bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Visual phenomena and headache in occipital epilepsy: a review, a systematic study and differentiation from migraine
Authors: Panayiotopoulos Chrysostomos P. 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT

This is a systematic‐prospective study of occipital seizures with elementary visual hallucinations in 18 patients with symptomatic occipital epilepsy. Qualitative and chronological analysis showed that visual seizures usually lasted for seconds to 1‐3 minutes. Three patients also had longer visual seizures of 20‐150 minutes. Elementary visual hallucinations mainly consisted of coloured and small circular patterns flashing or multiplying in a temporal hemifield. Flashing lights or non‐circular patterns were rare. Three patients experienced achromatic flickering lights. None of the patients had the over 4 minute, linear, zigzag, and achromatic or black and white patterns characteristic of migraine visual aura. Blurring of vision could precede visual hallucinations. Visual seizures were usually frequent, often occurring in multiple clusters daily or weekly. They usually occurred alone but they often advanced to other occipital and extra‐occipital ictal symptoms. In 7 patients they progressed to temporal lobe seizure manifestations, and in 6 to motor partial seizures or ipsilateral hemiconvulsions. All but 2 had secondary generalised tonic clonic convulsions. Ictal blindness
ab initio
occurred in 2 and ictal, mainly orbital headache in another 2 patients. One patient had ictal vomiting as an occasional symptom. Postictal headache, often severe and indistinguishable from migraine, occurred in two thirds of the patients, even after brief visual seizures without convulsions. Despite relevant structural lesions in brain imaging, 10 patients had a normal mental and neurological state. In 8 patients, EEG was also normal or nonspecific. Misdiagnosis of visual seizures as visual aura of migraine was common and 3 patients were misdiagnosed as suffering from migraine.
Evolution of epilepsy surgery in childhood: the neurologist's point of view
Authors: Aicardi Jean 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
Surgical treatment of epilepsy in children has been slow to develop because of uncertainties regarding the prognosis of early epilepsies, difficulties in the diagnosis of causal lesions, the frequency of severe, extensive brain damage, and technical problems.
Surgery for epilepsy in infants and children raises problems quite different from those in adults. This applies especially to severe infantile epilepsies for which the aim of treatment may be more to facilitate neurodevelopment than to control the seizures. In addition, intractability cannot be defined in the same terms at different ages, the time scale being usually much shorter in young children and the operations required often extensive. The results of surgery in childhood are comparable to those in adults. However, indications for surgery and assessment of its results in catastrophic epilepsies of infants requires different rules to those that apply to adults and older children.
Neuropsychology of childhood epilepsy: Pre‐ and postsurgical assessment
Authors: Lassonde Maryse , Sauerwein Hannelore C. , Jambaqué Isabelle , Smith Mary Lou , Helmstaedter Christoph 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
Childhood epilepsy is one of the most prevalent forms of chronic and disabling childhood disorders. Because it disrupts brain maturation, it has long been thought to produce non‐specific consequences such as mental deficiency and behavioral problems. However, advances in medical knowledge have shown that childhood epilepsy should not be considered as a single disorder, and it is now becoming apparent that various clinical entities have different cognitive expressions that yet need to be specified. The purpose of this paper is to provide an up‐to‐date analysis of this multi‐faceted pathology. The first section is devoted to the characterization of the neuropsychological profile that accompanies focal epilepsies, as defined by the site of the epileptic process. We report the first group study of children with frontal lobe epilepsy. The results indicate that frontal lobe epilepsy produces symptoms (deficits of planning, attention and motor dexterity) that are akin to those found in frontal‐lesioned adults. Similarly, like in adults, temporal lobe epilepsy produces memory impairment in children as well as behavioral and academic disturbances. Occipito‐parietal lobe epilepsy is rare in children and its effects still need to be specified. The second section deals with the neuropsychological techniques used in presurgical evaluation. Finally, the various neurosurgical procedures that are increasingly being used as part of the arsenal of epilepsy treatment are described along with the neuropsychological findings that are associated with these interventions. It can be concluded that the beneficial effects of epilepsy surgery (callosotomy, hemispherectomy, temporal and extra‐temporal resections) by far outweigh the few cognitive deficits that are occasionally reported following these interventions.
Hypothalamic hamartoma, precocious puberty and gelastic seizures: A special model of “epileptic” developmental disorder
Authors: Deonna Thierry , Ziegler Anne‐Lise 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
Based on a review of the litterature and a detailed longitudinal single case study of a child with early onset gelastic seizures and hypothalamic hamartoma, the authors review the arguments suggesting that the acquired cognitive and behavioral symptoms seen in the majority of cases of this special epileptic syndrome result from a direct effect of the seizures. The early neurobehavioral profile of the case presented in this paper and that of a previous study is particular and combines features of a pervasive developmental and an attention deficit disorder which are probably closely related to the particular location of the epilepsy and its spread from the hypothalamus.
Treatment of children with “ordinary” epilepsy
Authors: Camfield Peter R. , Camfield Carol S. 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
Many children with epilepsy have a relatively benign clinical course with eventual remission of their seizures and no further need for medication. It is not easy to be sure who these children are at the time of diagnosis, but they do not have catastrophic epilepsy. Epilepsy is best defined as two unprovoked seizures. Not all of these children require treatment and treatment is motivated by fear of brain damage, injury, death, kindling of additional seizures, and social consequences. None of these fears provides an absolute indication for treatment. The decision to start medication should be considered on an individual basis. The choice of a first AED is arbitrary with most AEDs having equal efficacy. Follow‐up schedules have not been well studied. However, there is fairly convincing evidence that routine blood and urine screening for toxicity is of no benefit, if the child is asymptomatic. Serum drug levels are of little clear benefit. Once the child has been seizure‐free for 6 months to 12 months, it is reasonable to consider stopping medication. Only rarely does seizure control fail to return if there are recurrences without medication.
Electrocorticography
Authors: Keene Daniel L. , Whiting Sharon , Ventureyra Enrique C.G. 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
Electrocorticography (ECOG), the intra‐operative recording of cortical potentials, has played an important role in the surgical management of patients with medically refractory epilepsy. It has been used 1) to localize the epileptogenic tissue; 2) map out cortical functions; and 3) predict the success of the surgery. Despite its common use, few studies have been done to prove its effectiveness in these areas.
The technique used in children for recording ECOG is very similar to that used in adults except for the limitations imposed by the child's age. Anaesthesia must often be used.
Based upon a computerized medical literature search, a review of this procedure was done. Pre‐resection localization, and post‐resection prediction of outcome was done for temporal and extra‐temporal resection, both lesional and nonlesional. Most of the available studies were in adult patients. All were retrospective in nature.
Evidence for the role of pre‐resection ECOG in determining the degree of resection felt necessary to obtain good clinical outcome was limited. Similarly the post‐resection ECOG predication of surgical outcome was restricted.
Semiological seizure classification: relevance to pediatric epilepsy
Authors: Bautista Jocelyn F. , Lüders Hans O. 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
The selection of terminology, though seemingly unimportant, can have profound effects on our thinking. A seizure classification system based exclusively on seizure semiology emphasizes the wide diversity and richness of seizure expression. In the field of epilepsy surgery, the use of a seizure classification system that emphasizes ictal semiology in an invaluable first step in the precise localization of ictal onset. This proves to be particularly true in pediatric epilepsy, because seizure semiology is more subtle and difficult to characterize. The following article describes a semiological seizure classification and its relevance to both pediatric epilepsy surgery and status epilepticus.
Eating epilepsy. Heterogeneity of ictal semiology: the role of video‐EEG monitoring
Authors: Loreto Vincenzo , Nocerino Cristofaro , Striano Pasquale , D'Aulos Federica , Boccella Patrizia , Striano Salvatore 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
In this paper, three more cases of eating‐induced seizures are reported. We have obtained ictal video‐electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings for two patients, which confirm the heterogeneity of ictal semiology of these seizures. However, in all the cases the inclusion of this kind of reflex epilepsy (RE) among the localization‐related epilepsies (LRE) is confirmed. The usefulness of video EEG monitoring in studying these seizures and reflex epilepsy in general (RE) is stressed.
Clinical findings, imaging characteristics and outcome in catastrophic post‐encephalitic epilepsy
Authors: Trinka Eugen , Dubeau François , Andermann Frederick , Bastos Alexandre , Hui Andrew , Li Li Min , Köhler Stefan , Olivier André 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT

Objectives
The aim of this study is to characterize the clinical features and prognostic factors for intractable, post‐encephalitic epilepsy.

Methods
We studied retrospectively 42 patients (26 men) evaluated between 1982 and 1999. MRI, neuropsychological findings, interictal and ictal scalp EEG were reviewed for all patients. Fifteen patients had additional stereo EEG (SEEG) studies.

Results

The mean age at encephalitis was 17 years (SD = 15.5); etiology was identified in 18 patients. During the acute illness, 79% had status epilepticus (SE) or recurrent seizures and 76% were in coma; mean Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) was 3.6 (SD = 0.8). The mean latency to seizure onset was 0.8 years (SD = 1.9). The majority (72%) presented with complex partial seizures with or without secondary generalization. According to interictal epileptiform findings and the predominant seizure onset pattern as found on scalp EEG, patients were unilateral temporal (UTLE) = 8, bilateral temporal (BTLE) = 12, and extratemporal/multifocal or generalized (ETMFE) = 22 patients. MRI atrophy and/or signal changes were unilateral temporal in 7 (18%), bilateral temporal in 5 (13%), multilobar/diffuse in 20 (51%), and absent in 7 (18%). ANOVA revealed significant differences in mean GOS between UTLE versus BTLE and ETMFE (4.7
versus
3.2
versus
3.6; p < 0.0001), but not in age at encephalitis. Latency to the first unprovoked seizure was shorter in patients with ETMFE compared to UTLE and BTLE (p < 0.01). Surgery was performed in 24 patients. The best outcome was obtained in UTLE (7/8 class I and II). In the others, outcome was poor in the majority (13/16 class III and IV).

Conclusion
There is a small subgroup of patients with postencephalitic UTLE for whom the outcome is favorable. The majority of our patients had multifocal seizure onset with BTLE and ETMFE, and poor outcome after surgical treatment.
Symptomatic epilepsy with facial myoclonus triggered by language
Authors: Canevini Maria Paola , Vignoli Aglaia , Sgro Vincenzo , Zambrelli Elena , Piazzini Ada , Colombo Nadia , Canger Raffaele 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
We report on a patient with a left frontal lesion who, many years after an injury, developed non‐fluent aphasia and facial myoclonic jerks triggered by speaking and listening to spoken language.
At age 57, the patient first noted that he would begin to stutter when delivering lectures at conferences. The stuttering would worsen if he continued talking. The video‐polygraphic EEG recording shows brief paroxysms of spikes and polyspikes, followed by a slow wave, more evident in the left fronto‐temporal region. The myoclonic jerks originating from the submental area correlate with EEG abnormalities. Clinically, these jerks determined a form of stuttering. The triggering factors were reading, speaking and listening to spoken language.
This case had several characteristic features: facial myoclonus was the only seizure type experienced by the patient; the seizures and language impairment had a very late onset – about 50 years after the traumatic event that produced a dramatic lesion in the left fronto‐polar region. (Published with videosequences.)
Drug‐induced nonconvulsive status epilepticus with low dose of tiagabine
Authors: Fitzek Sabine , Hegemann Stefan , Sauner Dieter , Bönsch Dominikus , Fitzek Clemens 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
In placebo‐controlled trials, the overall incidence of nonconvulsive status epilepticus was no higher in the tiagabine‐treated group than in the placebo‐group. Case reports of nonconvulsive status epilepticus under tiagabine suggested a specific role of dose levels, since in these patients symptoms occurred mostly at 40 mg/day or higher. We report a case of complex partial status epilepticus in a patient receiving a low dose of tiagabine and review all 11 case reports of nonconvulsive status epilepticus in patients on tiagabine, with regard to daily doses. Our analysis suggests an individual risk threshold of unknown aetiology.
Synchronies, de la cognition à la crise
Authors: Foucher Jack R. 
Published: March 2024

RÉSUMÉ
Il pourrait paraître étrange qu'un même mécanisme neurophysiologique puisse concerner aussi bien l'activité cérébrale normale qu'une activité critique. En reprenant les concepts‐clés des synchronies à l'œuvre lors d'une activité cognitive, nous verrons les différences entre synchronies «critiques» et synchronies «cognitives»: le caractère non différencié des premières, la définition statistique et non rythmique de la seconde. Nous spéculerons enfin sur les rapports qu'elles pourraient entretenir à la lumière des découvertes récentes sur l'anticipation des crises et sur la possibilité qu'elles puissent partager certains générateurs.
Des pionniers de l'EEG au traitement du signal: Application à l'exploration des épilepsies de l'enfant
Authors: Hirsch Edouard , Derambure Philippe 
Published: March 2024

RÉSUMÉ
L'électroencéphalographie est un examen irremplaçable pour l'exploration d'une épilepsie. Il reste la seule façon d'explorer en temps réel l'activité corticale. La classification des épilepsies est basée sur les corrélations électrocliniques et les anomalies électroencéphalographiques sont des éléments importants à prendre en compte pour établir le diagnostic d'un syndrome épileptique. Cet article se propose de revenir sur l'histoire de l'électroencéphalographie et de montrer comment le passage à l'EEG numérisé a permis de développer des outils très simples de traitement du signal qui sont maintenant intégrés à l'EEG de routine. Certaines méthodes sont présentées afin d'illustrer les applications potentielles aux épilepsies de l'enfant.
EEG‐vidéo chez le nouveau‐né: quel intérêt?
Authors: Bednarek Nathalie 
Published: March 2024

RÉSUMÉ

Les enregistrements EEG couplés à la vidéo chez le nouveau‐né sont nécessaires pour une meilleure compréhension des situations du fait de la complexité et de la grande variabilité des manifestations paroxystiques liées à l'immaturité cérébrale à cet âge. Autant un diagnostic de crise peut être fait sur la clinique ou l'interrogatoire chez l'enfant plus âgé ou chez l'adulte, autant le diagnostic de crise sur la description clinique est plus aléatoire chez le nouveau‐né. L'EEG chez le nouveau‐né couplé à la vidéo présente plusieurs intérêts:

affirmer la nature convulsive des manifestations paroxystiques;

affiner la sémiologie des crises;

localiser un point de départ des crises;

analyser l'état inter‐critique de l'enfant avant l'administration des antiépileptiques.

D'autres avantages liés à l'utilisation de l'EEG couplé à la vidéo peuvent être mentionnés: il apporte une aide au diagnostic et au pronostic (classification syndromique) et il peut constitué une «mémoire» à court terme avant la mise en route des antiépileptiques mais aussi à long terme. Il limite aussi la variabilité interobservateur.
Imagerie cérébrale. Nouveautés en épileptologie infantile: qu'en faire?
Authors: Chiron Catherine , Hertz‐Pannier Lucie 
Published: March 2024

RÉSUMÉ
Le développement important des techniques non invasives d'imagerie cérébrale a favorisé des progrès en épileptologie infantile concernant principalement le bilan préchirurgical des épilepsies pharmacorésistantes et l'étude de leur retentissement intellectuel. L'IRM, grâce à une meilleure résolution spatiale, permet de détecter des lésions épileptogènes de plus en plus petites, chez des enfants de plus en plus jeunes. Elle en visualise de mieux en mieux la macroanatomie sulcogyrale et permet une approche génétique et syndromique des différentes malformations cérébrales épileptogènes. Le SPECT ictal, avec une méthodologie stricte incluant un EEG‐vidéo simultané et une analyse multidisciplinaire des images, aide à localiser la zone épileptogène et à positionner les électrodes d'EEG intracranien. L'IRM fonctionnelle, par des épreuves d'activation sélective, localise les régions motrices et latéralise le langage avec une bonne corrélation avec le test de WADA. Le SPECT et la TEP interictales montrent les zones de dysfonctionnement qui sous‐tendent les troubles neuropsychologiques et comportementaux associés aux épilepsies. Enfin l'IRM fonctionnelle peut visualiser la plasticité post‐lésionnelle ou post‐chirurgicale en comparant des études successives chez un même patient.
Psychopathologie Annonce du diagnostic
Authors: Livet Marie‐Odile 
Published: March 2024

RÉSUMÉ
La fréquence importante des troubles émotionnels et psychopathologiques chez les enfants épileptiques est bien connue. La prévention de ces risques psycho‐sociaux est indispensable et fait d'abord partie du travail médical. L'annonce du diagnostic d'épilepsie doit être faite dans cette perspective, l'écoute et l'information des parents et de l'enfant lui même demandent toute l'attention du médecin. C'est ainsi que leur travail d'adaptation psychique et leur ajustement psycho‐social à la maladie épileptique peut être favorisé.
Generalized Epilepsy with Febrile Seizures plus and Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy in Infancy: a case report of two Italian families
Authors: Veggiotti Pierangelo , Cardinali Simonetta , Montalenti Elisa , Gatti Anna , Lanzi Giovanni 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
“Generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus” (GEFS+) syndrome has been recently described. This term defines a heterogeneous group of generalized epilepsies observed in several members of large pedigree studies. The syndrome spectrum has been widened by including others forms of generalized epilepsy. We report two Italian families in which the fathers showed febrile seizure plus (FS+), and two sons had severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI). The clinical setting of each epileptic member of the family will be discussed, focusing on the relationship with the GEFS+ group, confirming its wide clinical spectrum. In fact, GEFS+ is different from most other epilepsy syndromes as it is defined not by a set of associated symptoms but by the genetic transmission of a predisposition to febrile convulsions and other seizures, with a variable expression in several members of the same pedigree, perhaps due to ionic channel dysfunction. SMEI could represent the most severe end of the spectrum.
Epilepsy and epileptic disorders, an epidemiological marker? Contribution of descriptive epidemiology
Authors: Jallon Pierre 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
Numerous epidemiological studies concerning the incidence and prevalence of epilepsy and epileptic seizures have been performed in different geographical areas throughout the world. The results of these studies show some disparities in the evaluation of incidence and prevalence rates. Higher incidence rates have been reported in a few studies performed in developing countries. Many prevalence studies seem to corroborate this figure although more recent surveys report similar rates to those observed in the developed world. These controversial results are discussed because there is no scientific reason that the clinical aspects and natural evolution of the disease should be different between developed and developing countries. However, some epidemic or endemic diseases might explain, in part, these figures. On the other hand, the age and sex distribution of the disease seems to be specific to epilepsy and could be related to particular risk factors and some demographic considerations.

Apart from obvious methodological biases, the results of these studies lead us to recognize that epilepsy is
universal
– it can occur in any people – and is
ubiquitous – i.e.
it is observed in every country – but is not an
equally
distributed disease. Epileptic seizures and epilepsy might be considered as an epidemiological marker of some endemo‐epidemic diseases or the results of certain preventive measures.
Temporal pole MRI abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Ryvlin Philippe , Coste Sébastien , Hermier Marc , Mauguière François 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrates an abnormal aspect of the temporo‐polar region in 1/3 to 2/3 of patients suffering from cryptogenic temporal lobe epilepsy. This abnormal aspect is described as a white matter increased T2 signal, resulting in a loss of gray‐white matter demarcation, often associated with atrophy, as recently confirmed by quantitative volumetric measurements. These temporo‐polar MRI findings appear to correctly lateralize the epileptogenic temporal lobe with a very high specificity, and have never been reported in extra‐temporal lobe epilepsy nor in control subjects. They are usually associated with MRI signs of hippocampal sclerosis, but the two conditions seem to be partly distinct from a pathophysiological point of view. Pathological correlates of temporo‐polar white matter increased T2 signal are controversial, but the role of an abnormal myelin seems more likely than that of ectopic neurons. A myelin dysfunction would also be consistent with the correlation observed between lateral temporal hypometabolism and temporo‐polar MRI abnormalities. Whether or not these MRI findings are associated with a better seizure outcome following temporal lobectomy remains a debated issue.