August 2009

OBJECTIVES: To examine age‐specific differences in clinical presentation, receipt of therapeutic practices and lifestyle recommendations, and hospital and long‐term survival in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure HF.DESIGN: Population‐based study.SETTING: The Worcester Heart Failure Study, a population‐based study of residents of the a large Central New England metropolitan area hospitalized for decompensated HF at 11 greater‐Worcester medical centers.PARTICIPANTS: Four thousand five hundred thirty‐four patients hospitalized for decompensated HF during 1995 and 2000.MEASUREMENTS: Medical records were reviewed for demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics and hospital survival status. Long‐term follow‐up of discharged hospital patients was conducted through 2005. Patients were compared according to four age groups (<65, 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85).RESULTS: Mean age was 76; 24.0% were aged 85 and older. Patients aged 75 and older were more likely to be female and to have multiple comorbidities, a lower body mass index at the time of hospitalization, and higher ejection fraction findings. Older patients were significantly more likely to receive symptom‐modifying medications and less likely to receive disease‐modifying medications than younger patients. Older age was directly associated with higher in‐hospital, 30‐day, and 1‐year death rates in crude and multivariable‐adjusted analyses.CONCLUSION: The results of this community‐wide study suggest that clinical, treatment, and prognostic factors differ according to age in patients hospitalized for decompensated HF. These high‐risk patients warrant special attention in future studies to improve their management and long‐term survival.
Mortality Risk Associated with Physical and Verbal Abuse in Women Aged 50 to 79
Authors: Baker Margaret W. , LaCroix Andrea Z. , Wu Chunyuan , Cochrane Barbara B. , Wallace Robert , Woods Nancy F. 
Published: August 2009

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether midlife and older women who reported prior‐year physical abuse, verbal abuse, or both abuse types had higher mortality risk than peers who did not report prior‐year abuse.DESIGN: Retrospective analysis.SETTING: Community.PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty‐thousand six hundred seventy‐six community‐dwelling women ages 50 to 79 at baseline enrolled in one of two major Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study components who responded to baseline abuse questions. Observational study enrollment was N=93,676 (1994–1998; 90 months average follow‐up). Clinical trial enrollment was N=68,132 (1993–1998; 96 months average follow‐up).MEASUREMENTS: Total mortality was measured from 1993 to 2005 using all available data sources. Blinded physician adjudicators measured cause‐specific mortality. Ninety‐six percent of death records were adjudicated.RESULTS: Prior‐year self‐reported abuse prevalence was 11.3%. Women who reported physical abuse had the highest age‐adjusted mortality rate, followed by women who reported both abuse types. Abuse independently predicted mortality risk after controlling for age, education, ethnicity, and WHI component. High mortality risk remained for physically abused women (hazard ratio (HR)=1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.09–2.18) after adjusting for demographic and health‐related factors. Further adjustment for psychosocial variables diminished this association (HR=1.40, 95% CI=0.93–2.11), but high risk remained.CONCLUSION: Community‐dwelling middle‐aged and older women who reported prior‐year physical, verbal, or both types of abuse had significantly higher adjusted mortality risk than women who did not report abuse. These findings highlight the need for longitudinal research into prevention of abuse in later life and accompanying excess mortality and emphasize the importance of abuse prevention in later life.
Removable Partial Denture in Combination with a Milled Fixed Partial Prosthesis as Interim Restorations in Long‐Term Treatment
Authors: Pellizzer Eduardo Piza , Mazaro José Vitor Quinelli , Verri Fellippo Ramos , Antenucci Rosse Mary Falcón , Goiato Marcelo Coelho 
Published: August 2009

AbstractInterim restorations are frequently used in prosthodontic treatments. Many complex situations require the combination of fixed and removable partial prostheses. An appropriate interim restoration design that accurately implements the treatment plan is necessary to prepare the oral cavity for the prostheses, and to contribute to the preservation and health of remaining natural teeth, bone support, and gingival tissues. This report describes a modified technique for construction of interim restorations with a combination of fixed and removable partial prostheses. The technique consists of the construction of a milled fixed prosthesis and removable partial denture with metallic framework for use during extensive treatment, improving masticatory function and esthetics and preserving the periodontal health of supporting structures. This interim restoration can also serve as a template for the definitive restoration, allowing patient and dentist to evaluate appearance and function and helping to ensure the success of the definitive restoration.
Tooth Reduction Guide Using Silicone Registration Material Along with Vacuum‐Formed Thermoplastic Matrix
Authors: Oh Won‐suk , Saglik Berna , May Kenneth B. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractAdequate tooth reduction is a prerequisite for function, esthetics, and longevity of fixed restorations. A tooth reduction guide may be useful for establishing the proper angulation of the tooth and maximizing periodontal health and restorative success. This article describes a simple and versatile technique for an accurate evaluation of tooth reduction for fixed restorations by using a color‐contrasting positive guide of a silicone occlusal registration material processed inside a vacuum‐formed clear thermoplastic matrix.
Dividing the Oils: Dynamic Bargaining as Policy Formation in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry
Authors: Hosman Laura 
Published: August 2009

AbstractIn academic studies of the interface between developing countries and large multinational oil corporations, scholars have noted that over time and through repeated interaction, the developing countries tend to negotiate better outcomes for themselves: they progress along a learning curve by incrementally improving their outcomes through bargaining and strategic interaction. This phenomenon can be demonstrated in a number of oil‐rich developing countries. Nigeria's case, however, is more complex. During the two decades following its independence, the state successfully negotiated for more control over—made strides in the developing of the skills necessary to manage—its petroleum industry, as our model would predict. Then, in a puzzling late‐1970s‐to‐mid‐1980s change of course, the government abruptly gave back concessions, undermined local entrepreneurial endeavors, and repealed indigenization laws. This paper combines, in the analytic narrative tradition, the case study method with an extensive form game; it applies a dynamic bargaining model to Nigeria's historical experience, demonstrating that Nigeria improved its outcomes and ascended along the “bargaining learning curve,” only to reverse policy and “unlearn,” with serious consequences for the Nigerian population. Even so, the demonstration of both successful and improved outcomes in past negotiations give evidence that Nigeria could once again ascend its bargaining learning curve if the government were to re‐commit to such a policy.
Blockade of GRP78 sensitizes breast cancer cells to microtubules‐interfering agents that induce the unfolded protein response
Authors: Wang Jiao , Yin Yancun , Hua Hui , Li Minjing , Luo Ting , Xu Li , Wang Ranran , Liu Dongbo , Zhang You , Jiang Yangfu 
Published: August 2009

AbstractTaxane and vinblastine represent two classes of microtubules‐targeted agents for cancer chemotherapy. Although taxol and vinblastine are widely used for cancer treatment, resistance to these agents is frequently encountered in the clinic. An ongoing question has been what mechanisms are involved in the resistance of tumour cells to microtubules‐targeted agents or how the clinical effectiveness can be improved. There is increasing evidence that microtubules interact with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here, we have shown that taxol and vinblastine induce multiple arms of the ER stress response, including up‐regulation of glucose‐regulated protein 78 (GRP78) expression, X‐box binding protein 1 splicing and eukaryotic initiation factor 2α phosphorylation. Abrogation of GRP78 induction sensitizes breast cancer cells to taxol and vinblastine. Treatment with (‐)‐epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a known GRP78 inhibitor, synergistically promotes taxol‐ and vinblastine‐induced cell death. GRP78 knockdown or EGCG potentiates taxol‐ and vinblastine‐induced activation of pro‐apoptosis arms of the ER stress response, such as JNK phosphorylation, caspase‐7 and PARP cleavage. Inhibition of JNK and caspase‐7 abrogates EGCG sensitization of breast cancer cells to taxol and vinblastine. We conclude that induction of the unfolded protein response represents a novel mechanism underlying the efficacy and resistance to microtubules‐targeted agents. Combination of compounds capable of suppressing GRP78 might be a novel approach for improving the effectiveness of microtubules‐targeted chemotherapy.