The Financial Burden of Functional Neurological Disorders.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and severely debilitating condition lacking clinical ownership, existing between neurology and psychiatry. This article reports the findings of recent research investigating the economic costs of FND diagnosis and management. We define what the costs are, why they exist, and suggest actionable steps to reduce them. RECENT FINDINGS: The financial burden of FND exists across the globe characterized by high healthcare utilization resulting in exorbitant direct and indirect costs for the patient, healthcare system, and society. Inadequate medical education and stigmatization of the disorder prolong the time to diagnosis, during which cyclical utilization of inpatient and emergency department services drive up costs. Despite being cost-effective, lack of accessible treatment compounds the issue, leaving patients without a reliable exit. Recent findings support an increased awareness and the need for a cultural shift to overcome the financial burden associated with this underserved population.

Efficacy and safety of eslicarbazepine acetate monotherapy in patients converting from carbamazepine.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of prior use of carbamazepine (CBZ) and other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) with a putatively similar mechanism of action (inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels; VGSCs) on seizure outcomes and tolerability when converting to eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL), using data pooled from 2 controlled conversion-to-ESL monotherapy trials (studies: 093-045, 093-046). METHODS: Adults with treatment-resistant focal (partial-onset) seizures were randomized 2:1 to ESL 1600 or 1200 mg once daily. The primary efficacy endpoint was study exit (meeting predefined exit criteria related to worsening seizure control) versus an historical control group. Other endpoints included change in seizure frequency, responder rate, and tolerability. Endpoints were analyzed for subgroups of patients who received CBZ (or any VGSC inhibitor [VGSCi]) during baseline versus those who received other AEDs. RESULTS: Of 365 patients in the studies, 332 were evaluable for efficacy. The higher risk of study exit in the subgroups that received CBZ (or any VGSCi) during baseline, versus other AEDs, was not statistically significant (hazard ratios were 1.49 for +CBZ vs -CBZ [P = .10] and 1.27 for +VGSCi vs. -VGSCi [P = .33]). Reductions in seizure frequency and responder rates were lower in patients who converted from CBZ or other VGSCi compared with those who converted from other AEDs. There were no notable differences in overall tolerability between subgroups, but the incidence of some adverse events (eg, dizziness, somnolence, nausea) differed between subgroups and/or between treatment periods. SIGNIFICANCE: Baseline use of CBZ or other major putative VGSC inhibitors did not appear to significantly increase the risk of study exit due to worsening seizure control, or to increase the frequency of side effects when converting to ESL monotherapy. However, bigger improvements in efficacy may be possible in patients converting to ESL monotherapy from an AED regimen that does not include a VGSC inhibitor.

Disrobing associated with epileptic seizures and forensic implications.

Little is known about the clinical aspects and medico-legal consequences of disrobing in the context of epileptic seizures. Seizure-related disrobing may occur either as an ictal automatism or during the postictal period. Some patients may experience a seizure while already in the unclothed state, engage in ictal wandering, and thereby appear in public in the nude. Two cases involving disrobing associated with seizures captured via video-monitored electroencephalography are offered. An additional case reveals the legal consequences endured by one patient who experienced a nocturnal seizure and began wandering in an unclothed state. Collectively, these cases illustrate the medical reality of seizure-related disrobing and the related adverse effects on patients' quality of life. Disrobing associated with epileptic seizures carries the potential for serious legal consequences if not properly identified as an ictal phenomenon.

New antiepileptic drugs: lacosamide, rufinamide, and vigabatrin.

OPINION STATEMENT: The treatment of epilepsy is complicated by the multiple seizure types and epilepsy syndromes needing therapy. In addition, seizures in up to 30% of epilepsy patients are resistant to available medications. The three newest antiepileptic medications (lacosamide, rufinamide, and vigabatrin) all putatively have novel mechanisms of action, which might increase the chance of treatment success in patients failing previous antiepilepsy drug trials and the chance of successful synergy with currently available medications. In our experience, all three drugs generally are well tolerated, although the risk for serious long-term complications with vigabatrin presents special challenges and precautions. Lacosamide is approved for the adjunctive therapy of complex partial seizures in adults and also is available in an intravenous formulation. Rufinamide is a new treatment option for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and although it is not FDA approved for partial seizures, it has shown efficacy for that indication as well. Vigabatrin has been approved in adults for drug-resistant complex partial seizures and in infants as a treatment option for infantile spasms.

End-of-dose emergent psychopathology in ambulatory patients with epilepsy on stable-dose lamotrigine monotherapy: a case series of six patients.

OBJECTIVE: Specific psychological withdrawal symptoms following the cessation of treatment with many drugs that affect the central nervous system, including anxiolytics and antidepressants, have been well documented. Studies have investigated withdrawal symptoms associated with some of the older antiepileptic drugs, but the potential for withdrawal symptoms associated with newer antiepileptic drugs, including lamotrigine, has not yet been investigated. METHODS: Using a retrospective chart review, we identified six patients with epilepsy who reported transient emergent psychological symptoms during stable, chronic lamotrigine monotherapy. RESULTS: These symptoms included anxiety, emotional lability, and irritability. In each case, the symptoms resulted in marked subjective distress and reliably occurred in the 1-2h before the patients were due to take their next dose of medication. CONCLUSIONS: Lamotrigine withdrawal symptoms exist and can occur as an end-of-dose phenomenon, even in patients on stable medication doses. End-of-dose withdrawal from lamotrigine is a clinically significant adverse effect that can hamper successful treatment with this medication.