Long-term outcomes in patients with West syndrome: An outpatient clinical study

Purpose: Nearly half of all patients with seizure onset in the first year of life suffer from West syndrome (WS). The prognosis of epilepsy and psychosocial outcomes in children with WS are variable. This study was performed to examine the factors influencing the outcome of this patient population

Eye closure sensitivity in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and its effect on prognosis

Purpose: To investigate eye closure sensitivity (ECS) in the EEGs of patients diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and its relationship to prognosis

Are There Any EEG Changes in Children Whose Mothers With Epilepsy Had Used Antiepileptic Drug During Pregnancy?

The prevalence rate of epilepsy is between 4-10/1000 people in general population. It is a well-known fact that antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used during pregnancy increase the rate of congenital malformations. However, there is not enough information about the electrophysiological effects of AEDs. In this study, 127 children whose mothers have epilepsy and 33 children whose mothers are healthy, were included. Twenty nine mothers did not use AEDs whereas 98 patients used AEDs during their pregnancy. Demographic features of both mothers and children, as well as epilepsy characteristics of mothers are recorded. The EEG examinations were done awake and/or during sleep. The children whose mothers have epilepsy had higher rate of EEG abnormalities and the ratio was statistically significant. EEG abnormalities were higher in the children whose mothers had polytherapy (%50) than in the group with monotherapy (%31,7). EEG abnormalities were mostly seen (%47) in children whose mothers used VPA. Children born of patients with epilepsy who did not use folic acid with AEDs had a higher rate of EEG abnormalities and this ratio was statistically significant. It was also observed that children, whose mothers have generalized EEG abnormalities, have generalized EEG abnormalities more frequently. It is necessary to examine patients who used AEDs during pregnancy not only in terms of congenital malformations but also electrophysiological effects and to advise taking folic acid. Examining children who are born under the effect of AEDs electrophysiologically in the years following their birth may provide predictions about whether the effects of AEDs

Panayiotopoulos syndrome and symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy of childhood: a clinical and EEG study

Aim. Panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS) is an age-related seizure susceptibility syndrome that affects the central autonomic system. Although the majority of the few ictal recordings obtained so far suggest an occipital origin, semiological and interictal EEG data appear to favour more extensive involvement. In this study, the characteristics (including those based on semiology and EEG) of children with Panayiotopoulos syndrome (n=24) and those with lesion-related, symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy (SOLE) (n=23) were compared. Methods. Detailed semiological information and EEG parameters including the localisation, distribution, density (n/sec), reactivity, and morphological characteristics of spike-wave foci and their relationship with different states of vigilance were compared between the two groups. Results. The age at seizure onset was significantly younger in patients with symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy than in those with PS (mean age at onset: 3.4 versus 5.6 years, respectively; p=0.044). Autonomic seizures (p=0.001) and ictal syncope (p=0.055) were more frequent in PS than in symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy (87.5% and 37.5% versus 43.5% and 13%, respectively). The interictal spike-wave activity increased significantly during non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep in both groups. The spike waves in non-REM seen in PS tended to spread mainly to central and centro-temporal regions. Conclusions. The results indicate that although common features do exist, Panayiotopoulos syndrome differs from symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy and has a unique low epileptogenic threshold related to particular brain circuits