Epilepsy research
-
To investigate the utility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG PET) in helping decision making for epilepsy surgery. ⋯ FDG PET scan can help decision making in 53% of presurgical patients with normal or discordant MRI. PET findings need to be evaluated in conjunction with other data.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of lacosamide by focal seizure subtype.
The purpose of this post hoc exploratory analysis was to determine the effects of the antiepileptic drug, lacosamide, on focal (partial-onset) seizure subtypes. Patient data from the three lacosamide pivotal trials were grouped and pooled by focal seizure subtype at Baseline: simple partial seizures (SPS), complex partial seizures (CPS), and secondarily generalized partial seizures (SGPS). Both efficacy outcomes (median percent change from Baseline to Maintenance Phase in seizure frequency per 28 days and the proportion of patients experiencing at least a 50% reduction in seizures) were evaluated by lacosamide dose (200, 400, or 600 mg/day) compared to placebo for each seizure subtype. ⋯ An additional exploratory analysis suggests that in patients with SPS at Baseline, CPS and SGPS may have been shifted to less severe SPS upon treatment with lacosamide. The results of these exploratory analyses revealed reductions in CPS and SGPS frequency with adjunctive lacosamide. Reduction in CPS and SGPS may confound assessment of SPS since the CPS or SGPS may possibly change to SPS by effective treatment.
-
This study utilised the revised 2011 ILAE classification of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) (Blümcke et al., 2011) to examine pathology in a cohort of children and adults who underwent temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) surgery, and to describe the electroclinical and imaging features associated with these pathologies. ⋯ FCD IIIA is a comparatively common pathological subtype in TLE, with a poor post-surgical outcome. Pre-operative recognition of FCD IIIA may be feasible through grey matter signal change on MRI. Paediatric patients had a higher rate of seizure freedom than adults. Pre-operative bilateral convulsive seizures were associated with poor outcome after surgery.
-
Observational Study
Two-year follow-up with eslicarbazepine acetate: a consecutive, retrospective, observational study.
Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a new generation voltage-gated sodium channel blocker. It has completed one phase II clinical trial and three phase III clinical trials, two of which with 1-year open label extensions. ESL was approved in 2009 by the European Medicines Agency as adjunctive therapy in adults with partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalization. It is marketed in Portugal since April 1st 2010. Despite good safety and efficacy shown in clinical trials, little is known about its effectiveness in a clinical day-to-day setting. Our purpose was to assess the post-marketing experience with ESL in our centre, in terms of safety and efficacy profile, and ascertain whether the results were comparable to the published data. ⋯ This is the first study reporting follow-up data for up to 2 years in patients treated with ESL in the setting of daily clinical practice. The retention rates in our study are sustained throughout the 2 years of follow-up, and at 6 and 12 months are globally comparable to those of phase III trials and open-label extensions. The adverse event rate is also comparable to previous studies, and no new safety issues attributable to ESL were found. Responder rates were lower than those of previous studies, even though efficacy results must be interpreted with caution given the different study design. Thus, ESL appears to be a clinically useful add-on AED, with good safety profile and high retention rates, even in a very refractory group of patients like the presented cohort.