Epilepsy research
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Randomized Controlled Trial Meta Analysis Clinical Trial
Levetiracetam does not alter body weight: analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials.
Increases in body weight gain are important, and clinically significant adverse effects of several antiepileptic drugs (AED) including valproate and gabapentin. Weight gain may contribute to medication non-compliance, discontinuation, and importantly, may have secondary medical implications as well. Levetiracetam (LEV) is indicated for adjunctive treatment of partial seizures. The objective of the present evaluation was to examine the effects of LEV treatment on body weight in adult patients. ⋯ We conclude that treatment with LEV at clinically relevant dosages is not associated with significant weight change. LEV would, therefore, appear to be a weight neutral AED.
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Review
Why does surgery fail to cure limbic epilepsy? Seizure functional anatomy may hold the answer.
Surgery for the mesial temporal lobe epilepsy syndrome is highly effective in controlling seizures in as many as 80% of the patients who undergo this procedure. However, the majority of the patients with successful operations still require medications to control their seizures. ⋯ In this paper we will discuss two hypotheses for the functional anatomy of limbic epilepsy in light of what is known about the pathology and physiology of limbic epilepsy. Combining the clinical and scientific observations with these constructs for seizure initiation may lead us to a better understanding of this particular epilepsy syndrome as well as to more effective surgical approaches.
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The Third International Spring Epilepsy Research Conference took place in Georgetown, Cayman Islands from April 26 to May 3, 2003. One workshop discussed the impact of epilepsy surgery on seizure outcome and mortality of antiepileptic drug (AED)-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. This article summarizes the information presented at this workshop. ⋯ Recent studies have suggested that successful temporal lobe surgery may be able to normalize the increased standard mortality ratio (SMR) of drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. However, pre-existing differences in SMR between those cured and those not cured by temporal lobe surgery and other unresolved methodological issues make it difficult at present to fully evaluate the impact of surgery on mortality. Future studies are thus warranted to specifically address the impact of temporal lobe surgery on cure and mortality.