Epilepsy & behavior : E&B
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · May 2014
Diagnostic accuracy of microEEG: a miniature, wireless EEG device.
Measuring the diagnostic accuracy (DA) of an EEG device is unconventional and complicated by imperfect interrater reliability. We sought to compare the DA of a miniature, wireless, battery-powered EEG device ("microEEG") to a reference EEG machine in emergency department (ED) patients with altered mental status (AMS). Two hundred twenty-five ED patients with AMS underwent 3 EEGs. ⋯ The mean electrode impedance of EEG3 recordings was 12.6 kΩ (SD: 31.9 kΩ). The diagnostic accuracy of microEEG was comparable to that of the reference system and was not reduced when the EEG electrodes had high and unbalanced impedances. A common practice with many scientific instruments, measurement of EEG device DA provides an independent and quantitative assessment of device performance.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · May 2014
Comparative StudyScreening for depression in people with epilepsy: comparative study among neurological disorders depression inventory for epilepsy (NDDI-E), hospital anxiety and depression scale depression subscale (HADS-D), and Beck depression inventory (BDI).
We aimed to assess and compare the psychometric properties of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Depression Subscale (HADS-D), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as screening instruments for depression and suicidality in people with epilepsy. ⋯ All three instruments evaluated have clinical utility in the screening of depression in people with epilepsy. Both NDDI-E and HADS-D are brief efficient screening instruments to identify depression in people with epilepsy. The BDI is a more robust instrument, but it takes longer to apply, which hampers its use by busy clinicians and by people with cognitive impairment.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · May 2014
Seizure outcome after AED failure in pediatric focal epilepsy: impact of underlying etiology.
This study aimed to identify long-term seizure outcome in pediatric nonsyndromic focal epilepsy after failure of serial antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) due to lack of efficacy. ⋯ Etiology is an important determinant of pharmacoresistance in nonsyndromic focal epilepsy. Surgical evaluation should be considered after failure of 1-2 AEDs in those who have epilepsy with structural causes, excluding remote brain insults. Conversely, as surgical success is lower with normal MRI or more diffuse brain insults, it appears reasonable to hold off surgical evaluation until 2-3 AEDs have failed in such children.