scholarly journals The History of Epilepsy: From Ancient Mystery to Modern Misconception

Cureus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian M Kaculini ◽  
Amelia J Tate-Looney ◽  
Ali Seifi
PEDIATRICS ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
pp. 1219-1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto F. Tuchman ◽  
Isabelle Rapin ◽  
Shlomo Shinnar

In a previously described population of 314 autistic and 237 dysphasic nonautistic children, after exclusion of 12 autistic girls with Rett syndrome, 14% (42 of 302) of autistic children and 8% (19 of 237) of dysphasic children had epilepsy (P = .03). The major risk factors for epilepsy were severe mental deficiency and the combination of severe mental deficiency with a motor deficit. In autistic children without severe mental deficiency, motor deficit, associated perinatal or medical disorder, or a positive family history of epilepsy, epilepsy occurred in 6% (10 of 160) which was analogous to the 8% (14 of 168) found in similar dysphasic nonautistic children. The language subtype of verbal auditory agnosia is associated with the highest risk of epilepsy in autistic (41%, 7 of 17) and dysphasic (58%, 7 of 12) children. The higher percentage of epilepsy in autistic girls, 24% (18 of 74) compared with boys 11% (25 of 228) (P = .003), is attributed to the increased prevalence of cognitive and motor deficit in girls. Once the risk attributable to associated cognitive and motor disabilities is taken into account, there is no difference in the risk of epilepsy between autistic and nonautistic dysphasic children.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 618-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Panicucci ◽  
Mikael Cohen ◽  
Veronique Bourg ◽  
Fanny Rocher ◽  
Pierre Thomas ◽  
...  

Background: Dalfampridine extended release (DAL) is a broad-spectrum voltage-gated potassium channel blocker that is indicated in multiple sclerosis to improve the nerve conduction of demyelinated axons. Seizures are a known side effect of DAL, which is contraindicated in patients with a history of epilepsy. Objective: Three cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) with de novo convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) probably related to dalfampridine administration are described. Methods: No patients had a history of seizures or renal impairment. Biological tests were normal. A brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed diffuse cortical and subcortical atrophy without active inflammatory lesions. Results: All three patients presented with CSE that was attributed to DAL and so was discontinued. Conclusion: These case reports illustrate that, aside from seizures, de novo CSE is a potential complication of MS patients treated with DAL.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  

Ewing sarcoma is a malignant bone tumor that mainly affects children, adolescents and young adults with more than 1.5 cases per million worldwide. Approximately 20-25% of patients present metastatic disease at the diagnosis, that is often resistant to intensive therapy.We present the case of a 19-year-old male with history of epilepsy who started his condition with weight loss, increased volume, pain, swelling after receiving surgical treatment due to a left distal femur fracture, showing tomographic evidence of a 50-cm tumor with multiple lung lesions, so disarticulation was performed with the Boyd technique, obtaining histopathological result of Ewing’s Sarcoma, and was subsequently sent to the medical oncology service for follow-up and adjuvant treatment with significant clinical and radiological improvement in pulmonary metastatic activity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. e000036
Author(s):  
Nozomi Akanuma ◽  
Naoto Adachi ◽  
Peter Fenwick ◽  
Masumi Ito ◽  
Mitsutoshi Okazaki ◽  
...  

BackgroundPsychosis often develops after the administration of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in patients with epilepsy. However, the individual vulnerability and clinical condition of such patients have been rarely scrutinised. We investigated the effect of individually consistent (trait-dependent) and inconsistent (state-dependent) characteristics.MethodsThe individual characteristics, clinical states and psychotic outcome of patients from eight adult epilepsy clinics were retrospectively reviewed over 6-month periods after a new drug (AED or non-AED) administration between 1981 and 2015.ResultsA total of 5018 new drugs (4402 AEDs and 616 non-AEDs) were used in 2015 patients with focal epilepsy. Subsequently, 105 psychotic episodes (81 interictal and 24 postictal) occurred in 89 patients. Twelve patients exhibited multiple episodes after different AED administrations. Trait-dependent characteristics (early onset of epilepsy, known presumed causes of epilepsy, lower intellectual function and a family history of psychosis) were significantly associated with the patients who exhibited psychosis. Absence of family history of epilepsy was also associated with psychosis but not significantly. Subsequent logistic regression analysis with a model incorporating family history of psychosis and epilepsy, and intellectual function was the most appropriate (p=0.000). State-dependent characteristics, including previous psychotic history and epilepsy-related variables (longer duration of epilepsy, AED administration, higher seizure frequency and concomitant use of AEDs) were significantly associated with psychotic episodes. Subsequent analysis found that a model including AED administration and previous psychotic history was the most appropriate (p=0.000).ConclusionPsychosis occurring after new AED administration was related to the individual vulnerability to psychosis and intractability of epilepsy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-47
Author(s):  
Sanavio Matteo ◽  
Saladini Marina ◽  
Favretto Donata ◽  
Snenghi Rossella

We present the case of a 60-year-old male, with a long history of epilepsy, who was discovered submerged and unconscious in a small thermal whirlpool bath. The circumstances were forensically reviewed to include examination of clinical data and an autopsy with toxicological analysis. The conclusion was that “warm” hydro-therapy had contributed more than “hot” mud-therapy to the onset of epilepsy which led to accidental drowning, notwithstanding the deceased’s treatment with the long-lasting, poly-drug antiepileptic therapy. Further, we analysed the Italian medical indications of wellness centres for patients with epilepsy or other diseases.


Diseases ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruhiro Higashida ◽  
Toshio Munesue ◽  
Hirotaka Kosaka ◽  
Hidenori Yamasue ◽  
Shigeru Yokoyama ◽  
...  

Approximately half of all autism spectrum disorder (ASD) individuals suffer from comorbid intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, the prevalence of epilepsy has been estimated to be 46% of patients with low intelligence quotient. It is important to investigate the therapeutic benefits and adverse effects of any recently developed drugs for this proportion of individuals with the so-called Kanner type of ASD. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic and/or adverse effects of intranasal oxytocin (OT) administration, especially in adolescents and adults with ASD and comorbid intellectual disability and epilepsy, with regard to core symptoms of social deficits. We have already reported three randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs). However, we revisit results in our pilot studies from the view of comorbidity. Most of the intellectually disabled participants were found to be feasible participants of the RCT. We observed significantly more events regarded as reciprocal social interaction in the OT group compared with the placebo group. In the trial, no or little differences in adverse events were found between the OT and placebo arms, as found in some other reports. However, seizures were induced in three participants with medical history of epilepsy during or after OT treatment. In conclusion, we stress that behavioral changes in ASD patients with intellectual disabilities could be recognized not by the conventional measurements of ASD symptoms but by detailed evaluation of social interactions arising in daily-life situations.


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