A retrospective diagnosis of epilepsy in three historical figures: St Paul, Joan of Arc and Socrates.

It has been suggested that undiagnosed epilepsy profoundly influenced the lives of several key figures in history. Historical sources recounting strange voices and visions may in fact have been describing manifestations of epileptic seizures rather than more supernatural phenomena. Well-documented accounts of such experiences exist for three individuals in particular: Socrates, St Paul and Joan of Arc. The great philosopher Socrates described a 'daimonion' that would visit him throughout his life. This daimonion may have represented recurrent simple partial seizures, while the peculiar periods of motionlessness for which Socrates was well known may have been the result of co-existing complex partial seizures. St Paul's religious conversion on the Road to Damascus may have followed a temporal lobe seizure which would account for the lights, voices, blindness and even the religious ecstasy he described. Finally, Joan of Arc gave a detailed narrative on the voices she heard from childhood during her Trial of Condemnation. Her auditory hallucinations appear to follow sudden acoustic stimuli in a way reminiscent of idiopathic partial epilepsy with auditory features. By analysing passages from historical texts, it is possible to argue that Socrates, St Paul and Joan of Arc each had epilepsy.

Temporal resolution deficits in patients with refractory complex partial seizures and mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS).

We studied the temporal resolution ability in patients with refractory complex partial seizures and mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) using Gaps-In-Noise (GIN) test in a prospective cross-sectional study. Thirteen patients with right MTS (age: 31±7.67 years; M:F=8:5) and 13 patients with left MTS (age: 25.76±8.26 years; M:F=9:4) having normal hearing and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score of >23/30 were recruited. Fifty healthy volunteers (26.3±5.17 years; M:F=28:22) formed the control group. Gaps-In-Noise test demonstrated impaired temporal resolution: 69.2% of patients with right MTS (RMTS) and 76.9% of patients with left MTS (LMTS) had abnormal scores in the right ear for gap detection threshold (GDT) measure. Similarly, 53.8% of patients in the RMTS group and 76.9% of patients in the LMTS group had abnormal scores in the left ear. In percentage of correct identification (PCI), 46.1% of patients with RMTS and 69.2% of patients with LMTS had poorer scores in the right ear, whereas 46.1% of patients with RMTS and 61.5% of patients with LMTS had poorer scores in the left ear. Both patient groups, viz., RMTS and LMTS, demonstrated bilateral temporal resolution deficits.

Right-sided vagus nerve stimulation in humans: an effective therapy?

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an additive treatment option for refractory epilepsy. The electrode is placed on the cervical trunk of the left vagus nerve. In patients who are not suitable for left-sided vagus nerve stimulation (L-VNS) right-sided vagus nerve stimulation (R-VNS) may be as effective. In animal models epilepsy is sufficiently suppressed by R-VNS. In a 16 years old boy suffering from medically refractory psychomotoric seizures with secondary generalisation, L-VNS reduced the frequency of generalized seizures. A deep wound infection required the removal of the system eight weeks later. Cicatrisation did not allow preparation of the left vagus nerve, therefore we implanted R-VNS with sufficient seizure suppression. However, compared to L-VNS, the effect occurred months later and cardiac symptoms were induced by stimulation of the right vagus nerve. R-VNS seems to be an effective and alternative therapy in selected patients responding to L-VNS where a left-sided reimplantation is not possible. Placement and adjustment of the device should be performed under ECG control. Further studies are necessary to compare the efficacy of L-VNS and R-VNS.

Effect of vagal nerve stimulation in a case of Tourette's syndrome and complex partial epilepsy.

We report on a 30-year-old man with Tourette's syndrome (TS) and medication-refractory epilepsy whose tics improved after implantation of a vagal nerve stimulator (VNS). To verify the patient's observation, we performed a blinded video assessment using the modified Rush video-based tic rating scale. The patient underwent two separate video recordings (VNS on and VNS off). A rater, blinded to patient's VNS status, evaluated the videos with the modified Rush video-based tic rating scale. There were improvements in total tic score and motor and phonic tic frequency. If verified by controlled clinical trials, this observation may provide insights into the pathophysiology of tics and may lead to a novel therapy for patients with severe TS.

VNS in patients with previous unsuccessful resective epilepsy surgery: antiepileptic and psychotropic effects.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in patients with medically and surgically intractable complex partial seizures (CPS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with previous temporal [15] and frontal [one] resections were treated with VNS between 1994 and 1999 at King's College Hospital, London, UK. Post-operative video-electroencephalogram telemetry had shown that CPS started from the operated side in 12 patients, contralaterally in three and bilaterally independently in one. RESULTS: Three patients (18.75%) had 50% or more reduction in seizure frequency, but one showed severe worsening of epilepsy, which remitted upon VNS discontinuation. The antiepileptic effect of VNS was not different with respect to the type of operation (anterior temporal lobectomy vs amygdalohippocampectomy), the side of operation, or the side of seizure onset. We observed psychotropic effects in two patients with post-ictal psychosis, in two others with depression, and in a child with severe behavioral disorder. CONCLUSIONS: VNS may have a rather limited antiepileptic role to play in patients with persistent seizures following epilepsy surgery, but may independently possess useful antipsychotic and mood-stabilizing properties.

A case of infantile spasms: epileptic apnea as partial seizures at onset.

We report a 2-month-old boy who presented with apneic attacks as a manifestation of epileptic seizures at onset and eventually progressed to infantile spasms. At onset, at 2 months of age, apneic attacks were the sole symptom of epileptic fits. Although these seizures were accompanied by cyanosis, bradycardia was not noted. An ictal electroencephalogram showed focal paroxysmal discharges in the temporal area. Treatment with sodium valproate was not effective to control his seizures. By 6 months of age, he progressed to infantile spasms. Although his seizures could be completely controlled with the use of zonisamide, vitamin B6 or high-dose immunoglobulin, his mental and behavioral development was retarded severely. There have been no previously published cases with infantile spasms that evolved from epileptic apnea as partial seizures.

Vigabatrin and lamotrigine in refractory epilepsy.

Epilepsy arises from an imbalance of inhibitory and excitatory influences in the brain. Vigabatrin (VIG) decreases the breakdown of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, whereas lamotrigine (LTG) reduces presynaptic excitatory amino acid release. 22 patients with refractory epilepsy, treated with an anticonvulsant regimen containing VIG, entered a balanced, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial of additional LTG. Treatment periods of 12 weeks (25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg LTG twice daily for four weeks at each dose, and matched placebo) were followed by wash out intervals of four weeks. 14 of the 20 patients completing the study improved, resulting in a significant fall in seizure days and numbers. Analysis of seizure type confirmed a beneficial effect on partial and secondary generalised tonic-clonic seizures. At the highest LTG dose (200 mg daily) there was a median fall of 37% in seizure count with nine (45%) patients reporting > 50% reduction. Three of these patients were seizure free during this month of treatment. Side effects were minimal throughout the study. Concentrations of other antiepileptic drugs, including those of carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide, were not modified by LTG. This study suggests a substantial efficacy for a regimen containing VIG and LTG. Combinations of drugs with complementary modes of action may provide a rational pharmacological approach to the management of refractory epilepsy.