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Lewis DV, Voyvodic J, Shinnar S, Chan S, Bello JA, Moshé SL, Nordli DR, Frank LM, Pellock JM, Hesdorffer DC, Xu Y, Shinnar RC, Seinfeld S, Epstein LG, Masur D, Gallentine W, Weiss E, Deng X, Sun S. Hippocampal sclerosis and temporal lobe epilepsy following febrile status epilepticus: The FEBSTAT study. Epilepsia 2024. [PMID: 38606600 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study was undertaken to determine whether hippocampal T2 hyperintensity predicts sequelae of febrile status epilepticus, including hippocampal atrophy, sclerosis, and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. METHODS Acute magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was obtained within a mean of 4.4 (SD = 5.5, median = 2.0) days after febrile status on >200 infants with follow-up MRI at approximately 1, 5, and 10 years. Hippocampal size, morphology, and T2 signal intensity were scored visually by neuroradiologists blinded to clinical details. Hippocampal volumetry provided quantitative measurement. Upon the occurrence of two or more unprovoked seizures, subjects were reassessed for epilepsy. Hippocampal volumes were normalized using total brain volumes. RESULTS Fourteen of 22 subjects with acute hippocampal T2 hyperintensity returned for follow-up MRI, and 10 developed definite hippocampal sclerosis, which persisted through the 10-year follow-up. Hippocampi appearing normal initially remained normal on visual inspection. However, in subjects with normal-appearing hippocampi, volumetrics indicated that male, but not female, hippocampi were smaller than controls, but increasing hippocampal asymmetry was not seen following febrile status. Forty-four subjects developed epilepsy; six developed mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and, of the six, two had definite, two had equivocal, and two had no hippocampal sclerosis. Only one subject developed mesial temporal epilepsy without initial hyperintensity, and that subject had hippocampal malrotation. Ten-year cumulative incidence of all types of epilepsy, including mesial temporal epilepsy, was highest in subjects with initial T2 hyperintensity and lowest in those with normal signal and no other brain abnormalities. SIGNIFICANCE Hippocampal T2 hyperintensity following febrile status epilepticus predicted hippocampal sclerosis and significant likelihood of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Normal hippocampal appearance in the acute postictal MRI was followed by maintained normal appearance, symmetric growth, and lower risk of epilepsy. Volumetric measurement detected mildly decreased hippocampal volume in males with febrile status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrell V Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics (Neurology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - James Voyvodic
- Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Shlomo Shinnar
- Isabelle Rapin Division of Child Neurology, Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology and Department of Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Stephen Chan
- Department of Radiology, Harlem Hospital Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Bello
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Solomon L Moshé
- Isabelle Rapin Division of Child Neurology, Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology and Departments of Neuroscience and Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Douglas R Nordli
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Child Neurology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - L Matthew Frank
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters and Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | - John M Pellock
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Dale C Hesdorffer
- Department of Epidemiology, G. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yuan Xu
- Department of Pediatrics (Neurology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ruth C Shinnar
- Isabelle Rapin Division of Child Neurology, Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology and Department of Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Syndi Seinfeld
- Pediatric Epilepsy Program, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, Hollywood, Florida, USA
| | - Leon G Epstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - David Masur
- Department of Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - William Gallentine
- Stanford University Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Erica Weiss
- Department of Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Xiaoyan Deng
- Biostatistics and International Epilepsy Consortium, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Shumei Sun
- Biostatistics and International Epilepsy Consortium, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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Pellock JM, Arzimanoglou A, D'Cruz O, Holmes GL, Nordli D, Shinnar S. Extrapolating evidence of antiepileptic drug efficacy in adults to children ≥2 years of age with focal seizures: The case for disease similarity. Epilepsia 2017; 58:1686-1696. [PMID: 28755452 DOI: 10.1111/epi.13859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Expediting pediatric access to new antiseizure drugs is particularly compelling, because epileptic seizures are the most common serious neurological symptom in children. Analysis of antiepileptic drug (AED) efficacy outcomes of randomized controlled trials, conducted during the past 20 years in different populations and a broad range of study sites and countries, has shown considerable consistency for each drug between adult and pediatric populations. Historically, the majority of regulatory approvals for AEDs have been for seizure types and not for specific epilepsy syndromes. Available data, both anatomical and neurophysiological, support a similar pathophysiology of focal seizures in adults and young children, and suggest that by age 2 years the structural and physiological milieu upon which seizures develop is similar. Although the distribution of specific etiologies and epilepsy syndromes is different in children from in adults, this should not impact approvals of efficacy based on seizure type, because the pathophysiology of focal seizures and the drug responsiveness of these seizure types are quite similar. Safety and pharmacokinetics cannot be extrapolated from adults to children. The scientific rationale, clinical consensus, and published data support a future approach accepting efficacy data from adult trials and focusing exclusively on prospective pharmacokinetic, tolerability, and safety studies and long-term follow-up in children. Whereas tolerability studies can be compared easily in children and adults, safety studies require large numbers of patients followed for many years.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Pellock
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A
| | - Alexis Arzimanoglou
- Department of Clinical Epileptology, Sleep Disorders, and Functional Pediatric Neurology, University Hospitals of Lyon, Lyon, France.,Epilepsy, Sleep, and Neurophysiology Section, Neurology Service, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - O'Neill D'Cruz
- Consulting and Neurological Services, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.A
| | - Gregory L Holmes
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, U.S.A
| | - Douglas Nordli
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A
| | - Shlomo Shinnar
- Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Epidemiology and Population Health, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, U.S.A
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Wadsworth I, Jaki T, Sills GJ, Appleton R, Cross JH, Marson AG, Martland T, McLellan A, Smith PEM, Pellock JM, Hampson LV. Clinical Drug Development in Epilepsy Revisited: A Proposal for a New Paradigm Streamlined Using Extrapolation. CNS Drugs 2016; 30:1011-1017. [PMID: 27623676 PMCID: PMC5078157 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-016-0383-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Data from clinical trials in adults, extrapolated to predict benefits in paediatric patients, could result in fewer or smaller trials being required to obtain a new drug licence for paediatrics. This article outlines the place of such extrapolation in the development of drugs for use in paediatric epilepsies. Based on consensus expert opinion, a proposal is presented for a new paradigm for the clinical development of drugs for focal epilepsies. Phase I data should continue to be collected in adults, and phase II and III trials should simultaneously recruit adults and paediatric patients aged above 2 years. Drugs would be provisionally licensed for children subject to phase IV collection of neurodevelopmental safety data in this age group. A single programme of trials would suffice to license the drug for use as either adjunctive therapy or monotherapy. Patients, clinicians and sponsors would all benefit from this new structure through cost reduction and earlier access to novel treatments. Further work is needed to elicit the views of patients, their parents and guardians as appropriate, regulatory authorities and bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Wadsworth
- MRC North-West Hub for Trials Methodology Research, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Fylde College, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YF, UK
| | - Thomas Jaki
- MRC North-West Hub for Trials Methodology Research, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Fylde College, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YF, UK
| | - Graeme J Sills
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Richard Appleton
- The Roald Dahl EEG Unit, Paediatric Neurosciences Foundation, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - J Helen Cross
- University College London-Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Anthony G Marson
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tim Martland
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, UK
| | - Ailsa McLellan
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Philip E M Smith
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - John M Pellock
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Lisa V Hampson
- MRC North-West Hub for Trials Methodology Research, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Fylde College, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YF, UK.
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4
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McClelland AC, Gomes WA, Shinnar S, Hesdorffer DC, Bagiella E, Lewis DV, Bello JA, Chan S, MacFall J, Chen M, Pellock JM, Nordli DR, Frank LM, Moshé SL, Shinnar RC, Sun S. Quantitative Evaluation of Medial Temporal Lobe Morphology in Children with Febrile Status Epilepticus: Results of the FEBSTAT Study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2016; 37:2356-2362. [PMID: 27633809 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a4919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The pathogenesis of febrile status epilepticus is poorly understood, but prior studies have suggested an association with temporal lobe abnormalities, including hippocampal malrotation. We used a quantitative morphometric method to assess the association between temporal lobe morphology and febrile status epilepticus. MATERIALS AND METHODS Brain MR imaging was performed in children presenting with febrile status epilepticus and control subjects as part of the Consequences of Prolonged Febrile Seizures in Childhood study. Medial temporal lobe morphologic parameters were measured manually, including the distance of the hippocampus from the midline, hippocampal height:width ratio, hippocampal angle, collateral sulcus angle, and width of the temporal horn. RESULTS Temporal lobe morphologic parameters were correlated with the presence of visual hippocampal malrotation; the strongest association was with left temporal horn width (P < .001; adjusted OR, 10.59). Multiple morphologic parameters correlated with febrile status epilepticus, encompassing both the right and left sides. This association was statistically strongest in the right temporal lobe, whereas hippocampal malrotation was almost exclusively left-sided in this cohort. The association between temporal lobe measurements and febrile status epilepticus persisted when the analysis was restricted to cases with visually normal imaging findings without hippocampal malrotation or other visually apparent abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS Several component morphologic features of hippocampal malrotation are independently associated with febrile status epilepticus, even when complete hippocampal malrotation is absent. Unexpectedly, this association predominantly involves the right temporal lobe. These findings suggest that a spectrum of bilateral temporal lobe anomalies are associated with febrile status epilepticus in children. Hippocampal malrotation may represent a visually apparent subset of this spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - W A Gomes
- From Departments of Radiology (A.C.M., W.A.G., J.A.B.)
| | - S Shinnar
- Neurology (S. Shinnar, S.L.M., R.C.S.).,Pediatrics (S. Shinnar, S.L.M.).,Epidemiology and Population Health (S. Shinnar)
| | | | - E Bagiella
- Department of Health Evidence and Policy (E.B.), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - D V Lewis
- Departments of Pediatrics (Neurology) (D.V.L.)
| | - J A Bello
- From Departments of Radiology (A.C.M., W.A.G., J.A.B.)
| | - S Chan
- Radiology (S.C.), Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - J MacFall
- Radiology (J.M.), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - M Chen
- Departments of Epidemiology (D.C.H., M.C.)
| | | | - D R Nordli
- Department of Neurology (D.R.N.), Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - L M Frank
- Department of Neurology (L.M.F.), Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia
| | - S L Moshé
- Neurology (S. Shinnar, S.L.M., R.C.S.).,Pediatrics (S. Shinnar, S.L.M.).,Neuroscience (S.L.M.), Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | | | - S Sun
- Biostatistics (S. Sun), Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
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Pellock JM, Faught E, Foroozan R, Sergott RC, Shields WD, Ziemann A, Lee D, Dribinsky Y, Torri S, Othman F, Isojarvi J. Which children receive vigabatrin? Characteristics of pediatric patients enrolled in the mandatory FDA registry. Epilepsy Behav 2016; 60:174-180. [PMID: 27208827 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Vigabatrin (Sabril®) is an antiepileptic drug (AED) currently indicated in the US as a monotherapy for patients 1month to 2years of age with infantile spasms (IS) and as adjunctive therapy for patients ≥10years of age with refractory complex partial seizures (rCPS) whose seizures have inadequately responded to several alternative treatments and for whom the potential benefits outweigh the risk of vision loss. The approval required an FDA mandated registry. This article describes 5years of demographic and treatment exposure data from US pediatric patients (<17years). Participation is mandatory for all US Sabril® prescribers and patients. A benefit-risk assessment must be documented for patient progression to maintenance therapy. This includes demographic diagnosis and reports of ophthalmologic assessments (where available). Patient data were grouped by age as proxies for indication (IS: <3years, rCPS: ≥3 to <17years). As of August 26, 2014, 5546/6823 enrolled patients were pediatric/total; 4472 (81%) were vigabatrin-naïve. Seventy-one percent of patients were <3years of age; 29% were ≥3 to <17years of age. Etiologies of IS were identified as cryptogenic (21%), symptomatic tuberous sclerosis (17%), and symptomatic other (42%). The majority of patients with IS (56%) attempted no prior treatments; 16% received adrenocorticotropic hormone prior to vigabatrin. A third of patients with IS were receiving 1 concomitant treatment with vigabatrin. For patients with rCPS, 39% attempted 1-3 prior treatments; 27% were receiving 2 concomitant treatments at enrollment. A total of 1852 (41%) patients did not undergo baseline ophthalmological assessment; 25% of patients with IS and 42% of patients with rCPS were exempted for neurologic disabilities. Kaplan-Meier estimates predict that 71% and 65% of vigabatrin-naïve patients with IS and rCPS, respectively, would remain in the registry at 6months. Most pediatric vigabatrin patients have IS as an underlying diagnosis, especially those <3years of age. A proportion of those with rCPS remain on long-term vigabatrin despite the risk of adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Robert C Sergott
- Wills Eye Institute and Thomas Jefferson University Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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6
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Hesdorffer DC, Shinnar S, Lax DN, Pellock JM, Nordli DR, Seinfeld S, Gallentine W, Frank LM, Lewis DV, Shinnar RC, Bello JA, Chan S, Epstein LG, Moshé SL, Liu B, Sun S. Risk factors for subsequent febrile seizures in the FEBSTAT study. Epilepsia 2016; 57:1042-7. [PMID: 27265870 DOI: 10.1111/epi.13418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To identify risk and risk factors for developing a subsequent febrile seizure (FS) in children with a first febrile status epilepticus (FSE) compared to a first simple febrile seizure (SFS). To identify home use of rescue medications for subsequent FS. METHODS Cases included a first FS that was FSE drawn from FEBSTAT and Columbia cohorts. Controls were a first SFS. Cases and controls were classified according to established FEBSTAT protocols. Cumulative risk for subsequent FS over a 5-year period was compared in FSE versus SFS, and Cox proportional hazards regression was conducted. Separate analysis examined subsequent FS within FSE. The use of rescue medications at home was assessed for subsequent FS. RESULTS Risk for a subsequent FSE was significantly increased in FSE versus SFS. Any magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormality increased the risk 3.4-fold (p < 0.05), adjusting for age at first FS and FSE and in analyses restricted to children whose first FS was FSE (any MRI abnormality hazard ratio [HR] 2.9, p < 0.05). The risk for a second FS of any type or of subsequent FS lasting >10 min over the 5-year follow-up did not differ in FSE versus SFS. Rectal diazepam was administered at home to 5 (23.8%) of 21 children with subsequent FS lasting ≥10 min. SIGNIFICANCE Compared to controls, FSE was associated with an increased risk for subsequent FSE, suggesting the propensity of children with an initial prolonged seizure to experience a prolonged recurrence. Any baseline MRI abnormality increased the recurrence risk when FSE was compared to SFS and when FSE was studied alone. A minority of children with a subsequent FS lasting 10 min or longer were treated with rectal diazepam at home, despite receiving prescriptions after the first FSE. This indicates the need to further improve the education of clinicians and parents in order to prevent subsequent FSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale C Hesdorffer
- Department of Epidemiology and GH Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A
| | - Shlomo Shinnar
- Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, U.S.A
| | - Daniel N Lax
- Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, U.S.A
| | - John M Pellock
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A
| | - Douglas R Nordli
- Department of Neurology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A
| | - Syndi Seinfeld
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A
| | - William Gallentine
- Department of Pediatrics (Neurology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A
| | - L Matthew Frank
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A
| | - Darrell V Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics (Neurology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A
| | - Ruth C Shinnar
- Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, U.S.A
| | - Jacqueline A Bello
- Department Radiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, U.S.A
| | - Stephen Chan
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A
| | - Leon G Epstein
- Department of Neurology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A
| | - Solomon L Moshé
- Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, U.S.A
| | - Binyi Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and GH Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A
| | - Shumei Sun
- Department of Biostatistics and International Epilepsy Consortium, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A
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Clark AM, Pellock JM, Holmay M, Anders B, Cloyd J. Clinical utility of topiramate extended-release capsules (USL255): Bioequivalence of USL255 sprinkled and intact capsule in healthy adults and an in vitro evaluation of sprinkle delivery via enteral feeding tubes. Epilepsy Behav 2016; 57:105-110. [PMID: 26943947 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objectives of these two studies were to determine if beads from extended-release topiramate capsules sprinkled onto soft food are bioequivalent to the intact capsule and if beads from the capsule can be passed through enteral gastrostomy (G-) and jejunostomy (J-) feeding tubes. METHODS Bioequivalence of 200-mg USL255 (Qudexy XR [topiramate] extended-release capsules) sprinkled onto soft food (applesauce) versus the intact capsule was evaluated in a phase 1, randomized, single-dose, crossover study (N=36). Pharmacokinetic evaluations included area under the curve (AUC), maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), time to Cmax (Tmax), and terminal elimination half-life (t1/2). If 90% confidence intervals (CI) of the ratio of geometric least-squares means were between 0.80 and 1.25, AUC and Cmax were considered bioequivalent. In separate in vitro experiments, 100-mg USL255 beads were passed through feeding tubes using gentle syringe pressure to develop a clog-free bead-delivery method. Multiple tube sizes (14- to 18-French [Fr] tubes), dilutions (5 mg/15 mL-25 mg/15 mL), and diluents (deionized water, apple juice, Ketocal, sparkling water) were tested. RESULTS Area under the curve and Cmax for USL255 beads sprinkled onto applesauce were bioequivalent to the intact capsule (GLSM [90% CI]: AUC0-t 1.01 [0.97-1.04], AUC0-∞ 1.02 [0.98-1.05]; Cmax 1.09 [1.03-1.14]). Median Tmax was 4h earlier for USL255 sprinkled versus the intact capsule (10 vs 14 h; p=0.0018), and t1/2 was similar (84 vs 82 h, respectively). In 14-Fr G-tubes, USL255 beads diluted in Ketocal minimized bead clogging versus deionized water. Recovery of USL255 beads diluted in deionized water was nearly 100% in 16-Fr G-, 18-Fr G-, and 18-Fr J-tubes. SIGNIFICANCE For patients with difficulty swallowing pills, USL255 sprinkled onto applesauce offers a useful once-daily option for taking topiramate. USL255 beads were also successfully delivered in vitro through ≥14-Fr G- or J-tubes, with tube clogging minimized by portioning the dose and using glidant diluents for smaller tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie M Clark
- Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc., Maple Grove, MN, United States.
| | - John M Pellock
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Division of Child Neurology, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Mary Holmay
- Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc., Maple Grove, MN, United States
| | - Bob Anders
- Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc., Maple Grove, MN, United States
| | - James Cloyd
- Center for Orphan Drug Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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Krauss G, Faught E, Foroozan R, Pellock JM, Sergott RC, Shields WD, Ziemann A, Dribinsky Y, Lee D, Torri S, Othman F, Isojarvi J. Sabril® registry 5-year results: Characteristics of adult patients treated with vigabatrin. Epilepsy Behav 2016; 56:15-9. [PMID: 26807550 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Vigabatrin (Sabril®), approved in the US in 2009, is currently indicated as adjunctive therapy for refractory complex partial seizures (rCPS) in patients ≥ 10 years old who have responded inadequately to several alternative treatments and as monotherapy for infantile spasms (IS) in patients 1 month to 2 years of age. Because of reports of vision loss following vigabatrin exposure, FDA approval required a risk evaluation mitigation strategy (REMS) program. Vigabatrin is only available in the US through Support, Help, And Resources for Epilepsy (SHARE), which includes a mandated registry. This article describes 5 years of demographic and treatment exposure data from adult patients (≥ 17 years old) in the US treated with vigabatrin and monitored in the ongoing Sabril® registry. Registry participation is mandatory for all US Sabril® prescribers and patients. A benefit-risk assessment must be documented by the physician for a patient to progress to maintenance therapy, defined as 1 month of vigabatrin treatment for patients with IS and 3 months for patients with rCPS. Ophthalmologic assessments must be documented during and after completion of therapy. As of August 26, 2014, a total of 6823 patients were enrolled in the registry, of which 1200 were adults at enrollment. Of these patients, 1031 (86%) were naïve to vigabatrin. The majority of adult patients (n=783, 65%) had previously been prescribed ≥ 4 AEDs, and 719 (60%) were receiving ≥ 3 concomitant AEDs at vigabatrin initiation. Prescribers submitted an initial ophthalmological assessment form for 863 patients; an ophthalmologic exam was not completed for 300 (35%) patients and thus, were considered exempted from vision testing. Of these patients, 128 (43%) were exempted for neurologic disabilities. Clinicians discontinued treatment in 8 patients because of visual field deficits (VFD) (5 patients naïve to vigabatrin and 3 patients previously exposed). Based on Kaplan-Meier survival estimates, it is estimated that approximately 71%, 55%, and 40% of adult patients naïve to vigabatrin would remain in the registry at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. These demographic data suggest that a proportion of adult patients remain on vigabatrin long-term despite the risks of adverse events and significant underlying AED resistance and neurologic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Robert C Sergott
- Wills Eye Institute and Thomas Jefferson University Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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9
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Pellock JM, Brittain ST. Use of computer simulations to test the concept of dose forgiveness in the era of extended-release (XR) drugs. Epilepsy Behav 2016; 55:21-3. [PMID: 26724400 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
"Forgiveness" - the difference between a drug's postdose duration of action and its prescribed dosing interval - estimates the margin of therapeutic effect following a missed dose. Because this margin presumably decreases as dosing becomes less frequent, QD dosing of an antiepileptic drug (AED) is expected to be less forgiving than more frequent (e.g., BID) dosing of that same AED. However, if the AED is reformulated as an extended-release (XR) preparation, drug input may be prolonged relative to its immediate-release (IR) counterpart. It therefore stands to reason that forgiveness could be increased by an XR AED that extends the period during which therapeutic plasma concentrations are maintained if a dose is missed. Computer simulation was used to estimate forgiveness for an IR formulation of a hypothetical AED and its XR counterparts reformulated for less frequent dosing. Simulations determined forgiveness when the hypothetical IR AED was dosed TID, BID, and QD and when suitably designed XR formulations were dosed BID and QD. Simulations showed that forgiveness for an XR formulation can equal or exceed that for an IR formulation dosed more frequently.
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Hawley SR, Ablah E, Hesdorffer D, Pellock JM, Lindeman DP, Paschal AM, Thurman DJ, Liu Y, Warren MB, Schmitz T, Rogers A, St Romain T, Hauser WA. Prevalence of pediatric epilepsy in low-income rural Midwestern counties. Epilepsy Behav 2015; 53:190-6. [PMID: 26588587 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most common disabling neurological disorders, but significant gaps exist in our knowledge about childhood epilepsy in rural populations. The present study assessed the prevalence of pediatric epilepsy in nine low-income rural counties in the Midwestern United States overall and by gender, age, etiology, seizure type, and syndrome. Multiple sources of case identification were used, including medical records, schools, community agencies, and family interviews. The prevalence of active epilepsy was 5.0/1000. Prevalence was 5.1/1000 in males and 5.0/1000 in females. Differences by age group and gender were not statistically significant. Future research should focus on methods of increasing study participation in rural communities, particularly those in which research studies are rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne R Hawley
- Wichita State University, Department of Public Health Sciences, 1845 Fairmount Box 43, Wichita, KS 67260-0043, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ablah
- University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214, USA
| | - Dale Hesdorffer
- Columbia University, 680 West 168 Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - John M Pellock
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Neurology, P.O. Box 980599, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - David P Lindeman
- University of Kansas Life Span Institute at Parsons, 2601 Gabriel, Parsons, KS 67357, USA
| | - Angelia M Paschal
- The University of Alabama, Department of Health Science, Box 870311, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0311, USA
| | - David J Thurman
- Emory University, School of Medicine 201 Dowman Dr. Mailstop 1930-001-1AN, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Yi Liu
- Columbia University, 680 West 168 Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mary Beth Warren
- University of Kansas Area Health Education Center, 1501 S. Joplin, Pittsburg, KS 66762, USA
| | - Terri Schmitz
- University of Kansas Area Health Education Center, 1501 S. Joplin, Pittsburg, KS 66762, USA
| | - Austin Rogers
- University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214, USA
| | | | - W Allen Hauser
- Columbia University, 680 West 168 Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Pellock JM, Wheless JW, Douglass LM. In response: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome may be a curable, reversible epileptic encephalopathy. Epilepsia 2015; 56:500-1. [PMID: 25778756 DOI: 10.1111/epi.12915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John M Pellock
- Child Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.
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Pellock JM, Wheless JW. Introduction: Recommendations regarding management of patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Epilepsia 2014; 55 Suppl 4:1-3. [PMID: 25284031 DOI: 10.1111/epi.12661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John M Pellock
- Child Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A
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13
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Lewis DV, Shinnar S, Hesdorffer DC, Bagiella E, Bello JA, Chan S, Xu Y, MacFall J, Gomes WA, Moshé SL, Mathern GW, Pellock JM, Nordli DR, Frank LM, Provenzale J, Shinnar RC, Epstein LG, Masur D, Litherland C, Sun S. Hippocampal sclerosis after febrile status epilepticus: the FEBSTAT study. Ann Neurol 2014; 75:178-85. [PMID: 24318290 DOI: 10.1002/ana.24081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2013] [Revised: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Whether febrile status epilepticus (FSE) produces hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) has long been debated. Our objective is to determine whether FSE produces acute hippocampal injury that evolves to HS. METHODS FEBSTAT and 2 affiliated studies prospectively recruited 226 children aged 1 month to 6 years with FSE and controls with simple febrile seizures. All had acute magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and follow-up MRI was obtained approximately 1 year later in the majority. Visual interpretation by 2 neuroradiologists informed only of subject age was augmented by hippocampal volumetrics, analysis of the intrahippocampal distribution of T2 signal, and apparent diffusion coefficients. RESULTS Hippocampal T2 hyperintensity, maximum in Sommer's sector, occurred acutely after FSE in 22 of 226 children in association with increased volume. Follow-up MRI obtained on 14 of the 22 with acute T2 hyperintensity showed HS in 10 and reduced hippocampal volume in 12. In contrast, follow-up of 116 children without acute hyperintensity showed abnormal T2 signal in only 1 (following another episode of FSE). Furthermore, compared to controls with simple febrile seizures, FSE subjects with normal acute MRI had abnormally low right to left hippocampal volume ratios, smaller hippocampi initially, and reduced hippocampal growth. INTERPRETATION Hippocampal T2 hyperintensity after FSE represents acute injury often evolving to a radiological appearance of HS after 1 year. Furthermore, impaired growth of normal-appearing hippocampi after FSE suggests subtle injury even in the absence of T2 hyperintensity. Longer follow-up is needed to determine the relationship of these findings to TLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrell V Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics (Neurology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
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Seinfeld S, Shinnar S, Sun S, Hesdorffer DC, Deng X, Shinnar RC, O'Hara K, Nordli DR, Frank LM, Gallentine W, Moshé SL, Pellock JM. Emergency management of febrile status epilepticus: results of the FEBSTAT study. Epilepsia 2014; 55:388-95. [PMID: 24502379 DOI: 10.1111/epi.12526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Treatment of seizures varies by region, with no standard emergency treatment protocol. Febrile status epilepticus (FSE) is often a child's first seizure; therefore, families are rarely educated about emergency treatment. METHODS From 2002 to 2010, 199 subjects, age 1 month to 6 years, were recruited as part of a prospective, multicenter study of consequences of FSE, which was defined as a febrile seizure or series of seizures lasting >30 min. The patients' charts were reviewed. No standardized treatment protocol was implemented for this observational study. RESULTS One hundred seventy-nine children received at least one antiepileptic drug (AED) to terminate FSE, and more than one AED was required in 140 patients (70%). Median time from the seizure onset to first AED by emergency medical services (EMS) or emergency department (ED) was 30 min. Mean seizure duration was 81 min for subjects given medication prior to ED and 95 min for those who did not (p = 0.1). Median time from the first dose of AED to end of seizure was 38 min. Initial dose of lorazepam or diazepam was suboptimal in 32 (19%) of 166 patients. Ninety-five subjects (48%) received respiratory support by EMS or ED. Median seizure duration for the respiratory support group was 83 min; for the nonrespiratory support group the duration was 58 min (p-value < 0.001). Reducing the time from seizure onset to AED initiation was significantly related to shorter seizure duration. SIGNIFICANCE FSE rarely stops spontaneously, is fairly resistant to medications, and even with treatment persists for a significant period of time. The total seizure duration is composed of two separate factors, the time from seizure onset to AED initiation and the time from first AED to seizure termination. Earlier onset of treatment results in shorter total seizure duration. A standard prehospital treatment protocol should be used nationwide and education of EMS responders is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syndi Seinfeld
- Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A
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Hesdorffer DC, Shinnar S, Lewis DV, Nordli DR, Pellock JM, Moshé SL, Shinnar RC, Litherland C, Bagiella E, Frank LM, Bello JA, Chan S, Masur D, MacFall J, Sun S. Risk factors for febrile status epilepticus: a case-control study. J Pediatr 2013; 163:1147-51.e1. [PMID: 23809042 PMCID: PMC3989363 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.05.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Revised: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify risk factors for developing a first febrile status epilepticus (FSE) among children with a first febrile seizure (FS). STUDY DESIGN Cases were children with a first FS that was FSE drawn from the Consequences of Prolonged Febrile Seizures in Childhood and Columbia cohorts. Controls were children with a first simple FS and separately, children with a first complex FS that was not FSE. Identical questionnaires were administered to family members of the 3 cohorts. Magnetic resonance imaging protocol and readings were consistent across cohorts, and seizure phenomenology was assessed by the same physicians. Risk factors were analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS Compared with children with simple FS, FSE was associated with younger age, lower temperature, longer duration (1-24 hours) of recognized temperature before FS, female sex, structural temporal lobe abnormalities, and first-degree family history of FS. Compared with children with other complex FS, FSE was associated with low temperature and longer duration (1-24 hours) of temperature recognition before FS. Risk factors for complex FS that was not FSE were similar in magnitude to those for FSE but only younger age was significant. CONCLUSIONS Among children with a first FS, FSE appears to be due to a combination of lower seizure threshold (younger age and lower temperatures) and impaired regulation of seizure duration. Clinicians evaluating FS should be aware of these factors as many episodes of FSE go unnoticed. Further work is needed to develop strategies to prevent FSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale C. Hesdorffer
- Department of Epidemiology and GH Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Shlomo Shinnar
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Darrell V. Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Douglas R. Nordli
- Department of Neurology, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - John M. Pellock
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Solomon L. Moshé
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Ruth C. Shinnar
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Claire Litherland
- Department of Epidemiology and GH Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Emilia Bagiella
- Department of Health Evidence, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - L. Matthew Frank
- Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters and Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA
| | - Jacqueline A. Bello
- Department Radiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Stephen Chan
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - David Masur
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - James MacFall
- Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Shumei Sun
- Department of Biostatistics and International Epilepsy Consortium, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA
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Abstract
Febrile seizures are common and mostly benign. They are the most common cause of seizures in children less than five years of age. There are two categories of febrile seizures, simple and complex. Both the International League against Epilepsy and the National Institute of Health has published definitions on the classification of febrile seizures. Simple febrile seizures are mostly benign, but a prolonged (complex) febrile seizure can have long term consequences. Most children who have a febrile seizure have normal health and development after the event, but there is recent evidence that suggests a small subset of children that present with seizures and fever may have recurrent seizure or develop epilepsy. This review will give an overview of the definition of febrile seizures, epidemiology, evaluation, treatment, outcomes and recent research.
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Affiliation(s)
- DO Syndi Seinfeld
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA
| | - John M Pellock
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA
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Frank LM, Shinnar S, Hesdorffer DC, Shinnar RC, Pellock JM, Gallentine W, Nordli DR, Epstein LG, Moshe SL, Lewis DV, Sun S. Cerebrospinal fluid findings in children with fever-associated status epilepticus: results of the consequences of prolonged febrile seizures (FEBSTAT) study. J Pediatr 2012; 161:1169-71. [PMID: 22985722 PMCID: PMC3504634 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2012] [Revised: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This prospective multicenter study of 200 patients with fever-associated status epilepticus (FSE), of whom 136 underwent a nontraumatic lumbar puncture, confirms that FSE rarely causes cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis. CSF glucose and protein levels were unremarkable. Temperature, age, seizure focality, and seizure duration did not affect results. CSF pleocytosis should not be attributed to FSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Matthew Frank
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA.
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Nordli DR, Moshé SL, Shinnar S, Hesdorffer DC, Sogawa Y, Pellock JM, Lewis DV, Frank LM, Shinnar RC, Sun S. Acute EEG findings in children with febrile status epilepticus: results of the FEBSTAT study. Neurology 2012; 79:2180-6. [PMID: 23136262 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182759766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The FEBSTAT (Consequences of Prolonged Febrile Seizures) study is prospectively addressing the relationships among serial EEG, MRI, and clinical follow-up in a cohort of children followed from the time of presentation with febrile status epilepticus (FSE). METHODS We recruited 199 children with FSE within 72 hours of presentation. Children underwent a detailed history, physical examination, MRI, and EEG within 72 hours. All EEGs were read by 2 teams and then conferenced. Associations with abnormal EEG were determined using logistic regression. Interrater reliability was assessed using the κ statistic. RESULTS Of the 199 EEGs, 90 (45.2%) were abnormal with the most common abnormality being focal slowing (n = 47) or attenuation (n = 25); these were maximal over the temporal areas in almost all cases. Epileptiform abnormalities were present in 13 EEGs (6.5%). In adjusted analysis, the odds of focal slowing were significantly increased by focal FSE (odds ratio [OR] = 5.08) and hippocampal T2 signal abnormality (OR = 3.50) and significantly decreased with high peak temperature (OR = 0.18). Focal EEG attenuation was also associated with hippocampal T2 signal abnormality (OR = 3.3). CONCLUSIONS Focal EEG slowing or attenuation are present in EEGs obtained within 72 hours of FSE in a substantial proportion of children and are highly associated with MRI evidence of acute hippocampal injury. These findings may be a sensitive and readily obtainable marker of acute injury associated with FSE.
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Pellock JM, Carman WJ, Thyagarajan V, Daniels T, Morris DL, D'Cruz O. Efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in adults predicts efficacy in children: a systematic review. Neurology 2012; 79:1482-9. [PMID: 22955136 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e31826d5ec0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Due to the challenges inherent in performing clinical trials in children, a systematic review of published clinical trials was performed to determine whether the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in adults can be used to predict the efficacy of AEDs in the pediatric population. METHODS Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library searches (1970-January 2010) were conducted for clinical trials of partial-onset seizures (POS) and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures (PGTCS) in adults and in children <2 and 2-18 years. Independent epidemiologists used standardized search and study evaluation criteria to select eligible trials. Forest plots were used to investigate the relative strength of placebo-subtracted effect measures. RESULTS Among 30 adjunctive therapy POS trials in adults and children (2-18 years) that met evaluation criteria, effect measures were consistent between adults and children for gabapentin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, and topiramate. Placebo-subtracted median percent seizure reduction between baseline and treatment periods (ranging from 7.0% to 58.6% in adults and from 10.5% to 31.2% in children) was significant for 40/46 and 6/6 of the treatment groups studied. The ≥50% responder rate (ranging from 2.0% to 43.0% in adults and from 3.0% to 26.0% in children) was significant for 37/43 and 5/8 treatment groups. In children <2 years, an insufficient number of trials were eligible for analysis. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review supports the extrapolation of efficacy results in adults to predict a similar adjunctive treatment response in 2- to 18-year-old children with POS.
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Shinnar S, Bello JA, Chan S, Hesdorffer DC, Lewis DV, Macfall J, Pellock JM, Nordli DR, Frank LM, Moshe SL, Gomes W, Shinnar RC, Sun S. MRI abnormalities following febrile status epilepticus in children: the FEBSTAT study. Neurology 2012; 79:871-7. [PMID: 22843278 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e318266fcc5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The FEBSTAT study is a prospective study that seeks to determine the acute and long-term consequences of febrile status epilepticus (FSE) in childhood. METHODS From 2003 to 2010, 199 children age 1 month to 5 years presenting with FSE (>30 minutes) were enrolled in FEBSTAT within 72 hours of the FSE episode. Of these, 191 had imaging with emphasis on the hippocampus. All MRIs were reviewed by 2 neuroradiologists blinded to clinical details. A group of 96 children with first simple FS who were imaged using a similar protocol served as controls. RESULTS A total of 22 (11.5%) children had definitely abnormal (n = 17) or equivocal (n = 5) increased T2 signal in the hippocampus following FSE compared with none in the control group (p < 0.0001). Developmental abnormalities of the hippocampus were more common in the FSE group (n = 20, 10.5%) than in controls (n = 2, 2.1%) (p = 0.0097) with hippocampal malrotation being the most common (15 cases and 2 controls). Extrahippocampal imaging abnormalities were present in 15.7% of the FSE group and 15.6% of the controls. However, extrahippocampal imaging abnormalities of the temporal lobe were more common in the FSE group (7.9%) than in controls (1.0%) (p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS This prospective study demonstrates that children with FSE are at risk for acute hippocampal injury and that a substantial number also have abnormalities in hippocampal development. Follow-up studies are in progress to determine the long-term outcomes in these children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomo Shinnar
- Neurology and Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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Wheless JW, Gibson PA, Rosbeck KL, Hardin M, O’Dell C, Whittemore V, Pellock JM. Infantile spasms (West syndrome): update and resources for pediatricians and providers to share with parents. BMC Pediatr 2012; 12:108. [PMID: 22830456 PMCID: PMC3411499 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-12-108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2011] [Accepted: 07/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infantile spasms (IS; West syndrome) is a severe form of encephalopathy that typically affects infants younger than 2 years old. Pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, and other pediatric health care providers are all potentially key early contacts for families who have an infant with IS. The objective of this article is to assist pediatric health care providers in the detection of the disease and in the counseling and guidance of families who have an infant with IS. METHODS Treatment guidelines, consensus reports, and original research studies are reviewed to provide an update regarding the diagnosis and treatment of infants with IS. Web sites were searched for educational and supportive resource content relevant to providers and families of patients with IS. RESULTS Early detection of IS and pediatrician referral to a pediatric neurologist for further evaluation and initiation of treatment may improve prognosis. Family education and the establishment of a multidisciplinary continuum of care are important components of care for the majority of patients with IS. The focus of the continuum of care varies across diagnosis, initiation of treatment, and short- and long-term needs. Several on-line educational and supportive resources for families and caregivers of patients with IS were identified. CONCLUSIONS Given the possibility of poor developmental outcomes in IS, including the emergence of other seizure disorders and cognitive and developmental problems, early recognition, referral, and treatment of IS are important for optimal patient outcomes. Dissemination of and access to educational and supportive resources for families and caregivers across the lifespan of the child with IS is an urgent need. Pediatric health care providers are well positioned to address these needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Wheless
- Professor and Chief of Pediatric Neurology, LeBonheur Chair in Pediatric Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Director, LeBonheur Comprehensive Epilepsy Program & Neuroscience Institute, LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Clinical Chief and Director of Pediatric Neurology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 777 Washington Avenue, P335, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Patricia A Gibson
- Epilepsy Information Service, Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Wake Forest University, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Kari Luther Rosbeck
- Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, 801 Roeder Road, Suite 750, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | | | - Christine O’Dell
- The Comprehensive Epilepsy Management Center, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Vicky Whittemore
- Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, 801 Roeder Road, Suite 750, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | - John M Pellock
- Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, 1001 East Marshall Street, 1st Floor, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
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Hesdorffer DC, Shinnar S, Lewis DV, Moshé SL, Nordli DR, Pellock JM, MacFall J, Shinnar RC, Masur D, Frank LM, Epstein LG, Litherland C, Seinfeld S, Bello JA, Chan S, Bagiella E, Sun S. Design and phenomenology of the FEBSTAT study. Epilepsia 2012; 53:1471-80. [PMID: 22742587 DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03567.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Febrile status epilepticus (FSE) has been associated with hippocampal injury and subsequent hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and temporal lobe epilepsy. The FEBSTAT study was designed to prospectively examine the association between prolonged febrile seizures and development of HS and associated temporal lobe epilepsy, one of the most controversial issues in epilepsy. We report on the baseline phenomenology of the final cohorts as well as detailed aims and methodology. METHODS The "Consequences of Prolonged Febrile Seizures in Childhood" (FEBSTAT) study is a prospective, multicenter study. Enrolled are children, aged 1 month to 6 years of age, presenting with a febrile seizure lasting 30 min or longer based on ambulance, emergency department, and hospital records, and parental interview. At baseline, procedures included a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study and electroencephalography (EEG) recording done within 72 h of FSE, and a detailed history and neurologic examination. Baseline development and behavior are assessed at 1 month. The baseline assessment is repeated, with age-appropriate developmental testing at 1 and 5 years after enrollment as well as at the development of epilepsy and 1 year after that. Telephone calls every 3 months document additional seizures. Two other groups of children are included: a "control" group consisting of children with a first febrile seizure ascertained at Columbia University and with almost identical baseline and 1-year follow-up examinations and a pilot cohort of FSE from Duke University. KEY FINDINGS The FEBSTAT cohort consists of 199 children with a median age at baseline of 16.0 months (interquartile range [IQR] 12.0-24.0) and a median duration of FSE of 70.0 min (IQR 47.0-110.0). Seizures were continuous in 57.3% and behaviorally intermittent (without recovery in between) in 31.2%; most were partial (2.0%) or secondary generalized (65.8%), and almost all (98.0%) culminated in a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Of the 199 children, 86.4% had normal development and 20% had prior febrile seizures. In one third of cases, FSE was unrecognized in the emergency department. The Duke existing cohort consists of 23 children with a median age of FSE onset of 18.0 months (IQR 14.0-28.0) and median duration of FSE of 90.0 min (IQR 50.0-170.0). The Columbia control cohort consists of 159 children with a first febrile seizure who received almost the same workup as the FEBSTAT cohort at baseline and at 1 year. They were followed by telephone every 4 months for a median of 42 months. Among the control cohort, 64.2% had a first simple FS, 26.4% had a first complex FS that was not FSE, and 9.4% had FSE. Among the 15 with FSE, the median age at onset was 14.0 months (IQR 12.0-20.0) and the median duration of FSE was 43.0 min (IQR 35.0-75.0). SIGNIFICANCE The FEBSTAT study presents an opportunity to prospectively study the relationship between FSE and acute hippocampal damage, the development of mesial temporal sclerosis, epilepsy (particularly temporal lobe epilepsy), and impaired hippocampal function in a large cohort. It is hoped that this study may illuminate a major mystery in clinical epilepsy today, and permit the development of interventions designed to prevent the sequelae of FSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale C Hesdorffer
- GH Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, P & S Unit 16, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Epstein LG, Shinnar S, Hesdorffer DC, Nordli DR, Hamidullah A, Benn EKT, Pellock JM, Frank LM, Lewis DV, Moshe SL, Shinnar RC, Sun S. Human herpesvirus 6 and 7 in febrile status epilepticus: the FEBSTAT study. Epilepsia 2012; 53:1481-8. [PMID: 22954016 DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03542.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE In a prospective study, Consequences of Prolonged Febrile Seizures in Childhood (FEBSTAT), we determined the frequency of human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 and HHV-7 infection as a cause of febrile status epilepticus (FSE). METHODS Children ages 1 month to 5 years presenting with FSE were enrolled within 72 h and received a comprehensive assessment including specimens for HHV-6 and HHV-7. The presence of HHV-6A, HHV-6B, or HHV-7 DNA and RNA (amplified across a spliced junction) determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) at baseline indicated viremia. Antibody titers to HHV-6 and HHV-7 were used in conjunction with the PCR results to distinguish primary infection from reactivated or prior infection. KEY FINDINGS Of 199 children evaluated, HHV-6 or HHV-7 status could be determined in 169 (84.9%). HHV-6B viremia at baseline was found in 54 children (32.0%), including 38 with primary infection and 16 with reactivated infection. No HHV-6A infections were identified. HHV-7 viremia at baseline was observed in 12 children (7.1%), including eight with primary infection and four with reactivated infection. Two subjects had HHV-6/HHV-7 primary coinfection at baseline. There were no differences in age, characteristics of illness or fever, seizure phenomenology or the proportion of acute EEG or imaging abnormalities in children presenting with FSE with or without HHV infection. SIGNIFICANCE HHV-6B infection is commonly associated with FSE. HHV-7 infection is less frequently associated with FSE. Together, they account for one third of FSE, a condition associated with an increased risk of both hippocampal injury and subsequent temporal lobe epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon G Epstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University and Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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Abstract
Vigabatrin is an effective and well-tolerated antiepileptic drug (AED) for the treatment of refractory complex partial seizures (rCPS) and infantile spasms (IS), but its benefits must be evaluated in conjunction with its risk of retinopathy with the development of peripheral visual field defects (pVFDs). Vigabatrin should be considered for rCPS if a patient has failed appropriate trials of other AEDs or is not a suitable candidate for other AEDs, is not an optimal surgical candidate, and continues to experience debilitating effects from seizures. Vigabatrin is indicated as monotherapy for pediatric patients with IS. Its efficacy in achieving improved seizure control should be apparent within 12 weeks in patients with rCPS and within 2-4 weeks after attaining appropriate dosage for patients with IS. Because 12 weeks is well less than the known time of onset of visual defects, the risk of developing pVFDs may be minimized by discontinuing vigabatrin early during the course of therapy for patients with inadequate response. Appropriate vision screening is recommended at baseline, every 3 months during continued vigabatrin treatment, and at 3-6 months after discontinuation (if therapy has spanned more than a few months). If a pVFD is detected at any point and the decision is made to discontinue therapy, the pVFD is not likely to progress after discontinuation of vigabatrin. Although some patients will be at risk of retinopathy, vigabatrin is an appropriate treatment option for patients who achieve substantial clinical benefit, especially given the severe consequences of rCPS and uncontrolled IS. While retinopathy with the development of pVFDs is a serious adverse event, it is not life-threatening and its risk can be effectively managed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Pellock
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
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Kjeldsen MJ, Corey LA, Solaas MH, Friis ML, Harris JR, Kyvik KO, Christensen K, Pellock JM. Genetic Factors in Seizures: A Population-Based Study of 47,626 US, Norwegian and Danish Twin Pairs. Twin Res Hum Genet 2012. [DOI: 10.1375/twin.8.2.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe purpose of the study was to describe a large sample of twins reporting a history of seizures, to characterize seizures in the three subpopulations, and to estimate the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in seizure occurrence. Seizure history was determined by questionnaires completed by twins in population-based twin registries in the United States, Norway and Denmark. Concordance rates were calculated for all seizure categories within and across twin populations. Of 47,626 twin pairs evaluated, 6234 reported a history of seizures in one or both twins. Concordance rates were significantly higher for monozygotic (MZ) versus dizygotic (DZ) pairs for all seizure categories within and across populations. The results of this study involving the largest unselected, population-based sample of twins with seizures assembled to date confirm the importance of genetic factors in determining risk for epilepsy, febrile seizures, other seizures and staring spells. This sample is likely to provide an important resource for studying the genetics of epilepsy subtypes and febrile seizures.
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Pellock JM, Faught E, Sergott RC, Shields WD, Burkhart GA, Krauss GL, Foroozan R, Wesche DL, Weinberg MA. Registry initiated to characterize vision loss associated with vigabatrin therapy. Epilepsy Behav 2011; 22:710-7. [PMID: 21978471 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2011.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2011] [Revised: 08/25/2011] [Accepted: 08/26/2011] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
The vigabatrin patient registry was implemented in August 2009 in conjunction with Food and Drug Administration approval of vigabatrin. All US vigabatrin-treated patients must enroll in the registry. Data on prescriber specialty/location, patient demographics, and clinical characteristics are collected. Benefit-risk assessments are required early in the course of therapy. Vision assessments are required at baseline (≤4 weeks after therapy initiation), every 3 months during therapy, and 3 to 6 months after discontinuation. As of February 1, 2011, 2473 patients (1500 with infantile spasms, 846 with refractory complex partial seizures, 120 with other diagnoses) had enrolled; 30.4% were previously exposed to vigabatrin. Kaplan-Meier analysis of time in registry indicated that 83 and 97% of all enrolled patients with refractory complex partial seizures and infantile spasms remained beyond 3 and 1 month, respectively. The ongoing registry will provide visual status and other information on vigabatrin-treated patients for both the infantile spasm and refractory complex partial seizure indications.
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27
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Affiliation(s)
- W D Shields
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1752, USA.
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Corey LA, Pellock JM, Kjeldsen MJ, Nakken KO. Importance of genetic factors in the occurrence of epilepsy syndrome type: a twin study. Epilepsy Res 2011; 97:103-11. [PMID: 21885256 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2011.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2010] [Revised: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 07/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although there is strong evidence that genetic factors contribute to risk for epilepsy, their role in the determination of syndrome type is less clear. This study was undertaken to address this question. Information related to epilepsy was obtained from twins included in 455 monozygotic and 868 dizygotic pairs ascertained from population-based twin registries in Denmark, Norway and the United States. Syndrome type was determined based on medical record information and detailed clinical interviews and classified using the International Classification Systems for the Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes. Concordance rates were significantly increased in monozygotic versus dizygotic pairs for all major syndrome groups except localization-related cryptogenic epilepsy. Among generalized epilepsies, genetic factors were found to play an important role in the determination of childhood absence, juvenile absence, juvenile myoclonic, and idiopathic generalized epilepsy; and to a lesser degree for epilepsies with grand mal seizures on awakening. Among localization-related epilepsies, genetic factors contributed to risk for localization-related idiopathic and symptomatic syndromes overall, but did not appear to play an important role in determining risk for frontal, occipital or temporal lobe epilepsy. These results suggest that, while genetic factors contribute to risk for major syndrome types, determined when possible, their contribution to risk for localization-related syndrome sub-types, as defined by specific focality, may be modest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda A Corey
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980033, Richmond, VA 23298-0033, United States.
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Pellock JM, Hrachovy R, Shinnar S, Baram TZ, Bettis D, Dlugos DJ, Gaillard WD, Gibson PA, Holmes GL, Nordli DR, O’Dell C, Shields WD, Trevathan E, Wheless JW. Infantile spasms: A U.S. consensus report. Epilepsia 2010; 51:2175-89. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2010.02657.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 328] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite several studies, estimates of the frequency with which auras occur in conjunction with epilepsy continue to be imprecise. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence and characteristics of auras in a large population-based epilepsy cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects with verified epilepsy were recruited from population-based twin registries in the USA, Denmark and Norway. Using a structured interview in which a list of auras was provided, subjects were asked about the warning symptoms preceding their epileptic attacks. RESULTS 31% of the total sample (n = 1897) and 39% of those with active epilepsy (n = 765) had experienced an aura. Six percent reported more than one type. Non-specified auras were most frequently reported (35%), followed by somatosensory (11%) and vertiginous (11%). While the majority of those reporting auras (59%) had focal epilepsies, auras of a mostly non-specific nature were experienced by 13% of those with generalized epilepsies. CONCLUSION Auras serve an important purpose in that they may prevent seizure-related injuries and could provide an indication as to where the seizures originate. The occurrence of auras often is underestimated, especially in children and those with learning disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- K O Nakken
- National Centre for Epilepsy, Sandvika, Norway.
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33
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Arzimanoglou A, French J, Blume WT, Cross JH, Ernst JP, Feucht M, Genton P, Guerrini R, Kluger G, Pellock JM, Perucca E, Wheless JW. Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: a consensus approach on diagnosis, assessment, management, and trial methodology. Lancet Neurol 2009; 8:82-93. [PMID: 19081517 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(08)70292-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Pellock
- Division of Child Neurology and Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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Abstract
Seizure emergencies are potentially life-threatening events that are under-recognized. Status epilepticus is associated with considerable rates of morbidity and mortality. Experts currently believe that any episode of seizure activity lasting 5 minutes or longer should be considered status epilepticus. Treatment should be initiated as early as possible; evidence has shown that once seizures persist for 5 to 10 minutes, they are unlikely to stop on their own in the subsequent few minutes. Prehospital treatment with benzodiazepines has been shown to reduce seizure activity significantly compared with seizures that remain untreated until the patient reaches the emergency department. The consequences of delayed treatment of status epilepticus include a serious risk of subsequent prolonged seizure activity or epileptogenesis, memory deficits, and learning difficulties. The importance of timely intervention in generalized tonic-clonic status epilepticus must be emphasized. Recent research has found that emergency department personnel fail to recognize the condition in children in 34% of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Pellock
- Division of Child Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine Richmond, VA 23298-0211, USA. jpellock@ hsc.vcu.edu
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Morton LD, O'Hara KA, Coots BP, Pellock JM. Safety of rapid intravenous valproate infusion in pediatric patients. Pediatr Neurol 2007; 36:81-3. [PMID: 17275657 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2006.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2006] [Revised: 08/01/2006] [Accepted: 11/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In order to investigate the safety of rapidly infused intravenous valproate in children with seizures, the drug was administered to 18 patients (age range, 1-16 years) at doses ranging from 7.5 to 41.5 mg/kg and rates of 1.5 to 11 mg/kg per minute. Forty-eight intravenous valproate doses were administered during 19 hospital admissions (range, 1-16 doses per admission). Only one adverse event was reported; a 9-year-old male experienced burning at the infusion site while receiving 660 mg intravenous valproate at 6 mg/kg per minute. The patient tolerated three subsequent infusions (one of 330 mg and two of 165 mg) at the same rate with no further discomfort. Electrocardiogram results, available for 18 admissions, revealed no arrhythmias, bradycardias, or hypotensive episodes. No abnormal laboratory results were reported. Rapid intravenous valproate infusion appears to be safe in pediatric patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence D Morton
- Division of Child Neurology, Department of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0211, USA.
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Abstract
An expert panel convened to evaluate data and review current clinical practices regarding the novel antiepileptic drug (AED) felbamate. Felbamate has demonstrated efficacy against a variety of refractory seizures types, including seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, but postmarketing experience revealed serious idiosyncratic adverse effects that were not observed during clinical trials. Although felbamate is not indicated as first-line antiepileptic therapy, its utility in treating seizures that are refractory to other AEDs is undisputed, as shown by the number of patients who continue to use it. New exposures to felbamate number approximately 3200-4200 patients annually, and it is estimated that over the past 10 years, approximately 35,000 new starts have occurred. Recommendations by the American Academy of Neurology and a review of felbamate literature were evaluated in conjunction with the clinical experience of the expert panel to determine current medical opinion and practice regarding felbamate. The past 10 years of clinical experience have demonstrated that when used in accordance with existing recommendations and close clinical monitoring, felbamate is an effective treatment for some patients with seizures refractory to other AEDs. This review of clinical data and discussion of the current understanding of the risk:benefit of felbamate therapy supports its use as an important therapeutic option for some patients with refractory epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Pellock
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, PO Box 980211, 1001 E. Marshall St., 1st floor, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
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38
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Vadlamudi L, Kjeldsen MJ, Corey LA, Solaas MH, Friis ML, Pellock JM, Nakken KO, Milne RL, Scheffer IE, Harvey AS, Hopper JL, Berkovic SF. Analyzing the etiology of benign rolandic epilepsy: a multicenter twin collaboration. Epilepsia 2006; 47:550-5. [PMID: 16529620 DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2006.00466.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Benign rolandic epilepsy (BRE) is considered a genetically determined idiopathic partial epilepsy. We analyzed a large sample of twins from four international twin registers to probe the genetics of BRE. We also aim to synthesize the apparently conflicting family and twin data into a model of BRE etiology. METHODS Large population-based twin registries of epilepsies from Odense (Denmark), Richmond, Virginia (United States), and Oslo (Norway) were reviewed for BRE cases and added to our Australian twin data. Diagnosis of classic BRE was based on electroclinical criteria with normal neurologic development. Cases with a compatible electroclinical picture but abnormal neurologic development were termed non-classic BRE. RESULTS Eighteen twin pairs were identified (10 monozygous; eight dizygous) of whom at least one twin was diagnosed with classic BRE among a total sample of 1,952 twin pairs validated for seizures, and all were discordant for BRE. The estimated monozygous pairwise concordance for BRE in this sample was 0.0 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.0-0.3). Four twin pairs (one monozygous, three dizygous) had non-classic BRE, and all co-twins had seizures. CONCLUSIONS The twin data showing an absence of any concordant twin pairs with classic BRE suggest that noninherited factors are of major importance in BRE. Modelling the data shows that the familial occurrence of centrotemporal spikes makes only a minor contribution to the familial aggregation of BRE. Genetic factors are probably more important in non-classic BRE. The etiology and mode(s) of inheritance of BRE are much more complicated than initially conceptualized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lata Vadlamudi
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
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Abstract
Many IV antiepileptic drugs administered in emergency situations to patients with prolonged seizures have serious adverse effects. For this reason, the authors conducted a multicenter, open-label, prospective, dose-escalation study of IV valproate sodium administered to patients with epilepsy at rates of infusion of up to 6 mg/kg/minute and doses of up to 30 mg/kg. Valproate sodium had no clinically significant negative effects on blood pressure and pulse rate and caused only mild-to-moderate, reversible adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
- J W Wheless
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Pellock
- Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
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Kjeldsen MJ, Corey LA, Solaas MH, Friis ML, Harris JR, Kyvik KO, Christensen K, Pellock JM. Genetic factors in seizures: a population-based study of 47,626 US, Norwegian and Danish twin pairs. Twin Res Hum Genet 2005; 8:138-47. [PMID: 15901477 DOI: 10.1375/1832427053738836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to describe a large sample of twins reporting a history of seizures, to characterize seizures in the three subpopulations, and to estimate the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in seizure occurrence. Seizure history was determined by questionnaires completed by twins in population-based twin registries in the United States, Norway and Denmark. Concordance rates were calculated for all seizure categories within and across twin populations. Of 47,626 twin pairs evaluated, 6234 reported a history of seizures in one or both twins. Concordance rates were significantly higher for monozygotic (MZ) versus dizygotic (DZ)pairs for all seizure categories within and across populations. The results of this study involving the largest unselected, population-based sample of twins with seizures assembled to date confirm the importance of genetic factors in determining risk for epilepsy, febrile seizures, other seizures and staring spells. This sample is likely to provide an important resource for studying the genetics of epilepsy subtypes and febrile seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne J Kjeldsen
- The Danish Twin Registry, Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
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Abstract
The authors reviewed respiratory adverse events and deaths spontaneously reported to Xcel Pharmaceuticals associated with diazepam rectal gel. Over 2 million doses have been prescribed. The authors identified nine respiratory adverse events and three deaths. The respiratory events associated with prolonged seizures had a good outcome. The deaths occurred in the context of a prolonged seizure and respiratory depression was not the main symptom. When used as recommended, diazepam rectal gel has a low rate of serious morbidity or mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Pellock
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond 23298-0211, USA.
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Abstract
PURPOSE To determine whether valproic acid [divalproex (DVP)] extended-release, administered at a higher proportionate once-daily dosage, can be safely substituted for delayed-release or sprinkle in pediatric patients with epilepsy. METHODS Patients between ages 6 and 17 years with stable epilepsy taking DVP were randomized to 7 days of either DVP delayed-release/sprinkle (at the usual daily dose taken before study entry) or extended-release DVP (daily dose, 8% to 25% higher than their usual dose), and then (crossed over to) 7 days of the comparator formulation. Patient's clinical status was evaluated at a screening visit and on days 8 and 15, and with telephone follow-up 1 month after study completion. RESULTS No statistically significant difference in mean plasma VPA levels measured at the end of treatment was observed: 99, 92, and 103 mug/ml with the delayed-release tablets (n = 4), the sprinkle formulation (n = 11), and the extended-release tablets (n = 16), respectively. Seizure-control rates were stable during patients' use of the extended-release formulation. None of the study patients experienced a treatment-related adverse event. CONCLUSIONS The total daily dose for patients taking the delayed-formulation may need to be increased by < or = 20% when they are switched to the extended-release formulation. When switching from sprinkles to the extended-release formulation, individual variability must be considered. In patients who have VPA levels near the very high end of the therapeutic range (>100 microg/ml), it may be more prudent to make only minor modifications to the total daily dose during conversion and then to individualize the DVP extended-release dose based on plasma levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kernitsky
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Division of Child Neurology, Children's Pavilion, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0211, USA.
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Abstract
This study evaluates information regarding physician and patient experiences with zonisamide obtained from the early access and support for epilepsy (EASE) program. Both physicians and patients completed initiation questionnaires regarding seizure history and antiepileptic drug (AED) use. Physicians were advised to initiate zonisamide at 100 mg/day and titrate either to a clinical response or a maximum dosage of 600 mg/day. After > or = 2 months of zonisamide therapy, physicians and patients were asked to complete follow-up questionnaires that included questions regarding seizure frequency, seizure severity, and quality of life. Initiation questionnaires and follow-up questionnaires were submitted by 80 physicians for 163 patients. According to these data, seizure control, functional status, and other symptoms of epilepsy were improved in 57.4% (93/162), 37.1% (59/159), and 30.6% (48/157) of patients, respectively. Physicians intended to continue zonisamide therapy in 77.4% (123/159) of patients. Ninety-six patients submitted both initiation and follow-up questionnaires. Seizure control, seizure severity, and quality of life were improved in 53.6% (45/84), 58.8% (50/85), and 62.1% (54/87) of patients, respectively. These patients, most of whom were refractory to other AEDs, generally had positive experiences with zonisamide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Marmarou
- International Epilepsy Consortium, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Old City Hall, 1001 E Broad Street, Suite 235, P.O. Box 980449, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
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Nakken KO, Solaas MH, Kjeldsen MJ, Friis ML, Pellock JM, Corey LA. Which seizure-precipitating factors do patients with epilepsy most frequently report? Epilepsy Behav 2005; 6:85-9. [PMID: 15652738 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2004.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2004] [Revised: 11/01/2004] [Accepted: 11/01/2004] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
When treating patients with epilepsy, dealing with seizure-precipitating factors is a partly neglected and underestimated supplement to more traditional therapies. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of seizure precipitants in a large epilepsy population and to determine which precipitants patients most often reported. Study participants included twins and their family members ascertained from the Norwegian Twin Panel (NTP), the Danish Twin Registry (DTR), and the Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry (MATR). One thousand six hundred seventy-seven patients with epilepsy were identified and were asked about seizure precipitants using a closed-ended questionnaire. Fifty-three percent reported at least one seizure-precipitating factor, while 30% claimed to have experienced two or more such factors. Emotional stress, sleep deprivation, and tiredness were the three most frequently reported precipitants. Patients with generalized seizures seemed to be more sensitive to sleep deprivation and flickering light than those with partial seizures, while women with partial seizures appeared to be more prone to seizures during menstruation than women with generalized seizures. Knowledge of seizure precipitants has practical implications, not only in patient treatment and counseling, but also for diagnosis, in that it may be helpful in facilitating the appearance of interictal epileptiform discharges in EEG and ictal EEG recordings.
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Mackay MT, Weiss SK, Adams-Webber T, Ashwal S, Stephens D, Ballaban-Gill K, Baram TZ, Duchowny M, Hirtz D, Pellock JM, Shields WD, Shinnar S, Wyllie E, Snead OC. Practice parameter: medical treatment of infantile spasms: report of the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society. Neurology 2004; 62:1668-81. [PMID: 15159460 PMCID: PMC2937178 DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000127773.72699.c8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 313] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the current best practice for treatment of infantile spasms in children. METHODS Database searches of MEDLINE from 1966 and EMBASE from 1980 and searches of reference lists of retrieved articles were performed. Inclusion criteria were the documented presence of infantile spasms and hypsarrhythmia. Outcome measures included complete cessation of spasms, resolution of hypsarrhythmia, relapse rate, developmental outcome, and presence or absence of epilepsy or an epileptiform EEG. One hundred fifty-nine articles were selected for detailed review. Recommendations were based on a four-tiered classification scheme. RESULTS Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is probably effective for the short-term treatment of infantile spasms, but there is insufficient evidence to recommend the optimum dosage and duration of treatment. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether oral corticosteroids are effective. Vigabatrin is possibly effective for the short-term treatment of infantile spasm and is possibly also effective for children with tuberous sclerosis. Concerns about retinal toxicity suggest that serial ophthalmologic screening is required in patients on vigabatrin; however, the data are insufficient to make recommendations regarding the frequency or type of screening. There is insufficient evidence to recommend any other treatment of infantile spasms. There is insufficient evidence to conclude that successful treatment of infantile spasms improves the long-term prognosis. CONCLUSIONS ACTH is probably an effective agent in the short-term treatment of infantile spasms. Vigabatrin is possibly effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Mackay
- Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria, Australia
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Pellock JM. Defining the problem: psychiatric and behavioral comorbidity in children and adolescents with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2004; 5 Suppl 3:S3-9. [PMID: 15351340 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2004.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2004] [Accepted: 06/30/2004] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A variety of comorbid psychiatric conditions are frequently identified in children and adolescents with epilepsy, including depression, anxiety, psychosis, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Data regarding the epidemiology and precise prevalence of comorbid disorders in childhood epilepsy are incomplete and just now beginning to be compiled. Psychiatric and behavioral comorbidities are believed to affect approximately 40-50% of children and adolescents with epilepsy. Optimal diagnosis, clinical evaluation, and choice of treatment are predicated on the proper identification of coexisting psychiatric and behavioral disorders. Comorbid conditions in children and adolescents with epilepsy should be evaluated and treated as soon as they are recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Pellock
- Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
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Faught E, Pellock JM. The Challenge of Treatment Selection for Epilepsy. Epilepsia 2004. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1528-1157.42.s8.4.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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