Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of flunarizine for refractory epilepsy. Methods Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched from the database of PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, and VIP, and the related references were traced to obtain the information. The methodological quality of included RCTs was assessed using Jadad scale and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0 software. Results A total of eight studies involving 545 patients were included. The results of meta-analyses showed that: based on the conventional therapy, compared with placebo and none-treatment, flunarizine was more effective on adults and children with refractory epilepsy (OR=2.98, 95%CI 1.88 to -4.73; OR=33.75, 95%CI 4.13 to -276.00). Major adverse events of flunarizine were fatigue, dizziness, headache, and weight gain etc. All those symptoms except for the weight gain were observed in the early stage of medication, which might get self-cured or could disappear by constant medication or reducing the dose or symptomatic treatment. Conclusion The present study shows that based on the conventional therapy, flunarizine is effective and safe for refractory epilepsy.
Objective To investigate clinical features and surgical outcome in children with frontal lobe epilepsy by evaluating the correlation between the predictive factors and seizure freedom. Methods 18 children who underwent frontal lobe epileptogenic resection in the Epilepsy Center of the Children's Hospital of Fudan University between January 2017 and December 2019 with a minimum follow up of 2 year were analyzed retrospectively. Each patient was evaluated with detailed data to predict postsurgical seizure freedom by analysis of variance. Results Of the 18 patients, there were 11 males and 7 females, the age at surgery ranged from 21 months to 11 years old (6.8±2.73) and the duration of seizures was from 1 month to 9 years. 17 patients had focal seizures, while 1 had generalized epileptic spasm. In scalp EEG, interictal and initial ictal discharges were frontal in 11 and 9 cases, respectively. MRI was indicative of FCD in 10 cases, tumor in 2, tuberous sclerosis and gliosis lesion in 1 case each. 4 patients were MRI negative. 11 patients underwent epileptogenic lesion resections directly and 7 cases received depth electrodes implantation and underwent stereo-electroencephalography to localize epileptogenic zone. At follow-up of 2 years, 14 (77.8%) patients remained seizure-free (Engel Ⅰ), 1 (5.6%) had marked seizure reduction (Engel Ⅱ), 2 (11.0%) showed minor improvement (Engel Ⅲ), and only 1 (5.6%) showed no response (Engel Ⅳ). About predictors of seizure recurrence, there were no significant differences in gender, age at surgery, age of seizure onset, duration of epilepsy, lateralization of epileptogenic zone, positive MRI findings, interictal and ictal discharge, etiology, intellectual development and stereo-electroencephalography implantation, while significantly higher rates of seizure freedom correlated with complete the resection of the epileptogenic zone. Conclusions Focal cortical dysplasia is the most common cause in childhood with frontal lobe epilepsy and complete resection of the epileptogenic zone can lead to good seizure control outcome.
ObjectiveChildhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is a common syndrome of idiopathic generalized epilepsy.However, little is known about the brain structural changes in this type of epilepsy, especially in the default mode network (DMN) regions.Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a noninvasive techniques that can be used to quantitatively explore structural characteristics of brain.This study aims at using the DTI technique to quantify structural abnormalities of DMN nodes in CAE patients.MethodDTI data were obtained in 14 CAE patients and 13 age-and gender-matched healthy controls.The data were analyzed using voxel-based analysis (VBA) and statistically compared between patients and controls.For the regions with significant difference in group comparison, their DTI metrics were further analyzed with clinical symptoms using Pearson's correlation.ResultsPatients showed significant increase of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in left medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) (P=0.042), while fractional anisotropy (FA) value was significantly decreased in left precuneus (P=0.010).In correlation analysis, ADC value from left MPFC was positively associated with duration of epilepsy.Neither the disease duration nor the seizure frequency showed significant correlation with FA values.ConclusionThe findings indicate that structural impairments exist in DMN regions in children suffering from absence epilepsy.This may contribute to understanding the pathological mechanisms and chronic neurological deficits of this disorder.
Stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) is widely used to record the electrical activity of patients' brain in clinical. The SEEG-based epileptogenic network can better describe the origin and the spreading of seizures, which makes it an important measure to localize epileptogenic zone (EZ). SEEG data from six patients with refractory epilepsy are used in this study. Five of them are with temporal lobe epilepsy, and the other is with extratemporal lobe epilepsy. The node outflow (out-degree) and inflow (in-degree) of information are calculated in each node of epileptic network, and the overlay between selected nodes and resected nodes is analyzed. In this study, SEEG data is transformed to bipolar montage, and then the epileptic network is established by using independent effective coherence (iCoh) method. The SEEG segments at onset, middle and termination of seizures in Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma rhythms are used respectively. Finally, the K-means clustering algorithm is applied on the node values of out-degree and in-degree respectively. The nodes in the cluster with high value are compared with the resected regions. The final results show that the accuracy of selected nodes in resected region in the Delta, Alpha and Beta rhythm are 0.90, 0.88 and 0.89 based on out-degree values in temporal lobe epilepsy patients respectively, while the in-degree values cannot differentiate them. In contrast, the out-degree values are higher outside the temporal lobe in the patient with extratemporal lobe epilepsy. Based on the out-degree feature in low-frequency epileptic network, this study provides a potential quantitative measure for identifying patients with temporal lobe epilepsy in clinical.
ObjectTo investigate the pathogenesis of drug-resistant epilepsy by examining the expression of mRNA and protein of Cell Division Cycle 42 GTP-binding protein (Cdc42), Neural Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein (N-WASP) and Actin-related protein 2/3(Arp2/3) in peripheral blood of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE).MethodsSeventy two essential epilepsy patients who were attended at outpatients and inpatients in the Department of Neurology of the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities were selected from October 2016 to October 2018. According to the 2010 International League Against Epilepsy’s definition of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy, the patients were divided into 2 groups: 32 patients with DRE were defined as DRE group, 40 patients with anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs) well controlled were defined as the well controlled group. Thirty two healthy persons were selected as control group. The expression of mRNA and protein of Cdc42, N-WASP and Arp2/3 in peripheral blood were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot(WB). Experimental data were analyzed by ANOVA or rank-sum test.ResultsCompared with well-controlled group and healthy persons group, Cdc42, N-WASP, Arp2/3 in DRE group were significantly increased, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, Cdc42, N-WASP, Arp2/3 in well-controlled group were significantly increased, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05).ConclusionThe expression of Cdc42, N-WASP, Arp2/3 in peripheral blood of patients with DRE significantly increased, being closely related to the occurrence and development of DRE, and used as indicators in peripheral blood predicting the occurrence of DRE.
ObjectiveTo analyze the risk factors for electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES) in patients with self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTs) and to construct a nomogram model. MethodsThis study selected 174 children with SeLECTs who visited the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2017 to March 2024 and had complete case data as the research subjects. According to the results of video electroencephalogram monitoring during the course of the disease, the children were divided into non-ESES group (88 cases) and ESES group (86 cases). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for the occurrence of ESES in SeLECTs patients. ResultsThe multifactor Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the EEG discharges in bilateral cerebral areas,types of seizure, epileptic seizures after initial treatment were the independent risk factors for the occurrence of ESES in SeLECTs. ConclusionBilateral distribution of electroencephalogram discharges before treatment, emergence of new seizure forms, and epileptic seizures after initial treatment are risk factors for the ESES in SeLECTs patients. The nomogram model constructed based on the above risk factors has a high degree of accuracy.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of medical counseling games on ketogenic diet therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy children. MethodsA total of 98 children with drug-resistant epilepsy admitted to the neurology ward of Shenzhen Children's Hospital from January 2023 to June 2024 who were treated with ketogenic diet for the first time were selected as the study objects by random number table method, and were divided into observation group (n=49) and control group (n=49). The control group received the traditional multidisciplinary team health education mode, while the observation group received the ketogenic diet treatment based on the multidisciplinary team health education mode and participated in the customized medical counseling games intervention. The time of children reaching ketosis, the knowledge level of ketogenic diet caregivers and the retention rate of children on ketogenic diet were compared between the two groups. ResultsThe time of ketosis in observation group was earlier than that in control group (P<0.05). The knowledge level of the main caregivers of ketogenic diet and the retention rate of children with ketogenic diet at 3 months and 6 months in observation group were higher than those in control group (P<0.05). ConclusionThe use of medical counseling games in the ketogenic diet for medically refractory epilepsy is an effective therapeutic strategy that facilitates the early attainment of ketosis in children with medically refractory epilepsy, improves the knowledge of caregivers on the ketogenic diet, improves retention of children on the ketogenic diet, and serves to optimize the effectiveness of clinical outcomes, which may contribute to the quality of life of children with medically refractory epilepsy.
ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to identify clinical and electroencephalographic features associated with refractoriness to the initial antiepileptic drug in typical benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS). MethodsA total of 87 children with typical BECTS were retrospectively reviewed in the analyses.The patients were subdivided into two groups:patients whose seizures were controlled with monotherapy, and those requiring two medications. 63 childrenachieved seizure-freedom with monotherapy, while 24 received two medications for seizure control. ResultsDiffusing foci at the follow-up EEG and delayed treatment (duration > 1 year) are two main risk factors associated with more refractory cases (P < 0.001). Delayed diagnosis (37.1%) and non-adherence to treatment (57.2%) contributed to delayed treatment. ConclusionsOur findings suggested that diffusing foci on EEG and delayed treatment are associated with more frequent seizures and refractoriness in BECTS. Diagnostic delays and non-adherence hindered timely care, which may represent opportunities for improved intervention.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety tolerance of perampanel in the treatment of Chinese adult epilepsy patients. Methods Clinical data of adult epileptic patients treated with perampanel in Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University from January 2020 to December 2022 were analyzed retrospectively by self-control method, including demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, changes of epileptic seizures before and after perampanel treatment and adverse events during the treatment of perampanel. To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of perampanel in Chinese adult epileptic patients. Results A total of 69 adult epileptic patients with complete follow-up data were included. The dosage range of perampanel was 2 ~ 8 mg. The total effective rate was 68.1%, and the seizure-free rate was 17.4%. The most common adverse reactions were mood change and dizziness, the incidence of adverse reactions was 52.2%, and the incidence of serious adverse reactions was 0.0%. In terms of analysis of influencing factors of efficacy, the results showed that single drug therapy or combination therapy, type of combined antiepileptic drug and treatment time of perampanel did not affect the efficacy (P>0.05), while dosage was an important factor affecting the efficacy of perampanel (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in efficacy between the focal epilepsy group and the general epilepsy group (P>0.05). In terms of the analysis of factors related to the occurrence of adverse reactions, the results showed that the occurrence of adverse reactions was related to the dosage of perampanel (P<0.05), and was independent of whether it was monotherapy, the addition time of perampanel and the type of combined antiepileptic agents (P>0.05). Conclusion Perampanel has good efficacy and safety tolerance in the treatment of epilepsy in Chinese adults. Both monotherapy and additive therapy can effectively control seizures, and has a good effect on different seizure types. The most common adverse events during treatment were mood changes and dizziness, which could be alleviated and tolerated by most patients with prolonged treatment.
ObjectivesTo compare the clinical features and the effects on cognition, emotion, and prognosis of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) between occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).MethodsWe collected the clinical data of the patients with OLE and TLE from the Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2016 to May 2018. We measured the patients with Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), digital span, Auditory verbal memory test (AVMT), Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7), Patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Chinese version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (c-NDDI-E) and followed up for 1 year.Results① After 1 year’s follow-up, the frequency of the two groups decreased compared with the first visit (Z=3.734, P=0.000) and the extent was similar (Z=−0.290, P=0.772). In group OLE, occipital aura was 45.9% (17 cases) and temporal aura was 37.8% (14 cases). In TLE group, temporal aura was 49.3% (33 cases) and occipital aura 7.5% (5 cases). In OLE group, post-seizure headache was found in 17 cases (45.9%), which was more than the 15 cases (22.4%) in TLE group (χ2=6.210, P=0.013). ② 30 cases (81.1%) in OLE group interictal discharge involved lobes outside occipitotemporal lobe, 4 of which had a wide-lead-involved discharge, and 19 cases (28.4%) in TLE group involved lobes outside temporal lobe, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (χ2=26.592, P=0.000). ③ There was no significant difference in the score of MOCA and AVMT in the group of OLE-A and OLE-B, either the group of TLE-A and TLE-B. The score of AVMT in group OLE-A was higher than that in group TLE-A (t=3.193, P=0.002), and that in group OLE-B was higher than that in group TLE-B (t=2.264, P=0.029). There was no significant difference in GAD-7, PHQ-9, and c-NDDI-E (P>0.05). After follow-up for 1 year, the scores were compared with its initial scales. The score of GAD-7 (Z=−2.561, P=0.010), PHQ-9 (Z=−2.053, P=0.040) and c-NDDI-E (Z=−2.493, P=0.013) all decreased. The score of GAD-7 (r=0.281, P=0.021) and c-NDDI-E (r=0.456, P=0.000) have a positive correlation with the frequency of seizure. Therapeutic effect: In OLE group, the efficiency of carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine group was 58.82% and of levetiracetam group was 83.33%. in TLE group, the efficiency of carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine was 72.50% and of levetiracetam group was 70.00%. There was no significant difference between group OLE and group TLE in the curative effect of carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine group (χ2=1.033, P=0.310) or levetiracetam group (χ2=0.356, P=0.551). After 1 year’s follow-up, the frequency of OLE group was 0.00 (0.000, 2.750) times per month, and the TLE group was 0.00 (0.000, 1.500) times per month. There was no significant difference between the two groups (Z=−0.226, P=0.822). At the follow-up, the frequency of seizure in the two groups was lower than that at the first visit (P=0.000). The frequency of seizure in TLE group was similar to that in OLE group (=−0.648, P=0.517). After 1 year, 5 patients (13.51%) in OLE group were newly diagnosed as refractory epilepsy and 6 patients (9.00%) in TLE group There was no significant difference in the rate of the newly diagnosed refractory epilepsy between the two groups (2=0.524, P=0.469).ConclusionOccipital aura and post-seizure headache are specific to OLE, which can be used as one of the basis for diagnosis of OLE. Epileptiform discharge in OLE is more likely to spread out in multiple cerebral lobes, while epileptiform discharge in TLE is confined to temporal lobe and the area near it. The cognitive impairment in OLE or TLE is not related to the duration of the disease. The degree of depression is positively correlated with the frequency of seizure. The responses to AEDs of OLE and TLE are similar.