Nocturnal acute laryngospasm in children: a possible epileptic phenomenon

Seizure semiology: ILAE glossary of terms and their significance

This educational topical review and Task Force report aims to address learning objectives of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) curriculum. We sought to extract detailed features involving semiology from video recordings and interpret semiological signs and symptoms that reflect the likely localization for focal seizures in patients with epilepsy. This glossary was developed by a working group of the ILAE Commission on Diagnostic Methods incorporating the EEG Task Force. This paper identifies commonly used terms to describe seizure semiology, provides definitions, signs and symptoms, and summarizes their clinical value in localizing and lateralizing focal seizures based on consensus in the published literature. Video-EEG examples are included to illustrate important features of semiology in patients with epilepsy.

Medicine in the future - with subspecialists in medullary neurology and brain dentistry

The solitary tract nucleus of the medulla with its limited watershed vascular capacity may occasionally be the focus of transient ischemia caused by the increased metabolic demands associated with frequent and intense neuronal stimulation from other organs and other parts of the brain. Case reports have suggested that these ischemic changes may sometimes result in the initiation of intense autonomic discharges, which can occasionally be fatal. Therapeutic interventions for the medulla oblongata are hampered by its limited accessibility. Systemically administered pharmaceuticals may have some usefulness in future years. Previous experience with vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of epilepsy suggests that it may have some usefulness in stabilizing medullary autonomic discharges. Computerized electronic stimulation of other cranial nerves may be helpful as well, especially the chorda tympani nerve, and may be most easily accomplished from implanted dental appliances, especially molar modules, transmitting signals via secondary transmitters procedurally placed on cranial nerves. Future technology may enable wireless signaling from the implanted dental appliance to the secondary transmitter placed at the nerve site. By the year 2050 subspecialists in medullary neurology and brain dentistry may use computerized electronic stimulation of cranial nerves to prevent sudden unexpected death and treat “chest pain from the brain”.

Apnea as the sole manifestation of a seizure attributable to meningioangiomatosis of the temporal lobe in an infant

An 8-month-old boy presented with periods of apnea occurring several times daily. Initial clinical and radiologic evaluations could not identify a cause for these episodes. Video electroencephalographic monitoring indicated interictal high-voltage θ and δ activity over the right frontotemporal area. A short ictal run of δ activity over the same region was registered during a brief apneic spell. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed a lesion anteromedial in the right temporal lobe. After epilepsy surgery, anatomopathologic examination indicated meningioangiomatosis. This case demonstrates that a focal lesion in the temporal lobe can present during infancy with apnea as sole seizure manifestation, without other clear clinical evidence.

Cardiac changes in epilepsy

Epilepsy and seizures can have a dramatic effect on the autonomic nervous system by involvement of the central autonomic control centers. The peri-ictal changes can lead to short-term alteration of cardiac functions in patients with seizures, and are partially hemispheric specific. Changes in heart rhythm, conduction and even subtle signs of ischemia have been reported. Ictal asystole and the lock-step phenomenon during seizures play an important role in the pathophysiology of SUDEP. In patients with longlasting epilepsy and multiple seizures, there are now convincing arguments for a chronic dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. In this sense, heart rate variability can be considered as a biomarker of autonomic dysfunction in epilepsy. Early recognition of these short- and long-term cardiac effects will become useful in predicting seizures and in guiding more individualized treatment in the near future.

An unusual cause of stridor in childhood due to focal epileptic seizures

Respiratory disorders with stridor are a frequent cause of admission for children in an emergency department. Laryngospasm, as an isolated symptom of epilepsy, is a rare phenomenon [1, 3, 5]. Other respiratory symptoms of epilepsy, rarely seen in childhood, might be apnoeic spells [2, 4]. We report on a child with laryngospasm due to focal epileptic seizures.

Parasomnias--an update

Primary parasomnias are a group of sleep-related clinical disorders that occur in otherwise healthy children, which may be provoked by a variety of physical, psychosocial, and environmental stimuli. In typical cases, additional investigations are not necessary, and treatment should be instituted with the aim of reducing the frequency and adverse consequences of the parasomnia. In patients with co-existing clinical disorders, parasomnias need to be distinguished from symptoms of the underlying disorder. This article provides a brief review of the recent literature regarding parasomnias, and a clinically oriented approach to the management of parasomnias in patients with co-existing clinical disorders.