x CHAPTER I GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Seizures in Man 1 Occurrence 1 Etiology 1 Animal Models of Convulsive Disorders 4 Seizure Models Based on Electrical Stimulation ... 5 Seizure Models Based on Chemical Stimulation .... 7 Seizure Models Based on Cortical Lesions 7 Seizure Models Based on Genetic Determinants .... 8 Putative Neuromediators in Seizure Activity 10 Catecholamines 10 5-Hydroxytrypta...

Sixty-three patients (32 women, 31 men), chronically treated with carbamazepine, phenytoin, valproate and/or phenobarbital, were investigated. Mean age at manifestation of epilepsy was 16.4 years; mean age at onset of documentation of seizure frequency was 33.7 years; mean duration of follow-up was 104.8 months; mean number of documented seizures per patient was 313.2. A statistical analysis of...

This paper reviews Drosophila voltage-gated Na(+) channel mutations encoded by the para (paralytic) gene and their contributions to seizure disorders in the fly. Numerous mutations cause seizure-sensitivity, for example, para(bss1), with phenotypes that resemble human intractable epilepsy in some aspects. Seizure phenotypes are also seen with human GEFS+ spectrum mutations that have been knocke...

OBJECTIVE To critically review data relating the seizure duration in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to its therapeutic effect in the treatment of depressive illness. METHOD The authors used MEDLINE, PSYCHINFO on CDROM, and their own knowledge of the literature to find studies or reviews concerning the role of seizure duration in ECT efficacy. RESULTS Rigorous studies cast doubt on the usef...

Seizure is a common presenting manifestation and plays an important role in the clinical presentation and quality of life for patients with low-grade gliomas (LGGs). The authors set out to identify factors that influence preoperative seizure characteristics and postoperative seizure control. Cases involving adult patients who had undergone initial surgery for LGGs in a single institution betwee...

BACKGROUND During the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, many patients avoided hospital visit because of fear of infection. Antiepileptic drug (AED) withdrawal is a risk factor for seizure recurrence. Therefore, seizure control during the SARS outbreak is a good model for examining the impact of drug withdrawal in seizure control. METHODS All seizures experienced by each ...

OBJECTIVES To (a) describe the effect of temperature rise on seizure recurrence in the ER (b) investigate the effect of age, gender, family and developmental history, type, duration and multiple seizures, past history and number of seizures and treatment given (either late or early) on seizure recurrence in the ER and (c) explore prognostic indicators for seizure recurrence. METHODS Data from...

OBJECTIVE The study of epileptic electroencephalograph (EEG) dynamics can potentially provide insights into seizure onset, evolution and termination. We propose a new synthetic measure based on time-frequency decomposition to provide detailed characterization of these dynamic changes. METHODS The matching pursuit (MP) method allows for continuous time-frequency decomposition. We have develope...

OBJECTIVE To explore the factors associated with preoperative epileptic seizure and surgical outcome in patients with cerebral gangliolioma (GG). METHODS A total of 31 consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed ganglioglioma and surgically treated from January 2003 to June 2011 in West China Hospital of Sichuan University were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data, surgical procedur...

BACKGROUND Precise control of anesthetic depth during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is crucial because most intravenous anesthetics have anticonvulsant effects. In this study, we investigated the association between anesthetic depth measured by the Alaris auditory evoked potential index (AAI) and seizure inducibility and seizure duration during ECT. METHODS Sixty-four ECTs were evaluated in...