RESUMO
Beliefs regarding cause and preference of the treatment modality are important factors influencing any epilepsy programme. Patients own attitudes towards the on-going treatment are equally important in ensuring success of any such programme. The study involved interviews of 80 patients with epilepsy attending a comprehensive rural health services project, and was conducted according to a structured questionnaire. The majority of the patients were well informed regarding the cause of epilepsy, but more than half had tried alternative treatment methods. Many patients had misconceptions regarding the goal of the treatment and the consequences of missing a prescribed drug dose. Surprisingly few patients avoided taking medicines on days of religious fast. It was also noted that most patients depended on free medical supplies from the clinic dispensary, and a small number of patients would stop the medicines if these were not given free of cost. We stress the need to understand patients' concepts about the cause and the treatment of epilepsy, the need to educate them and their families regarding principles of modern medical treatment of epilepsy and most importantly, the need to maintain a regular, uninterrupted supply of free medicines, to improve the effectiveness of similar epilepsy management programmes in the setting of rural India and other developing countries.
Assuntos
Anticonvulsivantes/uso terapêutico , Países em Desenvolvimento , Epilepsia/tratamento farmacológico , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Saúde da População Rural , Adaptação Psicológica , Adolescente , Anticonvulsivantes/efeitos adversos , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Terapias Complementares , Epilepsia/etiologia , Epilepsia/psicologia , Feminino , Humanos , Índia , Masculino , Cooperação do Paciente/psicologia , Educação de Pacientes como Assunto , Papel do DoenteRESUMO
Eleven adults suffering from drug-resistant epilepsies were given meditation practice, while another nine adults acted as waiting list controls. All patients were on antiepileptic drugs and their serum drug levels were monitored regularly. Patients in the intervention group were given training in meditation, and they practiced meditation 20 minutes a day for one year. They showed a significant reduction in seizure frequency and duration, an increase in the dominant background EEG frequency, a reduction in mean spectral intensity of the 0.7-7.7 Hz segment, and an increment in mean spectral intensity in the 8-12 Hz segment of the EEG. All changes were statistically significant. Control patients did not show significant changes in seizure frequency and duration during the observation period of one year. The results indicate that continued meditation practice is of substantial help in improving the clinicoelectrographic picture in drug-resistant epileptics.
Assuntos
Epilepsia/terapia , Terapia de Relaxamento , Adolescente , Adulto , Resistência a Medicamentos , Eletroencefalografia , Epilepsia/fisiopatologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Hemiplegia is an unusual presenting feature of posterior circulation strokes. We report five cases who presented with hemiplegia and in whom CT scans revealed evidence of infarcts in posterior cerebral artery territory.
Assuntos
Artérias Cerebrais , Infarto Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagem , Hemiplegia/diagnóstico por imagem , Tratos Piramidais/irrigação sanguínea , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Adulto , Artérias Cerebrais/patologia , Córtex Cerebral/irrigação sanguínea , Córtex Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagem , Hipocampo/irrigação sanguínea , Hipocampo/diagnóstico por imagem , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Exame Neurológico , Tratos Piramidais/diagnóstico por imagem , Tálamo/irrigação sanguínea , Tálamo/diagnóstico por imagemRESUMO
A case of Wilson's disease with extensive white matter hypodensity, including in the basal ganglia, on CT scan is presented. Such extensive CT scan abnormality has not been described in Wilson's disease.