Epilepsy & behavior : E&B
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Sep 2016
Review Biography Historical ArticleEzio Sciamanna: The Italian contribution to the origin of cortical stimulation mapping in humans.
Influenced by Ferrier's 1873 publication documenting his initial experience with cortical stimulation mapping (CSM) across several species, 19th-century experiments applying electric current to exposed human brain soon followed. Bartholow is commonly credited with the first report of CSM in a conscious human in 1874. ⋯ Sciamanna was in the vanguard of functional localization of brain function through direct stimulation of human gray matter. Unlike Bartholow, who has been canonized in the annals of CSM, Sciamanna has remained relatively obscure, despite the fact that his case may represent a better example of true subdural CSM than his better known contemporary.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Jul 2016
ReviewFamilies' experiences of living with pediatric epilepsy: A qualitative systematic review.
Living with epilepsy in childhood has implications for the child and their family beyond the physical effects associated with epileptic seizures. Qualitative research has emerged, aiming to deliver a greater depth of understanding of the experiences of living with epilepsy from the perspectives of children with epilepsy, their parents, and their siblings. This review of qualitative research had three aims: first, to synthesize the demographic and epilepsy profiles of research participants in eligible studies in order to provide a clear picture of who are included and excluded when studying families' experiences; second, to present and discuss the methodological concerns and implications of research involving children with epilepsy; and third, to synthesize the findings arising from qualitative research with families in order to identify common themes across all relevant studies to date. ⋯ The studies also highlighted that children have knowledge about their own condition and epilepsy more generally and that they are involved in managing the ways in which they cope with epilepsy, both in terms of seizure prevention and managing their relations with others, particularly peers. Future research should ensure that appropriate design, data collection, and analytic strategies are adopted to facilitate the participation of all family members. Enhancing the quality of the research will, in turn, optimize validity and opportunities for the translation of findings into better health, education, and social practices to improve care for children and their families affected by epilepsy.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Jul 2016
ReviewFamilies' experiences of living with pediatric epilepsy: A qualitative systematic review.
Living with epilepsy in childhood has implications for the child and their family beyond the physical effects associated with epileptic seizures. Qualitative research has emerged, aiming to deliver a greater depth of understanding of the experiences of living with epilepsy from the perspectives of children with epilepsy, their parents, and their siblings. This review of qualitative research had three aims: first, to synthesize the demographic and epilepsy profiles of research participants in eligible studies in order to provide a clear picture of who are included and excluded when studying families' experiences; second, to present and discuss the methodological concerns and implications of research involving children with epilepsy; and third, to synthesize the findings arising from qualitative research with families in order to identify common themes across all relevant studies to date. ⋯ The studies also highlighted that children have knowledge about their own condition and epilepsy more generally and that they are involved in managing the ways in which they cope with epilepsy, both in terms of seizure prevention and managing their relations with others, particularly peers. Future research should ensure that appropriate design, data collection, and analytic strategies are adopted to facilitate the participation of all family members. Enhancing the quality of the research will, in turn, optimize validity and opportunities for the translation of findings into better health, education, and social practices to improve care for children and their families affected by epilepsy.
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Dante Alighieri is the greatest Italian poet and one of the most important writers in Western literature. He is best known for the epic poem "Commedia", later named "La Divina Commedia" that has profoundly influenced not only poetic imagination but also all subsequent allegorical creations of imaginary worlds in literature. ⋯ On the 750th anniversary of Dante's birth, his poetry still remains to be an inspiring source of debate and reflection. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Epilepsy, Art, and Creativity".
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Nov 2015
ReviewThe enigma of the latent period in the development of symptomatic acquired epilepsy - Traditional view versus new concepts.
A widely accepted hypothesis holds that there is a seizure-free, pre-epileptic state, termed the "latent period", between a brain insult, such as traumatic brain injury or stroke, and the onset of symptomatic epilepsy, during which a cascade of structural, molecular, and functional alterations gradually mediates the process of epileptogenesis. This review, based on recent data from both animal models and patients with different types of brain injury, proposes that epileptogenesis and often subclinical epilepsy can start immediately after brain injury without any appreciable latent period. ⋯ Knowing whether a latent period exists or not is important for our understanding of epileptogenesis and for the discovery and the trial design of antiepileptogenic agents. The development of antiepileptogenic treatments to prevent epilepsy in patients at risk from a brain insult is a major unmet clinical need.