Epilepsy & behavior : E&B
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Mar 2005
Review Historical ArticleDid all those famous people really have epilepsy?
Many famous individuals are said to have had epilepsy, and these names often find their way into books and lectures on epilepsy. The goal of this study was to investigate in detail the histories of 43 of those people who had various kinds of attacks, but not epilepsy. They range chronologically from Pythagorus, born in 582 bc, to the actor Richard Burton, born in 1925 AD. ⋯ In some instances no evidence of any episodic symptom could be found. One unexpected finding was that 40% of these well-known, individuals had serious, often life-threatening, physical conditions as infants or very young children. This article is an attempt to correct the record with respect to these people and also to remind us of the many reasons similar misdiagnoses are being made today.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Oct 2004
ReviewWhat is the evidence that oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine are distinctly different antiepileptic drugs?
Oxcarbazepine (OXC, Trileptal) is a modern antiepileptic drug (AED) used as both monotherapy and adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial seizures with or without secondary generalization in adults and children above 4 years (USA) or 6 years (Europe) of age. Although OXC has been developed through structural variation of carbamazepine (CBZ) with the intent to avoid metabolites causing side effects, significant differences have emerged between the two drugs. The mechanism of action of OXC involves mainly blockade of sodium currents but differs from CBZ by modulating different types of calcium channels. ⋯ This constitutes compelling clinical evidence that OXC and CBZ are distinctly different medications. From postmarketing experience in over 1,000,000 patient years, OXC had an advantageous risk-benefit balance also in comparison to other new AEDs. OXC should be preferred over CBZ and other older AEDs because of its proven efficacy and excellent side effect profile in children, adolescents, and adults with partial seizures.
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Migraine and epilepsy are both chronic disorders characterized by recurrent neurologic attacks variously accompanied by headache as well as by gastrointestinal, autonomic, and psychologic features. Migraine and epilepsy are linked by their symptom profiles, comorbidity, and treatment. The presence of one disorder increases the likelihood that the other is also present. ⋯ Herein, we review the relationship between migraine and epilepsy. We discuss the diagnosis of migraine using the International Headache Society criteria, emphasizing the variants of migraine most frequently mistaken for epilepsy. We summarize the epidemiologic evidence that migraine and epilepsy are associated and discuss specific interrelationships between migraine and epilepsy.