Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) was first delivered to patients over 25 years ago with the first patient being implanted in 1988. European Community approval was granted in 1994 and USA (FDA) commercial approval in 19971. VNS currently has a licence in Europe and the UK for the adjunctive treatment of epilepsy refractory to antiepileptic medication. The UK NICE Guidelines for Epilepsy (2012) sugg...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the comorbidity of depressive disorders in patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). METHOD We evaluated 25 consecutive patients with refractory TLE (16 women and 9 men), using semi-structured psychiatric interviews, according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), and the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS Seventeen of 25 patients (68%)...

Despite the new advancements in antiepileptic drug development, thousands of people with epilepsy will remain intractable to medication. For a considerable proportion of these people, epilepsy surgery is a consideration for better control of their seizures. Resective surgery is now standard practice for patients with medication-refractory epilepsy. Temporal lobectomy continues to be the most co...

Neurostimulation procedures like vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and deep brain stimulation have been used to treat refractory epilepsy and other neurological disorders. While holding promise, they are invasive interventions with serious complications and adverse effects. Moreover, their efficacies are modest with less seizure free. Acupuncture is a simple, safe, and effective traditional healing...

background: to investigate the status of the nuclear medicine (nm) centers in iran for the performance of dose calibrators, 18 out of 54 centers providing nm services in iran were randomly selected and inspected in 1997. in the first phase of the study the selected centers were inspected for performing of quality control (qc) tests of dose calibrators. the linearity of the activity response, pr...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Levetiracetam (LEV) add-on therapy for child refractory epilepsy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Levetiracetam add-on therapy was tested on 65 children who suffered refractory epilepsy, and clinical seizures. Electroencephalogram (EGG) changes and adverse reactions were observed in these children respectively in three, six and twelve months a...

While the introduction of radioactive tracers in the study of metabolic pathways has been well-documented in clinical thyroidology as early as 1924, the widespread utilization in other clinical specialties has been hampered by slow developments in radiation-detecting devices and in the production of appropriate radiopharmaceuticals, in addition tothe morbid fear of radiation. In the Philippines...

"It is not a wise choice!", this was the reaction of my father when I applied for nuclear medicine residency program 26 years ago. The old retired officer continued that hi-tech nuclear medicine is dependent on multiple advanced sections that may not be easily available especially in the developing countries. Now he is not alive to see that political misconducts have added fuel to the fire. Glo...

Abstract Background Epilepsy has significant effects on the behavior of most people who suffer it. In some cases, seizure activity itself is manifested as a brief change in that might appear unusual to casual observer. Evidence also suggests epilepsy can affect when seizures are not occurring. Descriptions inter-ictal with have long and controversial history. The study aims assess personality d...