Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2018
Observational StudyEmilia-Romagna Study on Pregnancy and Exposure to Antiepileptic drugs (ESPEA): a population-based study on prescription patterns, pregnancy outcomes and fetal health.
To assess the prevalence of antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure in pregnant women and the comparative risk of terminations of pregnancy (TOPs), spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, major birth defects (MBDs), neonatal distress and small for gestational age (SGA) infants following intrauterine AED exposure in the Emilia Romagna region, Italy (4 459 246 inhabitants on 31 December 2011). ⋯ The Emilia Romagna prevalence of AED exposure in pregnancy was 0.42%, comparable with previous European studies. Rates of spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, neonatal distress, SGA and MBDs following AED exposure were not significantly increased. The rate of TOPs was significantly higher in the AED-exposed women.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2018
Brain microstructural injury occurs in patients with RRMS despite 'no evidence of disease activity'.
The accuracy of 'no evidence of disease activity' (NEDA) in predicting long-term clinical outcome in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is unproven, and there is growing evidence that NEDA does not rule out disease worsening. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate whether ongoing brain microstructural injury occurs in patients with RRMS meeting NEDA criteria. ⋯ White matter microstructural deterioration occurs in patients with RRMS over short-term follow-up in patients with NEDA, providing further evidence of the limitations of conventional measures and arguing for DTI in monitoring of the disease process.