Epilepsia
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There are at least five types of alterations of consciousness that occur during epileptic seizures: auras with illusions or hallucinations, dyscognitive seizures, epileptic delirium, dialeptic seizures, and epileptic coma. Each of these types of alterations of consciousness has a specific semiology and a distinct pathophysiologic mechanism. In this proposal we emphasize the need to clearly define each of these alterations/loss of consciousness and to apply this terminology in semiologic descriptions and classifications of epileptic seizures. The proposal is a consensus opinion of experienced epileptologists, and it is hoped that it will lead to systematic studies that will allow a scientific characterization of the different types of alterations/loss of consciousness described in this article.
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Both atopic dermatitis and epilepsy have been regarded as chronic inflammatory diseases. However, their association has yet to be investigated. ⋯ Subjects with atopic dermatitis were associated with an increased risk of developing epilepsy in later life. Further studies would be needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms.
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To investigate the effect of seizure frequency on memory, we performed a cross sectional study comparing mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) patients with frequent and infrequent seizures. ⋯ Our data suggest that seizure frequency does not explain most of the HV loss or memory impairment in MTLE. Memory impairment appears to be more influenced by hippocampal damage than by seizure frequency. Further studies are necessary to identify the factors that influence memory decline in patients with MTLE.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Efficacy and safety of pregabalin versus levetiracetam as adjunctive therapy in patients with partial seizures: a randomized, double-blind, noninferiority trial.
To assess the comparative efficacy and safety of pregabalin and levetiracetam for the reduction of seizure frequency in patients with partial seizures. ⋯ These results indicate that pregabalin is noninferior, and has a similar tolerability, to levetiracetam as adjunctive therapy in reducing seizure frequency in patients with partial seizures.