Epilepsia
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children, and early posttraumatic seizures (EPTS) are a contributing factor to ongoing acute damage. Continuous video-EEG monitoring (cEEG) was utilized to assess the burden of clinical and electrographic EPTS. ⋯ cEEG monitoring significantly improves detection of seizures/SE and is the only way to detect subclinical seizures/SE. cEEG may be indicated after pediatric TBI, particularly in younger children, AHT cases, and those with intraaxial blood on computerized tomography (CT).
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To analyze the clinical outcome of epilepsy surgery in children, and to identify the factors related with a favorable seizure control among several presurgical, surgical and postsurgical variables. ⋯ Our study confirms that epilepsy surgery is an established and effective treatment for partial epilepsy in children and suggest criteria to help identify early potential surgical candidates.
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Role of the sodium channel SCN9A in genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus and Dravet syndrome.
Mutations of the SCN1A subunit of the sodium channel is a cause of genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS(+) ) in multiplex families and accounts for 70-80% of Dravet syndrome (DS). DS cases without SCN1A mutation inherited have predicted SCN9A susceptibility variants, which may contribute to complex inheritance for these unexplained cases of DS. Compared with controls, DS cases were significantly enriched for rare SCN9A genetic variants. None of the multiplex febrile seizure or GEFS(+) families could be explained by highly penetrant SCN9A mutations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Lessons from the RAMPART study--and which is the best route of administration of benzodiazepines in status epilepticus.
Early treatment of prolonged seizures with benzodiazepines given intravenously by paramedics in the prehospital setting had been shown to be associated with improved outcomes, but the comparative efficacy and safety of an intramuscular (IM) route, which is faster and consistently achievable, was previously unknown. RAMPART (the Rapid Anticonvulsant Medication Prior to Arrival Trial) was a double-blind randomized clinical trial to determine if the efficacy of intramuscular (IM) midazolam is noninferior by a margin of 10% to that of intravenous (IV) lorazepam in patients treated by paramedics for status epilepticus (SE). ⋯ Patients treated with IM midazolam were more likely to have stopped seizing at emergency department (ED) arrival, without emergency medical services (EMS) rescue therapy, and were less likely to require any hospitalization or admission to an intensive care unit. Lessons from the RAMPART study's findings and potential implications on clinical practice, on the potential role of other routes of administration, on the effect of timing of interventions, and on future clinical trials are discussed.
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Posttraumatic seizures develop in up to 20% of children following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Children ages 6-17 years with one or more risk factors for the development of posttraumatic epilepsy, including presence of intracranial hemorrhage, depressed skull fracture, penetrating injury, or occurrence of posttraumatic seizure were recruited into this phase II study. Treatment subjects received levetiracetam 55 mg/kg/day, b.i.d., for 30 days, starting within 8 h postinjury. ⋯ This study demonstrates the feasibility of a pediatric posttraumatic epilepsy prevention study in an at-risk traumatic brain injury population. Levetiracetam was safe and well tolerated in this population. This study sets the stage for implementation of a prospective study to prevent posttraumatic epilepsy in an at-risk population.