Epilepsia
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Gamma knife surgery in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: a prospective multicenter study.
This article is the first prospective documentation of the efficacy and safety of gamma knife surgery (GKS) in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsies of mesial temporal lobe origin. ⋯ The safety and efficacy of the radiosurgical treatment of MTLEs appears good in this group of patient over short-to-middle term. Delay of the seizure cessation was the major disadvantage of GKS. A longer follow-up period is required for confirmation of these results.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Pregabalin as adjunctive therapy for partial seizures.
The efficacy and safety of pregabalin as adjunctive therapy for patients with partial epilepsy with or without secondary generalization has been studied in three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving 1,052 patients. Patients (> or =12 years of age) participating in the trials were highly refractory to treatment, experiencing at least six seizures and no 4-week seizure-free period during the 8-week baseline phase, even though 73% received at least two antiepileptic drugs and 23% received three. Each fixed-dose study was 12 weeks in duration. ⋯ The most commonly reported adverse events were CNS related, and either mild or moderate in intensity and generally self limiting. Few patients (< or =5% in any treatment group) discontinued due to lack of efficacy. These results indicate that pregabalin is highly effective as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of patients with partial seizures with or without secondary generalization.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Pregabalin add-on treatment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-response study in adults with partial seizures.
To evaluate pregabalin (PGB), 150 mg/day, and PGB, 600 mg/day, as an add-on treatment for patients with refractory partial seizures concurrently treated with one to three anticonvulsants (AEDs). ⋯ PGB, 150 mg/day and 600 mg/day, is highly effective and well-tolerated add-on therapy in patients with partial seizures.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Vagus nerve stimulation in children with refractory seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is approved for use for refractory partial seizures. Nevertheless, information regarding VNS therapy for special populations, including Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is limited. We discuss the effectiveness, tolerability, and safety of VNS therapy in patients with LGS. ⋯ VNS is an effective treatment for medically refractory epilepsy in LGS. This treatment is well tolerated, safe, and may improve QOL.
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Multicenter Study
Newly diagnosed unprovoked epileptic seizures: presentation at diagnosis in CAROLE study. Coordination Active du Réseau Observatoire Longitudinal de l' Epilepsie.
We describe first unprovoked seizures and newly diagnosed epilepsies at initial presentation, with a special emphasis on epilepsy syndromes, in a large cohort recruited in the mid-1990s in France. ⋯ Approximately half of patients who first came to attention for an unprovoked seizure already met epidemiologic criteria for epilepsy. There were significant differences between the types of patients with a first seizure and those with newly diagnosed epilepsy. One or several seizures at diagnosis did not influence the diagnostic assessment of the patients but had a strong influence on the initiation of treatment.