Epilepsia
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Comparative Study
Comparison of heart rate variability parameters during complex partial seizures and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.
Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) superficially resemble epileptic seizures. Little is known about ictal autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity changes in epilepsy and PNES. This study compares ictal heart rate variability (HRV) parameters as a reflection of ANS tone in epileptic seizures and PNES, and explores differences between interictal and ictal ANS tone in both patient groups. ⋯ Our results show greater ANS activation in epileptic seizures than in PNES. The biggest ictal HRV changes associated with epileptic seizures (CSI, HF, and RMSSD) reflect high sympathetic system activation and reduced vagal tone. The reduced ApEn also reflects a high sympathetic tone. The observed ictal alterations of HRV patterns may be a more specific marker of epileptic seizures than heart rate changes alone. These altered HRV patterns could be used to detect seizures and also to differentiate epileptic seizures from PNES. Larger studies are justified with intergroup and intragroup comparisons between ictal and resting states.
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Risks and benefits of invasive epilepsy surgery workup with implanted subdural and depth electrodes.
In patients with pharmacoresistant focal-onset seizures, invasive presurgical workup can identify epilepsy surgery options when noninvasive workup has failed. Yet, the potential benefit must be balanced with procedure-related risks. This study examines risks associated with the implantation of subdural strip and grid, and intracerebral depth electrodes. Benefit of invasive monitoring is measured by seizure outcomes. Diagnostic procedures made possible by electrode implantation are described. ⋯ The benefit of chronic invasive workup outweighs its risks, but complexity of implantations should be kept to a minimum.
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Previous neuroimaging studies provide growing evidence that patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) have both structural and functional abnormalities of the thalamus and frontal lobe gray matter. However, limited data are available regarding the issue of white matter (WM) involvement, making the microstructural WM changes in JME largely unknown. In the present study we investigated changes of WM integrity in patients with JME, and their relationships with cognitive functions and epilepsy-specific clinical factors. ⋯ Our findings of widespread disturbance of microstructural WM integrity in the frontal lobe and corpus callosum that interconnects frontal cortices could further support the pathophysiologic hypothesis of thalamofrontal network abnormality in JME. These WM abnormalities may implicate frontal cognitive dysfunctions and disease progression in JME.