The prognostic factors of seizure recurrence in newly diagnosed epilepsy

Background: To evaluate the prognostic factors of seizure recurrence in newly diagnosed epilepsy at 1 year follow up. Methods: From the IUED (Inje University Epilepsy Database) we retrieved the epilepsy patients who had never before taken any antiepileptics (AED) and were followed up for 1 year. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records with special attention to : a) age of onset, b) history of antecedents, c) seizure frequency before starting AED, d) abnormal neurological examination, e) MRI findings, f) EEG findings, g) epileptic syndrome classification. We defined seizure recurrence as any seizure occurring during the 1 year evaluation follow up except during the AED titra-tion period, having only an aura and being in poor compliance. We analyzed the prognostic factors that could reliably predict the seizure recurrence at 1 year follow up. Results: We found 104 patients (64 male, 40 female) who met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of onset was 23.7 years. Of 104 patients 19 had generalized epilepsy, 82 had partial epilepsy and 3 had unclassified epilepsy. Thirteen percent (13/104) developed seizure recurrence at the 1 year follow up. Significant univariate associations were noted between seizure recurrence and these factors: presence of antecedents 〔odds ratio (OR) 4.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-18.5 〕, post-encephalitic epilepsy (OR 7.7; 95% CI 2.1 ~ 28), and abnormal neurological examination(OR 14.6; 95% CI 3.9-55). With multivariate logistic regression, the independent predictor of seizure recurrence was the abnormal neurological examination (OR 9.7; 95% CI 2.4 ~ 39.4). Conclusions: The chance of developing a seizure recurrence at the 1 year follow up was 13 percent and the prognostic factors were the presence of antecedents, post-encephalitic epilepsy and an abnormal neurological examination. J Kor Neurol Ass 17(3):365 ~ 369, 1999 Key Words : Prognostic factor, Seizure recurrence, Antecedents, Post-encephalitic epilepsy,Abnormal neurological examinationope

A case of dyskinesia after levetiracetam administration

BACKGROUND: Antiepileptic drug (AED) induced dyskinesia is an unusual manifestation in the medical field. In the previous case reports describing first generation-AED related involuntary movements, the authors suggested that a plausible cause is pharmacokinetic interactions between two or more AEDs. To date, development of dyskinesia after levetiracetam (LEV) has not been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 28-year-old woman with a history of brain metastasis from spinal cord glioblastoma presented with several generalized tonic-clonic seizures without restored consciousness. LEV was administered intravenously. Thereafter no more clinical or electroencephalographic seizures were noted on video-EEG monitoring, while chorea movement was observed in her face and bilateral upper limbs. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, there is no case report of dyskinesia after administration of LEV. Considering the temporal relationship and absence of ictal video-EEG findings, we suggest that development of choreoathetosis was closely associated with the undesirable effects of LEV. We propose that dopaminergic system dysregulation and genetic susceptibility might underlie this unusual phenomenon after LEV treatment.ope

First Molecular Diagnosis of a Patient with Unverricht-Lundborg Disease in Korea

Unverricht-Lundborg disease (ULD) is a form of progressive myoclonus epilepsy characterized by stimulation-induced myoclonus and seizures. This disease is an autosomal recessive disorder, and the gene CSTB, which encodes cystatin B, a cysteine protease inhibitor, is the only gene known to be associated with ULD. Although the prevalence of ULD is higher in the Baltic region of Europe and the Mediterranean, sporadic cases have occasionally been diagnosed worldwide. The patient described in the current report showed only abnormally enlarged restriction fragments of 62 dodecamer repeats, confirming ULD, that were transmitted from both her father and mother who carried the abnormally enlarged restriction fragment as heterozygotes with normal-sized fragments. We report the first case of a genetically confirmed patient with ULD in Korea.ope

Impact of Insomnia Symptoms on the Clinical Presentation of Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Population Study

Objective: Insomnia and depression are prevalent disorders that often co-occur. This study aimed to investigate the impact of clinically significant insomnia symptoms on the prevalence and clinical presentation of clinically significant depressive symptoms and vice versa. Methods: This study used data from the Korean Headache-Sleep Study (KHSS), a nationwide cross-sectional population-based survey regarding headache and sleep. Clinically significant insomnia symptoms were defined as Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores ≥ 10 and clinically significant depressive symptoms were defined as Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores ≥ 10, respectively. We referred clinically significant insomnia symptoms and clinically significant depressive symptoms as insomnia symptoms and depressive symptoms, respectively. Results: Of 2,695 participants, 290 (10.8%) and 116 (4.3%) were classified as having insomnia and depressive symptoms, respectively. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher among participants with insomnia symptoms than in those without insomnia symptoms (25.9 vs. 1.7%, respectively, P < 0.001). Among participants with depressive symptoms, the PHQ-9 scores were not significantly different between participants with and without insomnia symptoms (P = 0.124). The prevalence of insomnia symptoms was significantly higher among participants with depressive symptoms than in those without depressive symptoms (64.7 vs. 8.3%, respectively, P < 0.001). The ISI scores were significantly higher among participants with insomnia and depressive symptoms than in participants with insomnia symptoms alone (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Participants with depressive symptoms had a higher risk of insomnia symptoms than did those without depressive symptoms. The severity of depressive symptoms did not significantly differ based on insomnia symptoms among participants with depressive symptoms; however, the severity of insomnia symptoms was significantly higher in participants with depressive symptoms than in those without depressive symptoms.ope

Antiepileptic Drugs and Congenital Malformations, and Seizure Control during Pregnancy

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological problems in pregnancy. For the majority of women, pregnancy proceeds without any apparent difficulties but there is growing evidence of an increased risk of major malformations and later cognitive problems in children exposed to antiepileptic drugs in utero. Updated evidence from several prospective pregnancy registries suggests an increased risk of major malformations with valproic acid compared with other antiepileptic drugs, becoming more evident as doses exceed 1,000 mg/day. The effects of polytherapy appear to carry greater risks compared with monotherapy. Limited data exist for the newer AEDs except for lamotrigine. Although most women with epilepsy have no change in seizure frequency, seizures, especially generalized tonic-clonic seizures can produce adverse effects on mother and fetus. Data about the risk associated with seizures in pregnancy are limited. The pregnancy registry will be performed in Korea to assess the relative risk of major congenital malformation from in utero exposure to antiepileptic drug and to analyze seizure control and treatment in pregnant women with epilepsy.ope

Sleep Apnea and Metabolic Dysfunction(Metabolic Syndrome)

The metabolic syndrome represents a clustering of several interrelated risk factors of metabolic origin that are thought to increase cardiovascular risk. One metabolic abnormality that may underlie several clinical characteristics of the metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance. The evidence that obstructive sleep apnea may independently lead to the development of both insulin resistance and individual clinical components of the metabolic syndrome, has been accumulated. Continuous positive airway pressure treatment for sleep apnea may be helpful for improvement of metabolic syndrome although the evidence is still insufficient. Intermittent hypoxemia and sleep fragmentation in sleep apnea can trigger a cascade of pathophysiological events, including autonomic activation, alterations in neuroendocrine function, and release of potent proinflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6. The converse may also be true, in that metabolic abnormalities associated with the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance may potentially exacerbate sleep apnea and daytime sleepiness. The notion that sleep apnea exert detrimental metabolic effects may help explain the increasing prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in the general population, and may have important therapeutic implications to combat the metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Key Words : Obstructive sleep apnea, Metabolic syndrome, Insulin resistanceope

Regional Connectivity Changes According to Seizure Outcome of Temporal Epilepsy Surgery- A Magnetoencephalography Study

Objective: Temporal lobectomy is often successful in treatment of patients with medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but prediction of its long-term outcome is of great interest. Here, we investigated usefulness of comparison analysis of pre- and post-surgical magnetoencephalopgrahy data in predicting prognosis of temporal lobectomy. Methods: The authors retrospectively analyzed pre-and post-operative MEG and presence of any seizures after temporal lobectomy in 8 patients with TLE. Spectral powers averaged from spike-free epochs in each condition (pre- and post-operation) were compared between 4 patients free from seizures and the other 4 with recurrent seizures. We also performed connectivity analysis based on phase locking values (PLVs) around resection margins of possible epileptogenic focus as regions of interest. Results: Spectral analysis on peri-lesional areas demonstrated relative increase of delta power in the patients without seizure freedom. On connectivity analysis, decrease of PLVs between other areas and temporal lobe focus after surgery were noted in patients with good surgical outcome while persistence or increase were found in patients with recurred seizures. Conclusion: This pilot study on comparison of power spectrum and connectivity metrics between pre- and post-op MEG exhibits a potential for predicting seizure outcome after TLE surgery.ope

Efficacy and Safety of Levetiracetam as Adjunctive Treatment in a Multicenter Open-Label Single-Arm Trial in Korean Patients with Refractory Partial Epilepsy : Over 1-Year Follow-up

Purpose: This prospective, open-label study evaluated the efficacy and safety of adjunctive levetiracetam (LEV) in Korean adults with uncontrolled partial epilepsy. Methods: A total of 100 patients whose partial seizures were inadequately controlled on their current antiepileptic drugs were enrolled and received LEV (1000-3000 mg/day). Seizure count and adverse events (AEs) were recorded by patients. Global evaluation scale (GES) and quality of life (QOLIE-31) were also evaluated. Additionally effectiveness over 1-year follow-up was investigated. Results: Ninety-two patients completed the short-term 16-week trial. The median percent reduction in weekly seizure frequency over the treatment period was 43.2%. The ≥50% and ≥75% responder rates were 45.4% and 36.1%, respectively. Seizure freedom was observed in 17 patients throughout the initial 16-week treatment period. On investigator’s GES, 81 patients were considered improved, with 41 patients showing marked improvement. Most QOLIE-31 scales improved significantly. At the end of the trial, 79 chose to continue follow-up treatment with LEV. At the follow-up visit (ranging 60 to 81 weeks), 64 patients were still taking LEV; during the last 16 weeks, 65.6% of patients had ≥50% reduction, 50.0% had ≥75% reduction, and 35.9% had a 100% reduction. Seven patients showed continuous seizure freedom from the initiation of LEV treatment. During the entire treatment period, LEV was withdrawn in 36 patients; due to lack of efficacy in 22, AEs in six, both in three, other reasons in five. Conclusion: Adjunctive LEV therapy in patients with refractory partial epilepsy was effective and well-tolerated, as evidenced by the high seizure freedom and retention rates in both the short-term trial and the long-term follow-up.ope

New antiepileptic drugs

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurologic conditions. Pharmacologic therapy is by far the most common approach, with the other modalities typically limited to patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsies. A host of new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have been introduced over the last 20 years. The AEDs including the conventional ones are more or less equally effective in patients with partial epilepsy. Therefore, relative efficacy is not a useful factor in selecting a particular drug. A conventional AED, valproic acid is regarded as having superior efficacy than the other broad-spectrum AEDs including new ones in patients with generalized epilepsy. However, it can have considerable side effects, such as reproductive dysfunction and teratogenicity to young women with epilepsy. One of the clearest advantages of many new AEDs over the conventional ones has been their more favorable pharmacokinetic and drug-drug interaction profiles compared with the conventional ones involved in the cytochrome P450 enzymatic system, which may change the levels of other antiepileptic and nonantiepileptic drugs, and endogenous substances. Many new AEDs have unique mechanisms of action and slightly better tolerability than the conventional ones. Several new AEDs can allow young women with epilepsy, particularly those with idiopathic generalized epilepsy, to avoid valproic acid treatment. Furthermore, the new AEDs may provide a modest but positive effect in seizure control, particularly as an add-on treatment. The greater variety of AEDs allows better patient tailoring according to patient's characteristics and contributes to improvement in quality of life.ope

The Relationship between Febrile Convulsion and Temporal Lobe Epilepsy : Is Febrile Convulsion a Preferential Association with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy?

Background : Although a history of febrile convulsion (FC) is common in epilepsy patients, the preferential associa-tion of febrile convulsion with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is not clear. Methods : We obtained the FC data from “Paik and Bongsang hospital “ epilepsy clinic. We classified epilepsy syndromes into generalized epilepsy (GE), temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), extratemporal epilepsy (ETLE), unclassified partial and undetermined epilepsy by standardized criteria. The incidence of antecedent FC was evaluated in relation to the epilepsy classifications. We calculated kappa values for inter and intra observer reliability for the classifications of epilepsy syndromes. Results : The agreement of epilepsy classifications were reliable (intra-observer kappa value=0.78, inter-observer kappa value=0.77). Thirteen percent of the studied patients (72/537) had a history of FC and 38% of FC (27/72) were complex types of FC. TLE was more likely to be preceded by FC 25% (42/166) than ETLE 6% (12/189), p<0.05 or GE 13% (12/93), p<0.05 and 85% of complex FC (23/27) preceded TLE. GE however, was more likely to have non-complex FC 100% (12/12) than partial epilepsy 55% (32/58), p<0.05. ConclusIons : We therefore conclude and agree that FC should be preferentially associated with TLE. J Korean Neurol Assoc 18(4):409~413, 2000ope