Epilepsia
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To use Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to explore structural integrity and connectivity of the uncinate fasciculus (UF) in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and its relationship to memory performance. ⋯ Abnormal diffusion measures in the UF ipsilateral to the epileptogenic zone suggest that integrity of the UF is related to memory performance in patients with left TLE. Larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate structure-function correlations further.
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Rufinamide is a new, orally active antiepileptic drug (AED), which has been found to be effective in the treatment of partial seizures and drop attacks associated with the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. When taken with food, rufinamide is relatively well absorbed in the lower dose range, with approximately dose-proportional plasma concentrations up to 1,600 mg/day, but less than dose-proportional plasma concentrations at higher doses due to reduced oral bioavailability. Rufinamide is not extensively bound to plasma proteins. ⋯ Conversely, comedication with carbamazepine, vigabatrin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, and primidone was associated with a slight-to-moderate decrease in plasma rufinamide concentrations, ranging from a minimum of -13.7% in female children comedicated with vigabatrin to a maximum of -46.3% in female adults comedicated with phenytoin, phenobarbital, or primidone. In population modeling using data from placebo-controlled trials, a positive correlation has been identified between reduction in seizure frequency and steady-state plasma rufinamide concentrations. The probability of adverse effects also appears to be concentration-related.