Ictal asystole with isolated syncope: A case report and literature review

Ictal syncope is a rare phenomenon that occurs in association with 0.002–0.4% of seizures. In the absence of other symptoms, seizures presenting with syncope may be challenging to diagnose. We report a case of a previously healthy male who developed recurrent episodes of syncope with postictal confusion and was later diagnosed with temporal seizures. The patient was successfully treated with anti-seizure drugs and placement of a cardiac pacemaker. In a systematic review of literature, we summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with ictal asystole and isolated syncope. Seizures should be considered in patients with syncope of uncertain etiology. Keywords: Ictal syncope, Focal seizures, Asystole, Ictal bradycardia, Temporal lobe epileps

Anterior corpus callosotomy in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy: Invasive EEG findings and seizure outcomes

Corpus callosotomy (CC) is used in patients with drug-resistant seizures who are not candidates for excisional surgery and failed neurostimulation. We examined ictal scalp and intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) recordings in 16 patients being evaluated for anterior CC alone or CC in combination with focal resection, to determine the role of the iEEG in predicting postoperative seizure outcomes. In our cohort, CC improved generalized atonic seizures and focal seizures with impaired awareness but did not alter outcomes for generalized tonic–clonic or tonic seizures. Invasive EEG prior to CC did not refine the prediction of postsurgical seizure outcomes in patients with inconclusive scalp EEG. Keywords: Epilepsy surgery, Refractory seizures, Intracranial EEG, Corpus callosotom