PURPOSE Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is approved for use for refractory partial seizures. Nevertheless, information regarding VNS therapy for special populations, including Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is limited. We discuss the effectiveness, tolerability, and safety of VNS therapy in patients with LGS. METHODS A six-center, retrospective study evaluated the effectiveness of VNS therapy in...

Propofol, a GABA-mediated inhibitor of excitatory neurotransmitter, is a popular intravenous agent for general anesthesia and sedation. Its side effects reportedly include opisthotonus, seizures, and myoclonus, and are usually manageable. We present a patient who developed propofol-induced delayed-onset refractory myoclonic seizures that resisted antiepileptic drugs.

The purpose of this open retrospective study was to analyze the efficacy and tolerability of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) in a Norwegian cohort of referral patients with refractory epileptic seizures. A total of 47 patients have been assessed after a mean follow-up time of 2.7 years. Mean age was 34.4 years, mean duration of epilepsy was 25.3 years. Forty-two patients (89%) had localization-re...

Lacosamide is a new antiepileptic drug that has been successfully used for the treatment of partial seizures. We report three neurosurgical cases of simple partial status epilepticus refractory to multiple antiepileptic medications. The addition of oral lacosamide in doses of 200-400 mg in combination with the existing treatment had successfully controlled the seizures within four days.

OBJECTIVES To systematically review and synthesize the available evidence on the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in reducing seizure frequency for children with refractory epilepsy. DATA SOURCES Medline searches were performed using the keywords epilepsy/therapy, dietary therapy, and epilepsy, and the text word ketogenic diet. The Cochrane Library of clinical trials was searched using the term...

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...

PURPOSE We investigated the various possible reasons for uncontrolled seizures in patients 18 years of age and older to determine the impact of pseudointractability. We also tried to investigate the various forms of pseudointractability. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, all patients 18 years of age and older with their first seizure occurring at least six months prior to the referral da...

We treated 14 patients with medically refractory partial seizures by stimulation of the vagus nerve in two single-blind pilot studies. Patients received stimulation through an implantable, programmable NeuroCybernetic Prosthesis, consisting of a pulse generator and a lead-electrode assembly. The mean reduction in seizure frequency after 14 to 35 months of vagal stimulation was 46.6%. Of the 14 ...

The indications for surgical intervention epilepsy associated with chromosomal abnormalities remain controversial. We report a 13-year-old girl trisomy 21 and refractory epilepsy. patient developed West syndrome at the age of 5 months. seizures were to multiple antiepileptic drugs, adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy, ketogenic diet. Lennox-Gastaut 7 years. Frequent daily including several soun...

Background: Epilepsy is the second common neurologic disorder. Although many antiepileptic drugs have been formulated to control the seizures, but not all seizures have been controlled by them. Uncontrolled epilepsy can actually reduce the patients’ quality of life. Objectives: Identifying the proportion of adult intractable epilepsy among epileptic patients in an area in the North East o...