Epilepsy

A study tested four different efficacy criteria for comparing intravenous antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used to end status epilepticus.

The first study of its kind in Australia examined influenza-associated neurological disease in hospitalized children.

Highlights: imaging the temporal dynamics & cellular architecture of seizures in Dravet syndrome, & reducing risk of spontaneous fetal loss.

The new SUDEP guidelines, co-developed by the AAN & AES and presented this week at the AAN Annual Meeting, provide clarity to health professionals.

What was the impact of add-on cannabidiol treatment in patients aged 2-55 years experiencing drop seizures?

April news includes tools to manage brain injury and predict recovery, new drug hits and misses, and an updated epilepsy classification system.

Experimental data suggesting benefits of cannabinoid comes from purified, standardized preparations that may not translate to real world practice.

Studies include stroke risk with epilepsy, genetic predisposition for ischemic stroke, and dysphagia screening in stroke patients.

March news includes possible brain tumor therapies, a study exploring mechanisms underlying demyelination-induced seizures, and VNS post stroke.

Common presentations between epilepsy and syncope complicate the differential diagnosis, making syncope the most frequent misdiagnosis in epilepsy.

Researchers evaluated several databases to determine whether or not depression has a causative role on epilepsy, or vice versa.

Ten general and disease-specific apps for neurologists include assessment scales, anatomical diagrams, and interactive clinical decision support.

February news includes stroke risk with Alzheimer disease & migraine, neonatal hemorrhagic stroke, and head trauma in sports.

Stroke is the most common cause of epilepsy in older adults, but there is limited information about rates and risk factors in this population.

Previous studies of methylphenidate in epilepsy patients have suffered from small numbers and methodological issues, such as lack of blinding.

January news includes the first FDA-approved drug for spinal muscular atrophy, various epilepsy treatments & vitamin D’s impact on Alzheimer & headache.

Orthostatic hypotension’s effect on cognition in Parkinson disease, testing patients with epilepsy who can drive safely, and carotid web are covered.

Research from AES 2016 explored relationships between epilepsy and other neurological disorders, including Alzheimer disease, MS, stroke, and autism.

November news includes the first human clinical trial focusing on tau in Alzheimer disease and Zika-related microcephaly not presenting at birth.

Tumor-related epilepsy is poorly controlled by antiepileptic drugs, and the best management of tumor-related focal epilepsies remains controversial.

Case 1 (of 4): Increasingly disruptive behavior and possible deteriorating cognitive function in a young girl with a previous right hemispherectomy.

After failed drug interventions, surgeries, & alternative therapies, is there a point at which to stop additional treatments for intractable epilepsy?

Antiepileptic drugs, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea may all affect the already complicated relationship between epilepsy and sleep.

Leading epilepsy researchers speculated on trends in surgery & devices, imaging, medication, bioinformatics, and genetic discoveries.

To improve understanding, Lara Marcuse, MD called for a unified definition of seizure clusters during Epilepsy Therapies Symposium: Risky Business.