Clinical EEG and neuroscience
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We report neuronal sensitization and impaired habituation in migraine using pattern reversal visual evoked potential (PRVEP) and correlate these with clinical characteristics of migraine. Sixty-five migraineurs and 30 healthy controls were included. A detailed clinical examination was done and migraine characteristics, including migraine trigger, photophobia, phonophobia, and allodynia were noted. ⋯ Sensitization and impaired habituation were marked during headache. Based on the PRVEP findings, it may be concluded that migraineurs have sensitization of P100 and impaired habituation of N75 especially during headache. These phenomena may be useful for therapeutic monitoring.
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Positive airway pressure (PAP) is the preferred treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but adherence is low. Educational or ongoing supportive intervention improves the number of PAP adherent patients from the 50% to the 70% range. A common side effect of PAP is increased awakenings. ⋯ There were no differences in baseline sleep efficiency or arousal index, between adherent and nonadherent patients, as well as between patients who needed sedating medicines for PAP adherence and those who did not. Adding medicines that suppress arousals and awakenings for patients having trouble tolerating PAP, increases the number of patients who are PAP adherent. The need for such medicines seems to be related to the PAP side effect of increased awakenings rather than baseline impaired sleep.
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Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke are among the most common causes of seizures, especially in the elderly. EEG is the only technique that can detect epileptiform abnormalities (EA) and nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), which may negatively affect recovery of these patients. Herein we aimed to investigate the potential predictive value of long-term EEG findings in terms of poststroke seizures (PSS) and survival, in stroke patients followed up in the neurological intensive care unit (NICU). ⋯ PSS are a frequent finding in stroke patients followed up in NICU. EAs are not uncommon, but do not predict seizure occurrence or survival.
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Continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring may help to identify the small percentage of adults with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) who will regain consciousness if allowed sufficient time. However, the limited yield in this population has led some to question the cost-effectiveness cEEG monitoring in this population. We hypothesized that limited-montage cEEG could provide essentially the same neurophysiologic information at lower cost. In this proof of concept study, we aim to demonstrate the potentials of limited channel EEG in prognostication in postanoxic patients. ⋯ Limited-channel continuous EEG monitoring can provide meaningful electrophysiological data that can be used for prognostication in postanoxic comatose patients. Limited channel EEG can be a cost-effective alternative to conventional EEG monitoring in post-anoxic comatose patients.
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Case Reports
Longitudinal Dynamics of 3-Dimensional Components of Selfhood After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A qEEG Case Study.
In this report, we describe the case of a patient who sustained extremely severe traumatic brain damage with diffuse axonal injury in a traffic accident and whose recovery was monitored during 6 years. Specifically, we were interested in the recovery dynamics of 3-dimensional components of selfhood (a 3-dimensional construct model for the complex experiential selfhood has been recently proposed based on the empirical findings on the functional-topographical specialization of 3 operational modules of brain functional network responsible for the self-consciousness processing) derived from the electroencephalographic (EEG) signal. ⋯ The results are discussed in the context of recent experimental studies that support this inference. Studies of ongoing recovery after severe brain injury utilizing knowledge about each separate aspect of complex selfhood will likely help to develop more efficient and targeted rehabilitation programs for patients with brain trauma.