Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association
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Meta Analysis
Association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism and epilepsy susceptibility: a meta-analysis.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism has been implicated as a potential risk factor for epilepsy. To date, many case-control studies have investigated the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and epilepsy susceptibility. However, those findings were inconsistent. The objective of this study is to evaluate the precise association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and epilepsy. ⋯ The results indicated that MTHFR C677T polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of epilepsy. However, further studies in various regions are needed to confirm the findings from this meta-analysis.
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Antiepileptic drugs used to treat epilepsy can cause severe, life threatening side effects. In Iranian traditional medicine, herbal remedies have been used for centuries to treat seizures. In this study, the five most important herbals in Iranian traditional medicine, namely Canon, al-Hawi, al-Abniah 'an Haqaeq al Adwia, Tuhfat al-Mu'minin, and Makhzan ul-Adwia, were searched for the term "sar-e", which means epilepsy, to identify the herbs used for treatment in ancient times. ⋯ Twenty-five plants were identified as herbal remedies to treat epilepsy. Pharmacological data related to the antiepileptic activity of eleven of these plants exists. A large number of these plants which have not been investigated pharmacologically for antiepileptic activity would be good candidates for study in exploring new herbal anticonvulsant remedies.
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The Wada test is still the gold standard procedure to predict language and memory deficits before temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. As amobarbital was no longer available, our aim was to validate propofol as an alternative. ⋯ Propofol can be used for the Wada test with an efficacy and safety comparable to amobarbital.
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To investigate whether planning of pregnancy in women with epilepsy affects seizure control during pregnancy and to compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes in planned and unplanned pregnancies. ⋯ For women with epilepsy, planning of pregnancy is associated with good seizure control during pregnancy and less fetal exposure to antiepileptic drugs.
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Comparative Study
Temporal lobe surgery in medically refractory epilepsy: a comparison between populations based on MRI findings.
High resolution MRI findings suggestive of mesial temporal sclerosis (MRI-MTS) correlate with good outcome after surgery. However, a large group of patients present with normal brain MRI (N-MRI) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We aim to compare pre-operative ictal EEG patterns in predicting surgical outcomes in the population with MRI-MTS vs. N-MRI after selective anterior-mesial temporal lobe (AMTL) resection. ⋯ Surgical treatment for mesial TLE is effective. Positive MRI suggestive of mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) predicts better seizure control after surgery. Theta rhythm is the most common ictal pattern and seems to carry the best prognosis for TLE. However, a well-selected group of patients with N-MRI will benefit from surgical intervention, and similar outcome to MRI-MTS patients can be achieved if delta ictal EEG pattern is presented at initial onset. Early referral to an epilepsy center cannot be emphasized enough, even in situations when high-resolution brain MRI is normal.